Rose & Fitzgerald is a Ugandan design and craft studio that was born from of an American couple’s move to Kampala and their desire to share the craft and creativity of their adopted home with design lovers around the world, shining a spotlight on the skills and talent that is often over-looked in the global design industry.
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As the seasons change thoughts often turn to a new look or refreshing an existing one. To help you on your way we turned to Thandi Mbali Renaldi, founder of stylish online interiors boutique Kudu for some tips on how to incorporate African Style into modern interiors… With winter soon drawing to a close here in Europe I am really starting to enjoy the lunchtime spring sunshine that steams through my kitchen window. My thoughts turn to how to refresh our interior in preparation for the change of season. It is time to move things around a little. This will […]
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Currently crushing on these gorgeous Cocktail chairs from UK retailer Graham and Green. The chairs are upholstered in the front with sumptuous jewel-toned velvets in yellow and teal, and each colourway paired with a complementary intricately patterned African print wax textile to the back. The result is classic design with modern appeal. Cocktail chairs are a 1950s mid-century design classic, sought after for their simple yet chic silhouettes. The chairs make great accent pieces in living spaces, and these will be ideal for those looking to incorporate some Afro-chic interior inspiration. [Image credit: Alpana Velvet Chair – Graham and Green ]
Read MoreThe majestic Serengeti Plains were the basis for a contemporary African inspired furniture range by US-based designer Adriana Hoyos. Using rich hardwood grains available in a selection of finishes, the aptly titled Africa Collection features the distinctive markings of the giraffe moulded in a striking cutout pattern that is used in chair backrests, headboards, sideboards and table bases. The patterns are accentuated with upholstery materials like leather in neutral or contrasting shades.
Read MoreAmerican artist Gayle Garner Roski creates vibrant watercolours based on subjects drawn from her many travels and surroundings. Injected with an inherent sense of realism Gayle’s work is incredibly life-like, capturing minute details in her often emotive work. In her Zulu Basket African inspired art series, Gayle captures the beauty and skill of basket weaving, and the intricate details of the weave and patterns. The vivid watercolours give the baskets a luminous quality. I keep imagining the paintings rendered in glass and set into a door, window or glass wall. Gayle shows her work at Tirage, a Fine Art Gallery in Pasadena, California.
Read MoreJewellery designer Carolyn Roumeguere is a nomad at heart, a sentiment that is reflected in her eclectic global and Maasai inspired jewellery creations such as the Swahili Choker, a stunning piece that is handmade using the precious gems diamond, sapphire or emerald, and coral. Taking a month to complete the Swahili Choker incorporates traditional Maasai beading, and features an enamel pendant and the beads sourced from Jaipur, India. [Image credit: Carolyn Roumeguere Swahili Choker – CoutureLab]
Read MoreBeautifully bright and stylishly simple I love the organic forms in London-based jewellery designer Corinne Hamak’s ‘Africa’ inspired jewellery collection. Reminding me of the intensity of African sunsets, vibrant red and yellow hues mixed with silver and gold metals make for complementary pretty, chic pieces. The Africa inspired jewellery collection was inspired by the Ghanaian artform of creating beads using glass that has been ground up.
