Season's Greetings

Jossi Design will be closed till 11th January 2010 for the Christmas Holidays. It has been a hectic yet rewarding year for Jossi Design. We have worked with some amazing clients and professionals and it has been a wonderful experience.

Thank you to all of our suppliers and the Jossi Design team for all their hard work this year. We must also say thank you to our clients for their support and for putting up with all our crazy ideas at times! Thank you for listening to us and for the friendships we have formed.



Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Best Wishes
Jocelyn Jones

Restaurant on Point Road

We are busy working on a new restaurant on Point Road, Durban. This is an awesome open plan space, taking up 2 floors with high ceilings and and double volume areas so there is great potential.

The challenge at the moment is working around the structural columns which are slightly interfering with the view of the stage. However we will find a workable solution to this problem. The next areas that need to be addressed are some structural details, the ceiling and lighting layouts, and the specification of the furniture and fittings as well as a large number of other design details.

This building has such character, the front facade is amazing with the large arched windows which also allow light to come flooding into the space.

There is alot to be done in the few days left of this year. We cannot wait to get this going in the new year as it is an exciting project. The first floor is to be formal dining with the ground floor having a more fun and vibrant feel.

House Desai

Jossi Design has had the pleasure of working on House Desai in Sherwood. The house is really taking shape now with the BIC's and kitchens being finished off this coming week and furniture is due to arrive shortly.

The timber laminate floor was installed this week on the first floor and has just added that final finish to each room so it is starting to look more like a home rather than a construction site. I am really happy with the look and feel so far.

I am very excited to see the end result when all the final finishes and decor items are installed. I met with the client on Friday night at the new @ Home in Gateway and we found the final items we required to finish off each room.

This has been a long hard year for alot of people in the building industry but we have made it through. It is good to see everything coming together at the end of the year with the client being able to move in shorly and enjoy the festive season with their family in their home.

Jossi Design is looking forward to our Christmas drinks where we can say thank you to the Jossi Team for all their hard work this year.

Renovations to Spiga D'Oro on Florida Road

Jossi Design is very proud to be involved in the renovations taking place at Spiga D'oro on Florida Road. This is mainly an extension being done at the back area where other restaurants used to be located.

We have been extremely busy trying to get everything together, being the end of the year alot of suppliers have been closing off their orders for the year. We managed to get alot of our orders in before closing date so despite all the pressure, it all seems to be coming together.

I do not want to reveal too much about the design and the vision that the owners have for Spiga. I am looking forward to the completion of the new Piazza area and to see the outcome, which I am sure is going to be amazing.

We will keep you updated on the developments at Spiga. We are now also working on a new restaurant due to open in Durban somewhere over April/ May next year. Look out for future blogs on this project and for more information on our completed projects or our services visit www.jossi.co.za

For Cake's Sake

I finally managed to pop round to "For Cake's Sake" this week to take some photos of the end result. The items on display are mouthwatering!

The bright yet pretty colours we chose in the original concept have been painted in stripes on the back wall to create a visual impact on entering the shop.

The small space has been used cleverly to maximize the display area. The soft voile in the window has added a touch of warmth.

The shop has a wonderfully light and happy atmosphere, it is fun and playful!

Please look out for the shop which is located at 69 Cowey Road. Remember orders can be placed for special occassions and brochures are available at the shop. Contact Rizwana 082 778 6257.

New Durban Restaurant

Jossi Design met with potential clients this week regarding their new restaurant due to open within Durban in April/ May 2010. This new restaurant is revolves around a colonial african theme. We are very please to have presented to this client and hope that we will able to add value to this project.

We put together a powerful presentation including concept boards and suggested finishes. We are holding thumbs that the potential client will be pleased with our efforts and we hope to hear from them soon.

We are also busy with the renovations for Spiga D'Oro on Florida Road! I am looking forward to the outcome here.

Another possible project that we are looking to be involved in is set design for a movie due to be filmed in Durban. This is timed to attract further interest in South Africa for the Soccer World Cup. Again we hope that this potential project comes about as we would love to be involved in this.

It seems that there are some exciting times ahead.

For Cake's Sake

There is a new cake shop due to open at 69 Cowey Road. Jossi Design has had the pleasure of working with the owner to create her vision for the interior design.

It seems to all be coming together with the shop due to open this Wednesday, 4th November 2009. It is very exciting and we all plan to support this new addition to our area.

As work is still in progress I do not have any photos to post as yet, but I will ensure we get some photos of the completed interior which will hopefully be available for viewing shortly.

But in the meantime see below the leaflet I have just received showing the items that can be purchased. You must also feel free to pop into the shop and view the various brochures of cakes that can be ordered. We wish "For Cake's Sake" the best of luck!

