Mission Italia

In June 2016 I attended the Mission Italia, "Italian Design To The World" conference in Milan, Italy.  This was a wonderful opportunity to not only get to know more Italian products but to also meet with Designers, Architects and Hospitality Advisors from all over the world.

Being able to Partner with such a prestigeous organisation as Mission Italia was a real privilege and I was able to make invaluable contacts and friendships.

The most memorable companies is Linvisible... and I even made time for a showroom visit where I was walked through the whole design process right down to the hinges and sliding mechanisms used in this type of application. 

I found this to be a very interesting design concept, having dealt with the sometimes frustrating task of getting door frames, architraves, skirtings and even the doors to work together to create a harmonious design.  The omission of door frames and architraves to achieve an almost seamless meeting of the doors to the walls might just save me a few headaches on future projects. 

As you can see from the images you can paint the door so that it stands out alone as a feature within the wall, or you can have the door and walls cladded in wood paneling or even stone or granite to achieve the ultimate “hidden door” and concealed room behind.

Interesting Window Displays

I have been incredibly fortunate over the past year to do some travelling for work.  Travel is something that I have always been passionate about, so when the opportunity presents itself I don't say no.  

While I enjoy seeing the various tourist attractions, I am fascinated with exploring the different cultures, design styles and architecture.  Mostly I love to experience how people live and work in the different cities around the world by trying to find those places that are less visited by the tourist and more enjoyed by the locals.

So when I travel to a different place - I like to walk!  Day or night it doesn't matter much to me because it is the best way to actually see what life is like in that city (taking a taxi everywhere would much easier.... especially when you are not entirely sure you will remember the way back).  Walking ensures you actually experience the people, sights, sounds and smells of the city... and I always find something interesting, and often amusing, on these "walk-about's".  

So on some of my walks through Italy I found myself taking photos of several window displays.  Below are some of my favourites:

The one above captured my attention for obvious reasons (Bologna).

I just love this car display in the window of the Smeg Showroom (Milan).

Love the use of colour above... and all to display just one little bag (Milan).

Clever use of perspective (Milan)

This just put a smile on my face (Milan)

So when you next find yourself in a new country I encourage you to take a walk.  However (as many South African's are very aware) you do need to ensure that you take care and are not going to be walking through any 'dodgy' area's.  Therefore try to plan your route before hand... there are various apps that you can download that will show you popular walks through the city you are visiting.  And when in doubt just ask the locals.

Happy travelling!

(Jocelyn Jones)

Fifty Shades of Grey

To say that our Junior Designer, Linda, has been obsessed with the "50 Shades of Grey" movie is probably the understatement of the year!

I have been obsessed with Grey far before the book or the movie and probably before it came in fifty shades. The staple of any contemporary or modern interior designer is Grey. It is the perfect base colour as it goes with everything. If you don't believe me, you're simply wrong.

So I proudly submit to you my "50 Shades of Grey" for your enjoyment:

From the Desk of Linda Sithole

I went to college having done much research on interior design. I enrolled into College ready to learn and succeed in the career I loved. I furthered my studies through the Bachelor of Technology in Interior Design because I felt there was more that I still needed to learn before I design an appropriate environment for my first client.

I found my first job as a Junior Interior Designer in one of the best Interior Design companies  in South Africa (Jossi Interior Design - obviously!). I was introduced into the real industry of Interior Design, not the “staged” interiors we worked on in college as practise for the real world. 

This is it! 

I am in the real world now, one mistake and it may cost thousands of rands. Here drawings have to change overnight because a client wants their bathroom 5mm bigger than what she signed off yesterday. Site inspections are no longer a field trip with your peers where you take selfies and post online to say you are “On site –my dream!”. No, no… NOW I’m a Junior Interior Designer and I’m behind my desk getting confused by drawings I drew yesterday because they all look similar, but your senior knows exactly which one it is at first glance and you look at them and you are like

Interior Design is transforming a space into a functional environment that can live up to its full potential. Being the Junior Interior Designer teaches you how to do that.

Interior design is hard work…and I LOVE IT!

'Til next time! J

Linda Sithole

XOXO

HOMI Milan

I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity to travel to Milan for the HOMI Lifestyle Trade Fair in January 2015. 

