Wallpaper ~ bring your surfaces alive & re-direct your eyes...

Wallpaper – and I don’t mean the screensaver on your desktop or smartphone – is, by all accounts, here to stay. From 200BC when the Chinese first glued rice paper onto their walls to the opulence of the French courts and the roaring 20’s when it was all the rage, wallpaper is a versatile way to create a unique home.

Wallpaper is an asset to any room. From soft pastel stripes to bold scenic themed walls, it’s as much in demand as ever and has morphed into a true design winner. Whether an entire room or one solitary wall is papered, wallpaper captures the eye and the imagination, makes a statement and establishes an atmosphere. (This article first appeared on 14 November 2015 in the Decor supplement of the Saturday Argus newspaper South Africa)

Tretchikoff... by RSW

It’s readily available in rolls at various stores throughout South Africa but with tech being what it is today, many people opt to innovate and personalise what goes onto their walls. Stunning wallpaper demands attention. “It creates impact”, says decorator Pieter Burger of PB Designs. “Sometimes clients want a 3D experience when they walk into a room and that can be created using any image, even their own, if the pixels are high enough. Burger says that wallpaper has been on trend with his clients for almost two years. Powerful imagery and striking design draws you in and straight away, an ordinary space gets a lift and the people within it are transported.

No ordinary cupboard door... (RSW)

Says Kurt Sunkel, owner of Studio22, a family owned printing business, “the requests for wallpaper are increasing. Residential clients favour graphics with either abstract or cartoon-like images, the latter for children’s rooms”. Clients select from his company’s online store and if they have an image that is high res enough, it’s easy to reproduce it onto wallpaper. Many people take it further and replicate a theme or pattern onto other accessories, furnishings and surfaces, such as cushions, drapes, bed linen, table tops and floors, so the look flows to all aspects of the room.

Vinyl panels (RWS)

When I was growing up in the 70’s, wallpaper was very in vogue. I get very nostalgic when I see it used today. I loved it when my mother – the true ‘handyman’ in our house - would paste new wallpaper in my bedroom each time we moved apartments. The design opportunities presented today mean that old concepts are shifted to new dimensions and we can imprint our own identity onto a surface, however and wherever we desire it. The options are limitless.

Surface designer Robin Sprong, of Robin Sprong Wallpaper (RSW) in Woodstock, has been on the cutting edge of wallpaper and surface design for the past decade, and has taken imagery on paper and vinyl to new dimensions, literally and figuratively, representing superb South African artists like Walter Batiss and Tretchikoff, with a licence to reproduce their work. RSW also works with various local creatives such as Cape Town based Skinny La Minx, a design company in Cape Town that’s all about “mid-century style, Scandi-inspired, Japanese-crazed pattern & colour, with a dose of African chic”, and Room 13, a boutique graphic design studio specialising in crafting design solutions. Sprong recently returned from exhibiting at Dutch Design Week in Einthoven, Holland, where he and his team collaborated with others to bring made-to-order surface design to the fore. “Being able to express exactly what you want is the essence of customisation,” said Katrine Robenhagen, art director at RSW, who works closely with Sprong. “There are three things our clients want- to select straight from our catalogue, to use their own design or image or have a bespoke design made up especially for them in association with our illustrators.”

Robin at work...

Interior designer Manuela Candido is a huge fan of wallpaper and frequently recommends it to clients who often aren’t aware just how much wallpaper has evolved. “Once I show them a catalogue they are so excited to use it”, she said, “and nowadays fabric houses have exquisite collections from which to choose.” At Home Fabrics in Woodstock, one of the country’s leading fabric and wallpaper houses, “clients select from our catalogues with collections by top international designers such as Tricia Guild and Christian Lacroix”, explained sales executive Bennet Koen.

Guest toilet by Manuela Candido...