Christmas is coming

The weeks are really flying and we are so busy with projects that need to be completed by Christmas. This means orders must be placed as soon as possible before suppliers close their orders for the year... no pressure!

Above is a photo of one of the schemes we have put together for a house in Westville. With the accent colour being a deep grey/blue, wallpaper is being used on feature walls and florals are used on the roman blinds for the kitchen. A delicate voile for the lounge curtaining is going to help soften the room but will allow the light to still enter the lounge.

Last week we attended a launch at Home Fabrics and as usual it was an awesome event. On Thursday evening I attended the 3rd year portflio presentation and awards evening at The Durban Institute of Technology (DUT) at the City Campus. This was a real eye opener as new drawing and presentation methods are being used which I found very impressive. Congratulations to students and staff for all their hard work and for putting together a very informative and enjoyable evening.

One of the events that I am looking forward to this week is the Casino Royale evening in celebration of CV Project's 12th Anniversary. Should be an interesting evening.

Jossi Design update

Unfortunately this week I do not have any photos as it has been a week of late nights and non-stop presentations.

We are suddenly incredibly busy with some exciting projects which is resulting in alot of overtime, thank goodness I have some amazing staff that work really really hard. And I really appreciate it!

Some projects we have taken on recently include:

1) A restuarant in Florida Road

2) A Jewellery store in Pavillion Westville

3) A House in Westville

4) A Cake Shop on Cowie Road

Altogether is has been a really busy week with all of the above projects requiring concept and scheme presentations. And work still continues on our current projects.

Some of our current projects include:

1) Renvoation of Umgeni Water's offices

2) Apartment in Umhlanga (Lagoon Drive) which is at snagging stage

3) House in Zimbali

4) House in Pietermaritzburg

5) House in Sherwood

6) Penthouse on Musgrave Road

7) Offices on Musgrave Road - which is near Final Completion

This week there is a presentation at Home Fabrics which I am looking forward to. So another busy week to come and lots to do, but Christmas is just around the corner.

100% Design in London

Last week I took the opportunity to go to London to visit the 100% Design Show at Earls Court. Of course a week in London is a great just because of all the shopping but the show itself was very interesting as there were alot of new products I have never seen before as well as new ideas for furniture and light fittings that I found a real eye-opener.

The various wall finishes were incredibly interesting and this was further enhanced due to the clever use of lighting. Here the wall finishes become artworks themselves.

The light fittings were highly unusual and there were many new and interesting ideas that I can see being used in various interior applications.

One of my favourite ideas were the coloured glass writing panels which you fix to a wall. There is a magentic fitting that holds the pen in place. This not only looks like an artwork on the wall but it is functional and different from the standard white boards so often used.

I also had time to go to Tent London. The show was on a much smaller scale, in fact it felt more like an art exhibition however the artworks on display where clocks, wallpaper, furniture items, light fittings and accessories.

I also managed to go to Focus on the Sunday where the fabric houses along Kings Road allowed designers and decorators into the showrooms to enjoy some coffee and cakes while looking through the various wallpapers and fabrics available.

It was a great week and I managed to meet up with various friends which just added to the excitement of the trip. I am glad to be back and lets see how we can use these new ideas in future projects.

Dr Naidoo Surgery in Richards Bay

Jossi Design completed this Doctor’s Surgery at the Richard’s Bay Hospital. This was a challenging renovation as we were working in a busy hospital environment so noise and dust would be an inevitable problem.

The practice is aimed at family health care that meets new international concepts and standards. The interior that has been created represents this innovative idea and reflects the values and image that the doctor is focused on achieving.

The furniture designs and finishes were carefully planned to express a feeling of professionalism, knowledge and openness. This is a space where people will need to feel comfortable and in good hands. I feel this has been achieved and hope that many more medical practitioners will follow this lead.

For more information on our completed projects visit www.jossi.co.za.

The apartment in Marine Drive, Umhlanga Rocks is complete and the owners seem extremely happy with the outcome. The TV and Fireplace unit which was designed by Jossi Design creates a great feature and focal point for the lounge.

The apartment always appears to be bright and open due to the use of skylights in all of the rooms. The lounge has large glass sliding doors that open up onto the large verandah creating a feeling that the verandah is part of the lounge and is an additional entertainment area.

However entertainment is not a problem thanks to the indoor bar area complete with built in coffee machine. The bar is almost part of the dining room therefore even if you are pouring drinks behind the bar you are still part of what is going on within the rest of the apartment.

The image above shows the Guest Toilet, one wall addressed with a dramatic floral wallpaper and this creates an amazing impact on entering this space. This wallpaper has really made all the difference to this space!

On entering the apartment you are greeted by the site of this red couch with stainless steel side tables and perspex server behind. The client was adamant on a red couch and we are very happy with the outcome as it creates an area of interest and a real feature on entering this beautiful apartment.