Read Moreekofabrik [Africa Inspired] [Image credit: ekofabrik blog] Now here is something I haven’t seen in like, forever and it certainly took me back in time! I’m taking about the mid-80’s; and the object in question is a vintage Zimbabwean $2 note, later withdrawn and replaced with a coin and now virtually nonexistent. Browsing the net yesterday and following some random but interesting links I stumbled upon US-based ekofabrik showcasing the note design printed on a cushion. Using vintage paper money collected on her travels as a child, designer Kim Johnson replicates the designs onto organic cotton pillows that are backed with […]
Read MoreEthniciti [Africa Inspired] [Image credit: Ethniciti] The days are starting to get a bit longer, with spring just a couple of months away and for me; a time when the urge to have a good clear-out and reorganisation strikes – I have already started to feel the itch! And looking back on the few months since I started African Daydreams I have come across some truly beautiful and inspiring products that I wouldn’t hesitate to use to refresh my home. Our homes and what we put into them say so much about who we are, but it […]
Read MoreSoHe Designs [Africa Inspired] [Image credit: SoHe Designs/James Dee] Growing up my mum had a brown and white china tea and dinner set, depicting traditional English scenes rendered in the French toile style. It was a set that had pride of place in the display cabinet and came with the implict understanding we were not allowed to touch. My siblings and I would peer at it through the glass, fascinated at the detail and delicateness of it, making up stories about the images portrayed. The thing that strikes me most about that set was how it was reserved […]
Read MoreParadise Coffee [Africa Inspired] Based in Kyiv, Ukraine; Kyiv Coffee Factory brings you a carefully selected range of the world’s best coffee. The coffee is marketed under the brand name Paradise and comes beautifully packaged, it was through the packaging showcased on African Digital Art where I was introduced to the brand. Included in their offerings are some of Africa’s finest coffees from: Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi and Uganda. [Image credits: Paradise] The coffee can be purchased as loose beans or milled in vacuum packs. Paradise also has a vacuum packed selection of eight 125gram popular blends including coffee from: Costa […]
Read MoreAline Matsika [Africa Inspired] [Image credit: Aline Matsika] Interior designer Aline Matsika is known for her impeccable sense of style and discerning eye for detail that draws on her African heritage, seamlessly blending contemporary and antique French chic with traditional African elegance. The results are gorgeous inviting spaces where diverse cultural accents co-exist in unison. [Image credits: Aline Matsika] Starting out in Paris with her boutique, Concept Ethnic, Aline Matsika brought her unique take on old and new to the heart of New York’s Soho district in the form of Mosaic. Her signature style sees unique furniture such as Louis XVI chairs covered […]
Read MoreCompartes Chocolatier [Africa Inspired] [Image credit: Compartes Chocolatier] Benefiting Relief International’s efforts in Darfur, celebrated Los Angeles-based chocolatier, Compartes has created a special collection of chocolates called ‘Chocolates for a Cause’. With over 60 years producing handcrafted artisan gourmet chocolates, Compartes takes pride in using only the best and freshest ingredients for their confectionary, searching the world for inspiration and ingredients. The Chocolates for a Cause range are made with fruits and spices sourced from North and West Africa, with flavours including cardamom, coconut, coffee, grains of paradise and caramelised plantain. The gift sets come with a Relief Beads bracelet, and each chocolate square displays a […]
Read MoreBinta [Africa Inspired] [Image source: via Dezeen] These have to be some of the cutest chairs I have seen and a testament to the timeless appeal of wax cloth. Designed by Swiss designer Philippe Bestenheider for the Italian furniture company,Moroso, I first saw these chairs last year, 2009 and a year later they still look good. Taking inspiration from Africa, the Binta chair is designed to evoke African woodcarvings and like a mighty Baobab with its trunk like feet, sits firmly on the floor. Upholstered in a patchwork of bold, colourful Senegalese fabrics adds personality, bringing the chair to life. [Image sources/Credits: left via […]
Read MoreWax Print Inspired Dinnerware [Africa Inspired] Bring some colour to your place settings with these Wax fabric inspired dinnerware offerings. Firstly from American-based French Bull, whose kitchen and lifestyle products are wonderfully bright and funky. With products sold globally, the Isis range of dinnerware and platters caught my eye whilst browsing their website. Described as being inspired by Africa, the Isis range has an air of vibrant wax print fabric design about it. Made from melamine making the products durable and resistant to high heat, these plates are perfect for adults and children alike making them ideal for picnics. [Image credits: French Bull] […]
Read MoreAnthropologie Bedding [Africa Inspired] [Image credits: Yoruba Quilt, Anthropologie] I am a fan of US-based store Anthropologie, loving its quirky bohemian style with a dusting of romance and was thrilled when they finally opened two stores in London, the first one in October 2009 and then the second earlier this year. Browsing their online store I came across a range of African inspired bedding and interior accessories that they state is drawn from Yoruba and Northern Sotho cultures, although I may be wrong in saying, I feel the fabric inspiration relates more to the Dutch Wax cloth popular in West Africa. [Image credits: […]
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