But as with everything, it all comes down to time and money. If you’re into DIY and have the time and patience, doing your own installation will save on costs, although the list of tools required for the wall preparation, application and finishing off is a long one that will affect your budget. Simple paneling that doesn’t require intricate aligning of patterns and shapes makes DIY doable but it’s a huge job. Some paper is pre-pasted as well so all you need to do is use a wet sponge to activate the glue and voila, it’s ready to go. If it’s a textured wall look you’re after, paintable wallpaper will give an amazing effect and you can even colour in your own wallpaper if the mood grabs and you want to get interactive. If doing an entire wall is too much of a challenge and you’re looking to enhance aspects of a space, other decorative options include doing vinyl panels, wrapping refrigerator and cupboard doors or adding an interesting look with decals (peel and stick) on anything from kitchen and bathroom tiles to  ceiling borders or door frames. When it comes to the more ambitious projects where panels are larger and need expert matching up, such as with RSW, it’s best left to the professionals.

Papered fridge & cupboard doors, & decals on the tiles...

Wallpaper is wanted. It’s an aesthetically appealing décor across South Africa that fosters imagination and inspiration. Says Sprong,“We constantly see and touch an infinite number of surfaces on a daily basis that blur past our eyes without a second glance. By influencing these surfaces, we can create moods, enhance an atmosphere, as well as express and create meaning through unspoken words that bring spaces to life with their colour, style and design”.

Bring your walls to life, re-direct your eyes and let your imagination run wild. 

References (all stores mentioned enable online shopping):

Robin Sprong Wallpaper for bespoke and catalogue surface design: www.robinsprongwallpaper.com

Manuela Candido Interiors: 083 5833867

Pieter Burger Design: 083 3018916

Home Fabrics, Woodstock: 021 4258297

Studio 22 Online for printing on wallpaper www.studio22online.co.co.za

Skinny La Minx: www.skinnylaminx.co.za

Tools: Builder’s Warehouse, Laughton’s, Jack’s Paint and Hardware.

How to apply wallpaper, via Studio22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYI6htI06CI#action=share

Paintable wallpaper: www.wallpaperinn.co.za

Wallpaper by the roll: Budget Banners 0214473717

Interactive wallpaper (colouring in, decals): www.stickart.co.za

Cafe de la Luz, Madrid...

I wouldn't typically write about a cafe unless it was something special and this one is. Cafe de la Luz, around the corner from our hotel (Room Mate Oscar) is a visually beautiful bar-cafe on the corner of Calle Barco and Puebla. Great for anything from breakfast, to coffee, light meals and drinks, it is a stunning place to sit quietly and sip a beer, read a book or work on your laptop. It really is a fabulous space full of amazing quirky elements and attention to detail which as you know, I love. Take a look at the varying styles of chairs and lamps, retro nostalgia to enjoy...

Salu!

The Mani Hotel in Berlin, a perfect Diva getaway

I travel extensively and it’s rare for me to find a boutique hotel that goes far beyond it’s star rating. Such is the Mani in Mitte, Berlin. 3 stars officially but closer to 5 stars in my opinion. Recommended to me by a Parisian friend in Cape Town, this is a very chic establishment, part of the Amano Group, that clearly prides itself on providing a superior product to guests. From the decor, to the fittings, fixtures and excellent service of the front of house and restaurant managers and even our room cleaning duo, the all-seeing eyes watching over this group miss nothing and the result is a high standard of professionalism and a noticeable and refreshing attention to detail. 

Lateral Paul and I arrived in Berlin from Paris last week, stepped out of our Uber , walked into the Mani and immediately felt its atmosphere of style and class without any of the pretentiousness that usually accompanies such establishments. Our kind of place, no doubt about it. We were warmly welcomed and made to feel right at home.

The hotel, open since 2012, is situated in the vibrant area called Mitte, perfectly located for exploring the city, and surrounded by cool stores, restaurants and bars that make you want to hang about all day and night like a local. 

The Mani building, interior and rooms were designed by Ester Bruzkus who is also responsible for the beautiful Amano Hotel around the corner. Bruzkus clearly has great taste and I love her use of high quality materials like the real wood parquet flooring and leather wall coverings. Striking photographs by Oliver Rath cover the walls, and the ZooZoo animal art that's placed here, there and everywhere is a stunning decor addition. There’s Esmeralda the Alligator, who is afraid of ending up as a clutch; Estelle the Basset who loves shopping bags and the smell of fresh food; the yellow giraffe at the front desk window that made me homesick for Africa, and Parzival the baby lion lying sleeping on the foyer mat who is expected to become a superior hunter some day. All quirky and adorable. 

