Hillary Thomas
Give your lamps and light fittings a touch of contemporary African design with a range of colourful lamp finials from US-based interior design company, Hillary Thomas. I must admit it took me a while to figure out how a lamp finial works; more common in older style lamps and light fittings, finials are the metal bit that attach the shade to the light socket element, and for a personalised touch can have decorative elements added to the top part, which when placed in the lamp peek out of the top of the shade; an addition that Hillary Thomas refers to as 'jewellery for your lamps'. Hillary Thomas Designs have created a range of decorative lamp finials featuring vibrant gemstones and intricately cut designs. Amongst the collections available is the striking Zulu Love Train collection, which features vibrant discs, at only 3 inches high and 2.25 inches wide, each individually hand woven from telephone wire by a group of Zulu weavers in South Africa. These finials would make an interesting wall feature if added to a line of wall lamp fittings minus the shade, and a touch bigger in size.

... a quick and stylish way to add a touch of character to your interior décor

Nando's - Leigh, UK
Nando's flame-grilled Portuguese/Mozambican style chicken, is a favourite in my household, not just for the taste, but also because of the familiarity the brand brings in transporting us back home for a little while. The South African based restaurant chain opened up in Zimbabwe the early nineties, so being able to pop into one in the UK is always a welcome reminder. Nando's was founded in South Africa in 1987, and now has restaurants in over thirty countries, including over 250 restaurants in the UK alone.

In a departure from the usual interior style of Nando's restaurants I am used to, the 2012 opening of a Nando's restaurant in Leigh, Greater Manchester in the UK transports diners to a colourful, bustling market, invoking stalls bursting with items such as fabrics, baskets and fresh produce. Designed by B3 Designers, a UK interior design studio, the designers took inspiration from a South African market, creating a vibrant space that is full of life, bursting with colours, patterns and textures, both inside and out.

The restaurant has the feel of an open air market, and is designed to allow the seamless flow of exterior and interior spaces, through the use of carefully selected details, with the intention being to create a space where visitors could discover something new every time they visit the restaurant. One of the most striking details in the restaurant is on the ceiling, where one hundred brightly woven traditional baskets double up as light shades, as well as others being mounted on the walls. In every Nando's restaurant sustainability is a key feature of the interior design solutions, and in the Leigh restaurant reclaimed wood has been used for some of the structures. The design makes use of brightly painted metal chairs that complement vibrant custom-made wax cloth print fabrics used to upholster the booths in the seating areas and are a nod to the Continent's love of the fabric. When decorating their restaurants, Nando's also have a tradition of using their restaurants as a gallery, adorning the walls with the work of talented South African artists. The Portuguese heritage of the business is showcased through the incorporation of hand painted Portuguese tiles on the wall, and in the form of the signature Nando's red and black cockerel logo. 

... bringing contemporary African flavour to the UK

Lucas Risé
I stumbled upon these amazingly decorated, hand-painted cabinets by Argentinean artist, Lucas Risé. Visually stimulating, the cabinets are a riot of colour, pattern and texture, with several of the designs drawing inspiration from elements of African design and culture; from basketry to motifs. 'Somewhere in Africa', brings together elements of the different countries and regions visited during Lucas' travels to the Continent; whilst 'African Whimsical' pays homage to the traditional neck ornaments worn by women in the Continent's mid-western regions. The 'Carrousel' cabinet, in particular reminds me of the Yoruba beaded chairs I have featured previously. The design sees the application of 21,000 metal studs covering the entire surface, creating an engaging tactile object. In addition to decorating cabinets, Lucas brings his intricate style to textiles, and other forms of furniture, like tables.

An award-winning artist, Lucas developed his unique decorative style during his travels around the globe. Interested in interactive art, Lucas uses furniture as a vehicle for self-expression, in the process turning an everyday functional object into a work of art that in turn allows the user to interact with art on a more personal level. These cabinets are collectable conversation pieces; and would be just the thing to bring character to an area such as an unloved hallway.

Wegner Shell Chair
I have seen this chair pop up on many a pinterest board channelling 'African Style', and whilst I cannot say whether the upholstery of the chair was inspired by Africa, the use of cowhide is obviously what has made it a favourite selection for many gathering African style inspiration. Low-seating, defined by a form-pressed plywood shell, and padded upholstered seat and back rest, the chair is a modern classic; known as the Hans J Wegner Shell Chair, designed in 1963 and named after the designer. At the time, only a few limited runs were created before production ceased, later to be revived with a relaunch in 1997. The iconic design had since grown in popularity, resulting in many authentic replicas, making it available in a range of shell finishes, and upholstery colours and patterns to suit. This particular reproduction, available on the Advanced Interior Designs website, is made in America and features American Walnut veneer on plywood, with the upholstery available in black/white or brown/white cowhide. Australian online furniture store Matt Blatt offers the chair in a black coloured veneer with a bolder black/white cowhide upholstery finish.

...a very chic little chair, for contemporary African interiors

AphroChic – Juju Wallpaper Collection
US-based textile company, AphroChic recently launched a new wallpaper collection entitled ‘Juju’. Named for the feathered ceremonial headdress traditionally worn by the royal dancers of Cameroon’s Bamileke Tribe, Juju features a striking organic starburst pattern, reminiscent of the shape of the headdress, which is known as the Juju hat, hence the title of the collection. The design was created as part of a challenge marking the 10th Anniversary of Project Runway, a US TV show that aims to find the next big fashion design talent. The Juju hat inspiration has been worked to give the overall design a bold floral look, which helps link it to the fashion aspect of the brief. Digitally printed on an eco canvas material, the wallpaper is available in the following colourways; black and gold; pink and silver; blue and green.

