Style Icons

South African interior designers and decorators are as good as, if not better than many of their British, French and American counterparts. Indeed, their work is sought-after for its peculiar freshness, African-ness and originality, and many of them regularly accept commissions abroad and have their work published in international interiors magazines.

Style Icons is a remarkable, varied collection of places designed and decorated by tremendously talented people, some of them very well known, others less so. Interestingly, although they’re all so different and varied in style, their roots are essentially in sync and they have a single voice. This is the first time such a collection has been put together and it provides a unique opportunity to compare such talent all in one volume.

This highly visual book features 12 South African interior designers, each with their own unique style and approach to design. In their own words, each icon talks about their inspirations and influences, their stylistic range, their likes and dislikes, and how they see themselves and their work. They address the difficult question of what makes them South African and how their work brings that across, focusing on a few specific projects, and discussing the challenges and opportunities presented by each one. Carefully selected, beautiful full-colour photographs of various aspects of the projects discussed illustrate each designer’s signature style, giving a feel for their work and capturing the essence of what it is they are striving to achieve in the African context.

The featured designers in Style Icons are: Stephen Falcke, Boyd Ferguson, John Jacob Zwiegelaar, Graham Viney, Catherine Raphaely, Charlotte Daneel, Julian and Trevyn McGowan, Karen Roos, Maira Koutsoudakis, Michele Throssell, Stefan Antoni and Toni Tollman.