There are 63 luxuriously appointed rooms at the Mani, soundproofed so that nothing disturbs your beauty sleep. The hotel offers free wifi, something hardly anyone can do without these days. If you happen to have had a blonde moment and left a gadget behind (quelle horror, how could you?) fret not, because you can rent one from Reception, an iPad or a laptop. Very convenient and a thoughtful offering on the part of the management. 

And then there’s the Mani restaurant. Aside from a sumptuous feast offered at breakfast every morning, dinner is outstanding. Great appetisers, called chuzpeles that are served like tapas and are best shared, offer diners a bit of everything so the whole table can experience the multifaceted cuisine. The staff are also so good about recommending various dishes and wine. 

Oh, and being a big fan of bicycle touring, you can use one of the hotel's pretty aqua bikes and go on a jaunt complete with an iPod that not only gives you music but a guided tour too. Best. 

Torstasse 136 | +49 (0) 30 53028080 | mani@amanogroup.de @AMANOgroup on Instagram & Twitter. Close by there is a laundromat, post office, tram stop and the U Bahn. The hotel will even sell you tickets for the latter...it's all so simple and well organised. I'd expect nothing less than that from the Mani and Berlin.

Welcome to the Mani...

Estelle, the ZooZoo basset hound...

Parzival the little lion snoozes on the mat...Oliver Rath photograph overhead..

ZooZoo giraffe...I miss my Africa...

Rooms that are beautifully appointed..

Best hotel slippers ever...

Scrambled eggs anyone?

I'm addicted to the cream cheese, topped with jam on a fresh bread roll

And a spot of tea...

The Mani restaurant with Esmeralda the ZooZoo alligator...

Wonderful food... olives as big as little green apples, from Greece...

The best of asparagus...the creme brûlée was tres unusual...

Details like this delicate slice of crispy orange 

And after all that eating, perhaps a cycle is a good idea?

The building at night...

Until next time...Estelle and I bid you gute nacht!

Le Labo, scentsory perfection... fragrant beauty without cruelty.

When a New Yorker friend kisses you hello in Cape Town and you catch a whiff of an exquisite fragrance. That. And when you discover that the perfume is by Le Labo, that you must have it, and that it isn’t tested on animals, even better. "We are proud to be living proof that there is no need to torture animals to compose high quality and creative perfumes". Consent-to-buy given to self with a clear conscience right there. Perfect.

The only setback was Le Labo isn't in Cape Town but, oh joie, I found myself in Paris a few months later avec Lateral Paul so a fragrant acquisition was imminent. After having a sublime coffee at Boot Cafe we slowly ambled around Le Marais and while LP stopped in at Acne, I opened up the Le Labo website to look for their outlets. I got distracted, forgot about it and then the weirdest thing happened. We were walking down a side street called Rue Froissart, I caught a whiff of that familiar scent, the one my friend wears and the one I can't forget. I stepped back from the storefront, saw no obvious signage so cupped my hands around my eyes and peered through the window. There, displayed in a row, I saw it - the Santal 33! I’d found Le Labo, without even trying. A sign right? Exactement, I also thought so. Inside, the charming Sarita talked us through the process of making up the fragrance from scratch, then created it while we observed, with the care and attention it, and I, deserved. I loved the way the bottle and box was then labelled with my nickname, ‘Diva'. Lateral Paul chose the Vetiver 46. That personal touch always goes such a long way.

I have discarded all my other fragrances. My Santal 33 is the only parfum I have ever worn where people notice it and compliment me constantly on how amazing it is and on how divine I smell. I now leave an aromatic trail behind me wherever I go. "A perfume is like a piece of clothing, a message, a way of presenting oneself.. a costume.. that differs according to the woman who wears it". - Paloma Picasso 

Have a look at their website, ww.lelabofrances.com …there are no airs (only beautifully fragranced breezes) and graces with this team of artisanal masters. Read their ‘we believe’ ethos….Le Labo is a brand after my own heart. 

Le Labo, an unassuming store on Rue Froissart, Paris

Good news! 

Le Labo is vegan and cruelty-free. It means that none of our scents uses animal products nor products that are not animal cruelty free. Our entire collection is not tested on animals either. We are proud to be living proof that there is no need to torture animals to compose high-quality and creative perfumes. Beauty is even more beautiful when no one has to suffer in order to make it !