The fair was smaller than some of the other fairs I have attended however it was more personal and I was able to spent time chatting to each supplier, finding out the process of manufacture; the concepts behind the designs and understanding the materials that they were using.  Also of key interest was the feasibility of getting the items to South Africa and the costs involved.

  

I must admit that I have gained invaluable insight into the Italian furniture and accessories market.  I was always aware of their reputation for "Italian quality", but I was even more impressed with this concept when I saw the obvious pride that the Italians put into their work.  Still so much of what they manufacture is done by hand.   

This not only shows their love and passion for what they do but the importance of tradition.  And even with this concept of "tradition" the items they produce are incredibly modern.  The fact that each item is handmade means that there is such a fantastic attention to detail, and I also discovered from my lengthy discussions with the suppliers, this allows for greater design flexibility… if you want it in a larger size or different colour – “Non c’è problema”!   

The amount of Crystal and Glassware on show was amazing, with such fantastic colours and designs to choose from.  The use of gold in their details is quite impressive and it is used extensively, even gold dust inside the crystal sculptures.  This of course makes the items rather pricey, but it is also rather refreshing to note the detail and the extent that the manufacturer/ craftsman to ensure that the client is getting that one-of-a-kind piece that cannot easily be mass-produced.

After the show I jumped on a train to Florence and was escorted to some lovely little Italian towns where I was able to visit the various factories and see even more products: from contemporary beds,  headboards and pedestals to crystal and ceramic vases; lighting and even leather.

Italy is a truly amazing place. I love the old buildings; the language; the people; their sense of style and design… and of course the food!

I hope to visit again soon.

Article in the Woman&Home Magazine

China February 2014

My recent trip to Guangzhou, China left me with mixed feelings.  I have never really understood how you would save money by travelling to China, paying for accommodation and food and then still having to purchase the furniture, pay the agents fees, as well as all shipping and duty charges.  Surely this would work out to be the more expensive route?

Well it seems that in the past it was possible, but now with the current Rand exchange rate it is proving to be more and more difficult to get the bargains.  I think it was a bit a surprise to all parties concerned when my 2 clients got together and offered to take me with them to China in search of their furniture, curtaining fabrics and accessories for their homes.  What I discovered is that the prices for most of the furniture items were either the same as back home or more expensive.  Sure, there was alot of negotiating taking place and the prices did drop dramatically thereafter, but after factoring in the shipping and duties already mentioned, I am not convinced that there will be much of a saving.  We await the final quotation from the agents to make a decision here.

However I must admit, the quality of most of the furniture items was better than I had expected.  I was not that optomistic about what we might find in China and was therefore pleasantly surprised by the quality of the items that I saw.  Of course you will get what you pay for, so the more expensive items were definitely of better quality.  

We spent most of our time in The Louvre, a multi-storey furniture shopping center in Shunde.  Shunde, however, was an hour's drive from our hotel in Guangzhou and the traffic in China is rather bad.  Our daily drive to The Louvre often took up to 2 hours, which was a terrible waste of time each day when we had so much to source.

Each floor of The Louvre had something new to offer, in general the stores were focused on furniture items such as couches, coffee tables and beds.  But moving onto the higher levels of the shopping center you would find stores dedicated to artworks, some to vases, lamps, obje.  The top levels had the most expensive furniture which was well worth a look, but rather depressing to say the least as the items were totally unaffordable.

The fabric selection was incredibly disappointing.  I am not sure if we were taken to all the wrong places but the designs were rather out of date and my clients left China disappointed in this department.

On the last day I did manage to get away to explore the most amazing Chinese temple.  I spent a good couple of hours here taking in the most detailed architecture I have ever seen.  Every inch of this temple is intricately decorated.  It was the perfect end to my first experience in China.  

Maison&Objet Paris

In January I had the pleasure of attending Maison&Objet, the massive Interior Design and Decorating exhibition which is held twice a year in Paris.  

I was completely overwhelmed by the scale of the exhibition.  Three days was just not enough to cover all 7 halls which were crammed with Design and Decor concepts and products from around the world.  The wallpapers and fabrics on display made for fantastic viewing.  It was often overwhelming with so many colours, textures, patterns and concepts on display that I found it difficult to spot a real trend.  With such varied suppliers exhibiting, the designs ranged from very conservative to ultra modern and there was truly something for everyone.