For further information on our projects please visit our website www.jossi.co.za

Umgeni Water

Jossi Design has been awarded the tender to redesign the offices of Umgeni Water in Pietermaritzburg.



We are very proud to have been awarded this government tender and we have an amazing concept which promises to make for a professional and eye catching interior which reflects the identity of Umgeni Water.

Drawings, specification of finishes, scope of works and all documentation is currently being finalized in order to go to tender on the kitchenettes, bathrooms, passages, signage, furniture and general construction required for each building and each floor.

We will keep updating the progress of this project. For further information on our other projects visit our website www.jossi.co.za

Leatrice Eiseman Colour Lecture

On Tuesday 11th August the Jossi Design team went to a lecture on colour by Leatrice Eiseman. The main topic of the lecture was on the emotional reaction to colour and the best applications for the various colours. The talk ended off with an insite into the upcoming colour trends in advertising, interior design, fashion and graphic design.

Above: One of the many Leatrice Eiseman's books on colour (Cover)

It was a very interesting lecture and makes you think of colour in a more technical and emotional way. It is interesting to note how and why advertisements we see in magazines or on TV use colours to capture our attention or create an emotional creation to the product.

Above: Image taken from Plascon Website Southern Inspiration

A special 'thank you' to Plascon who sponsored the event and invited the Jossi Design team along (free of charge so we were really greatful to them for that). There was also a presentation of Plascon's 2010 Colour Forecast which puts together some amazing interior colour combinations and to produce enjoyable and comfortable interior scenes.

Above: Taken from Plascon Website Eastern Inspiration

We really enjoyed every minute of the lecture and we look forward to any future events being held by Plascon. We do recommend you take a look at Leatrice Eiseman's Colour Blog http://eisemancolorblog.com/ and Plascon's website http://www.plascon.co.za/

For more information on the projects that we are involved in please go to our website http://www.jossi.co.za/

Decorex Johannesburg

I decided to fly the Jossi Design team to Joburg this weekend to attend Decorex, I felt it was important that we keep up to date with what is out there in the design world (well the South African Design World) and who the suppliers are.

We had a great time but it is alot of walking! After seeing everything there was to see at Decorex we went to the Design Quarter and had a look at the various furniture and accessories shops.

I do get jealous that Joburg has so much and Durban has so little, but I really believe that we are going to see a big change in what Durban has to offer over the next couple of months (probably 6-12 months or so) and there will be alot more available to us in Durban. Just look at Weylandts finally opening a branch in Durban. It was great to be at the launch and all I can say is... About Time!!!

I am including some photos of what we saw at @ Home (Design Quarter) and I want to see more of this type of furniture @ Home branches in Durban soon.

The next item on Jossi Design's calendar is the talk on International Colour Trends being held at the Imax Theatre at Gateway on Tuesday. We should have a report on that towards the end of next week. As usual for further information on Jossi Design's completed projects please visit our website http://www.jossi.co.za/

Apartment in Umhlanga

I went to see the progress at the Apartment in Umhlanga that we have been working on for the last few months and it is great to see the it coming together now. The clients are moving their things in and they seem to be really happy with the outcome.

Above is a photo showing the wallpapered TV unit and fireplace that we designed. The wallpaper was installed on Wednesday and I had to take a photo when I saw the final effect. It is looking great. I also love the tree obje that the client bought from Weylandts that has just opened in Umhlanga. Jossi Design was lucky enough to get invited to the launch last week which was a great evening.

The carpets were being installed in the bedrooms when I was on site and it really makes the space feel bigger when the final finishes start to go in, you can really get a better sense of the space. Again this simple wall panel for the TV was designed by Jossi Design as well as the recess next to it which houses the fireplace for this main bedroom with shelves above.

For more information on the Weylandts showroom in Umhalnga visit their website http://www.weylandts.co.za/our-stores/umhlanga to see their exciting furniture. See below for a taste of what you can see at the Umhlanga store:
Visit our website www.jossi.co.za for more of our projects.

House in Sherwood

Jossi Design has taken on a new client in the Sherwood Area. This 3 bedroom house is being currently being renovated and the client has asked Jossi Design to do the electrical layouts, ceiling and lighting layouts and chosing all the finishes.

The open plan lounge, dining room and kitchen allows for a spacious feel, and this is accentuated by the double volume space at the entrance.

The bedrooms are large, mainly due to the extensions already done by the client. The Main Bedroom is to have a bathroom enclosed completely in glass so that the bathroom is almost part of the bedroom.

The client is in a hurry to move in so we should see this project moving quickly. We will keep updating the blog with photos of the progress. For more information on our completed projects please visit our website www.jossi.co.za