House & Leisure Director's Seat
House and Leisure asked four of South Africa’s most celebrated creatives to breathe new life into a classic antique chair.
Using fabrics from Home Fabrics, the chairs were reimagined by Tiaan Nagel, Donald Nxumalo, Fhatuwani Mukheli and Keneilwe Mothoa who could embody their own personal style and design sensibility.
Donald chose the Solid Mahogany Celine chair, finished in Mondano and Symphony of the Night both by Chivasso Fabrics.
Tiaan chose Rubenesque Minera in rouge, Monsieur in poppy and St Maritz in sherry, all by Home Fabrics.
Fhatuwani chose El Hierro from Jab Anstoetz, which he used as his base to paint on.
Keneilwe chose Colourwash in Sienna by FibreGuard and Wonderwood and Palermo, both by Chivasso Fabrics.
Donald Nxumalo chose to juxtapose the soft lines of the chair with modern geometric lines in the chair upholstery. Fashion designer Tiaan Nagel took inspiration from legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland to create a striking chair in a rich, red hue featuring three different fabrics. Fhatuwani Mukheli used a JAB Anstoetz fabric that echoed his grandmother’s blankets in a her home in Venda and this was also the base for a portrait he painted on the backrest. Finally, designer Fhatuwani Mukheli played with texture and colour using fabrics by Chivasso.
The chairs were auctioned in September 2022 and will no doubt be a talking point in the new owners’ design collections as well as a wonderful celebration of South African design in the spaces where the chairs invite people to take a seat and immerse themselves in the story created by our local design stars.