...brings a touch of glamour to your walls

Tucker Robbins - Africa bed
Recognisable by the slightly raised pillow at one end, and supported by chunky tapered feet, elegant simplicity defines the iconic hardwood beds of the Senufo, of Côte d’Ivoire. Traditionally used for resting throughout the day, the beds are carved from a single plank giving them a solid and sturdy appearance. Inspired by the design New York based Tucker Robbins have produced a more contemporary version of the bed, which features a recess to insert a mattress and comes in a single size that is ideal as a daybed, and a double. Taking care to retain the simplicity of the bed’s shape, the Tucker Robbins Africa Bed, gives off such a feeling of rest and relaxation that I cannot help but think how suited they would be in a spa. Made from Ebonized Mountain Pine, the Africa bed is available with an optional headboard.

Tucker Robbins is a US-based furniture and interior accessory design company that draws inspiration from global cultures. An intrepid traveller, Tucker Robbins founded the company over twenty-five years ago, as he sought ways to combine good design with ancient traditions and crafts. Weaving, carving and organic materials are just some of the techniques incorporated into Tucker Robbins products. The company is invested in sustainable practice, buying and recycling raw materials, such as hardwoods sourced from around the globe that in some cases have been used before, and others that are more than a hundred years old.

House & Garden
Flipping through the latest issue of House & Garden UK (February 2013) I came across a design editorial inspired by African craft and design. Co-ordinated by decoration editor, Gaby Deeming, bold bright colours, graphic prints, textures and handicrafts are combined for a modern take on African interior style. Products used to pull the looks together include leading African designers and producers; beaded cushions from Soboye; Eva Sonaike’s distinctive, signature fabrics in the form of pouffes, cushions, notebooks, upholstered armchairs, as well as lining walls; woven telephone wire bowls in contrasting graphic swirling patterns from Zenzulu; striped black and white beaded animals from Monkeybiz; and a wax cloth umbrella from Babatunde. African design continues to make its mark in international design.   

Global Views – Camp Stools
For those who prefer 'glamping' to camping, these beautifully crafted camp stools, from US-based home decor wholesaler Global Views, are just the thing to bring a touch of colourful contemporary glamour to the Safari Chic style. Safari Chic is a long-standing classic style that tends to represent African interior style, and whilst I am not against ebony and ivory palettes per se, and not forgetting the must have staples zebra and leopard prints, I do find the style often needs a bit of a shake-up to bring some excitement to it. In their bright eye-popping colours these camping stools bring the fun factor, although, probably more suited for the city than the bundu- can just imagine the pop of electric blue against the golden savannah making you an instant target for dinner!

In an update of the camping stool, the usual hardwearing khaki canvas fabric for the seating is replaced with luxuriously quilted cowhide leather in aqua, white, citron, orange and striking Zebra. The seat perches atop three slender wooden legs that criss-cross in the centre, and tipped with silver where the legs rest on the floor for an elegant finish.

Happy glamping!

Decléor Voyage – Madagascar Scented Candle
Premium aromatherapy skincare specialists Decléor introduce a relaxing candle infused with 100% natural essential oils, whose scent and packaging evoke the rich and diverse eco-system found in Madagascar. Tonka Bean, Vetiver, Vanilla, Ylang Ylang, and Grapefruit are combined to create a blissful luxurious fragrance that naturally perfumes your living space whilst contributing to your wellbeing. Free of Palm oil, the Decléor Voyage – Madagascar Scented Candle has a sixty-hour burn time.

Deriving their formulations from nature, Decléor is committed to responsible and sustainable sourcing of the plants used and has set up a project called ASMADA that works towards the conservation of Madagascar's eco-system and also supporting local communities. To date the project has seen more than 100 000 trees planted in the Masindray Valley; and £4.30 from each candle sold will be donated to ASMADA.

World Cup 2010 Posters
Granted the World Cup 2010 held in South Africa has long since come and gone, but while searching online for African patterns for a project I am working on I followed a link to some amazing digital artwork posters, showcased on the website Specky Boy, that were created to celebrate the event and pay homage to elements of African cultures and traditions. Although I am not a footie fan, I did catch some of the action on the pitch, especially when it came to charting the progress of African teams. The series of posters was an experimental personal project by Greek illustrator and visual designer, Charis Tsevis who was inspired by the heritage of African patterns and contemporary football culture. The project enabled Charis to explore the diversity in African culture, traditions and history; a virtual journey which is ongoing. Featuring some of the Continent's; and in some cases the world's greatest football stars; motifs, iconic African symbols, national flags and traditional fabrics are just some of the elements brought together to form the overall visuals. The level of detail is incredible, I can imagine that every time you looked at one you would discover something new; and the contrasting colours and different patterns help convey the excitement that surrounded the event, in addition to a vibrant and energetic Continent, one with a long held passion for the 'beautiful game'.

These posters transcend the period of the event for which they were created, and would make a wonderful gift for die hard football fans; and would work well in interior spaces, blown up to a large-scale and mounted in a beautiful complementary frame. Viewed from afar the artwork resembles woven fabrics, akin to tapestries. Visit Charis’s Flickr page to see more subjects.