The chandeliers and pendants on display were mind blowing, with many of the chandeliers being so large that I could not begin to imagine the scale of the interior space where they could actually be used.

On the accessories side I was very impressed by Amadeus, Korb and Lou de Castellane. Their stand was divided up into different "rooms" and each one felt like I was entering a different world each time.  The stand was simple and understated, however full of little bits and pieces that just worked together to create a unique room each time.  For a stand displaying small objet it was not cluttered but a real visual indulgence which I greatly enjoyed.

The incredibly funky world of Kare Design caught my eye.  Their over-sized stand was a fantastic experience with the most exciting and eccentric furniture concepts that kept me inspired.

The amount of money that gets spent on these stands is incredible.  Those stands that were taken by designers and the larger furniture suppliers were astounding, I would be happy to live in one of those stands with the designer recreating a house with individual rooms.  You would actually enter the stand through "a front door" and walk from the entrance hall through to the dining room, lounge, study and bar area.  The lighting within these spaces was incredible and the amount of space that each stand comprised of was something I have not seen before.

Unfortunately taking photos was forbidden!  But this was an amazing experience which I thoroughly enjoyed and now that I know what it is all about I am looking forward to my next visit.

For more information visit http://www.maison-objet.com/en/paris

Limco Blankets Offices

A few years ago Craig and Jocelyn worked on this client's apartment on the Durban Beach front with fantastic results.  The client therefore approached Jossi Design when they were planning to relocate their offices to an existing warehouse.  This was a huge undertaking as the warehouse was in a rather bad state and as the offices were to be the new Headquarters where the client could meet and entertain their big corporate and retail clients.

But we were up to the task and set about measuring up the existing warehouse and documenting all the plumbing, electrical and sprinkler systems.  

The Reception, Boardroom and showroom were to be the most important visual spaces.  Therefore a 3D feature wall has been used in the reception area as well as glassguard marmoran on the column.  The signage has been placed on the column in stainless steel with a spotlight above for maximum impact.

Glass partitions have been used to define spaces but still visually allow you to see into the next space.  This opens up what would otherwise be a series of enclosed spaces.

Plasterboard ceilings were added to hide the beams and services running along the existing slab.  The lighting was specifically planned to be functional as well as to highlight the products on display in the showroom room and boardroom.

Finally there is the Ceo's office with soft carpeting, dark wooden desk and leather chairs as well as his own bathroom complete with shower.  

The transformation of this space from a warehouse into these modern offices is truely remarkable and the client is able to proudly show off their new Headquarters to their customers.

Jocelyn Jones Elected President of the South African Institute of the Interior Design Professions

Use Rugs To Complete The Room

Bringing colour into a room as an essential part of Interior Decorating, however when you mention colour most people think about paint.  Obsessing too much on the colour of the room can also mean you end up with everything in the same colour and no variety or depth, leading to either a dull or overbearing interior.   There are many different elements to consider in design and decorating such as texture, light and shade, contrast, focal point, pattern and finishes (such as wood, stainless steel, glass) to name a few.   

One item I love to add to a room are rugs, see below of a formal lounge where the rug brought together all the blues used in the room.

In the past I have found it difficult to find an interesting rug other than the obvious Persian rugs which have been around for years, and will be around for years to come.  I have no problem with Persian rugs as these definitely have their place and there are some amazing examples of Persians around.  I do, however, prefer the more contemporary rugs and suddenly there are more and more suppliers popping up all over the place… and it is about time.

  

images of rugs from Designers Guild

Home Fabrics recently launched their new range of rugs from Designers Guild and I cannot wait to use these in an interior.  The patterns are not just your standard stripes and dots that we have seen so many times before (although I do love the stripes I have seen in this Designers Guild Range due to the fantastic use of colour), but the florals are elegant and not too old fashioned, the geometrics are bold and graphic, but not overdone.

   

image from Designers Guild

I love to use a rug that makes the other colours and accessories in the room "pop".  In rooms that have been tiled or where wooden floors dominate it is great to break up the floor with something soft and warm, creating a more comfortable and intimate setting. 

image from Designers Guild

It is with a sigh of relief that I am seeing more and more designer rugs become readily available without spending a fortune or having to arrange importing them ourselves. A rug warms the room visually and can anchor the furniture within that space, furniture which would otherwise look like it was "floating" in the room.  So do not underestimate the statement a rug can make and have fun.