Designer Sidney Molepo

Great furniture design starts with a sketch.

Botswana-born, Canadian-bred Sidney Molepo is a furniture designer and architect who creates work with both structure and design in perfect balance.  I love that his pieces are simultaneously modern and elegant, linear and rough-hewn (think Canadian simplicity). Moreover, he is a bit of a traditionalist, he always starts his design process sketching with a pad and pencil.

Sidney says that his inspiration is very much mid-century modern with added influences of South African design.  As a son of South African political refugees, Sidney and his family emigrated to Canada, and it was in beautiful Ottowa that he eventually earned his degree in architecture.

One of my favorite pieces is his Handle Chair which reminds us of the absolute simplicity and beauty that is great design. I don't want to give anything away, but you'll be seeing more of Sidney's work very soon! (I suck at keeping secrets).

What do you think? Visit his website to view more phenomenal designs.

Handle Chair. Sidney Molepo

Modern African Furniture at the San Francisco Design Center

The San Francisco Design Center has a new addition: you guessed it, Contemporary African Home.Contemporary African Home's Studio Furniture: Essence Cocktail Table and Ultra Modern Sofa

Contemporary African Home's premium furniture and decor collection was recently picked up by Gaul Searson Ltd., a well-established designer showroom in the San Francisco Design Center.

This is a huge milestone for us as we establish our footprint as a premium line of goods from Sub-Saharan Africa. The SF Design Center is one of the premier design centers in the country, serving the interior design industry and bringing forth cutting edge concepts in green living and globally inspired design. We at CAH are constantly working to bring our products buyers and consumers in the luxury furniture space while distinguishing the CAH line as a sustainable, luxury line of furniture made by Africa's best Artisans.

Visit CAH at the SF Design Center: Gaul Searson Ltd. Showplace #300, 305, Two Henry Adams, San Francisco, CA

What is African Furniture?

Very African Chair in solid laminated Wenge by Contemporary African Home

Over the last two years, I've been challenged with questions regarding the definition of "African furniture" and the place of African goods in the global marketplace.

In one very telling exchange, the owner of a well-established African Art Gallery insisted that products from the Contemporary African Home line would have a better chance of success if we didn't tell anyone that the furniture is African because, "it just doesn't Look African."

Yes, yes, I was as perplexed and offended. However I didn't want to unleash my New York/New Jersey attitude out all over this woman (who, btw, is a black Kenyan). So in response, I asked, "What do African Products look like?" Her reply told me what, in her mind, African products DON'T look like: "Your furniture is modern, the lines are clean, it is well made," etc., "no one is
going to believe that this was made in Africa." She went on... "just call it Contemporary Furniture."

Contemporary African Home's very modern Showcase Sofa with Mosaic Ribbon Arms

As absurd as it sounds, I'm thankful for that conversation because it reminds me a) of the need to speak on the long-standing history of fine craftsmanship found in so many regions in Sub-Saharan Africa and b) of the need to break away from the narrow definitions of "African goods." The expected examples being either unprocessed raw materials or ceremonial art and tchotchke which fall into a 3 buckets: 1) the originals with provenance and acquisition issues attached, 2) the well made replica which may or may not be presented as an original, and 3) the made-in-china mass produced item that you can buy in TJMaxx for under $20.

To those of you who'd expect that African products be broadly defined and reflective of the diversity of people, resources, and talent found throughout the continent, I agree with you! However, I've learned that the proliferation of this idea will come after a whole lot of targeted product branding efforts and the increased footprint of the wide array of African products in the global marketplace. Only then will we see a mind shift on "what is African."

I hope this shift comes with a greater demand for quality, value-added goods from Sub-Saharan Africa and that those goods support the continent's talented entrepreneurs.

The Green Side of Luxury Furniture

In the space of Luxury Home furnishings, I believe that we must offer consumers well designed, long-lasting products that make extremely efficient use of (scarce) materials.

In honor of the official Earth Day, Joe Gaul of GaulSearson asked me to share some thoughts on the Luxury Side of Green. Here are some of what we'll discuss at GaulSearson's showroom in the SF Design center later today. I'll be adding to this series, including responses to our discussion, over the next few days.

The original question was: What is the Luxury side of Green? I think the better question is: What is the Green Side of Luxury? Why does the commitment to superior quality, long-lasting furniture and home decor mean a greener planet?

My response was to develop some criteria for Luxurious & Green Furniture:

1. Use of material - look for the efficient use of scarce material: Veneers, laminated or engineered woods, and other materials which are made to biodegrade with minimal impact to the environment AND minimal likelihood of product failure.

2. Building for demand, aka custom, is oh so green because manufacturers and craftsmen who offer this service don't produce in excess of consumer demand or what the market can sustain.

There is a clear distinction between building for demand and what has become the common trend of flooding the market with product with the purpose of driving down prices. Think volume discounts and dumping practices of some manufacturers.

The questions we should pose in the face of excess supply (even though it's cheap) include:

• What is the source of the resource?
• Is this level of production sustainable?
• What about shipping, disposal, excess waste? What are the long term costs of manufacturing, shipping, storing, and disposing of all that stuff, over and over and over.

Which brings me to my next criteria...Product Longevity and Price. Please See next post.

Taking the Show on the Road

Here's an old concept which is regaining popularity: the trunk show! It's as easy as finding a location, inviting friends, customers, etc and showing up with some eye catching product.

Above left: Hand printed damask napkins, malachite jewelry bowls and wood finishes from the Contemporary African Home 2009 Collection.

Above Right: African quilts, Throws, and modern hand-printed damask tablecloths.

Last week Contemporary African Home was invited to Dana Skinner's home in Marin county. We had a great time presenting our textiles, wall decor, and Dana and her friends enjoyed checking out our wares.