Mish and all the Free World to design!

Creativity is a natural talent that we take for granted. Some of us don’t even know that we possess it. Tarryn and I visited the Free World Design Centre in the Mother City. If you decide to do the fan walk through Cape Town a must-see is the Free World Design Centre at 71 Waterkant Street, City Centre.

It is the first gallery of its kind in South Africa. I love Cape Town! What a wonderful city to live in. The World Design Capital 2014, our Mother City, now has the only gallery dedicating itself to promoting interior design. Not only is this the most riveting and inspiring feast for the eye, but the centre also offers services to architects and do decor consultations.

Being a lover of literature, Tarryn quickly discovered that the Free World Design Centre has a library dedicated purely to design. This gallery’s motto reads, ‘We don’t see walls, we see opportunities.’ It is evident in its funky, urbane decor! The centre is like a mother’s milk to a thirsty baby. And this baby was drinking in every bit of creative goodness on offer.

The gallery exhibits architects, interior designers and decorators every two months. The current installations can be seen in three ‘houses’, displayed in the window of this creative hub. The installations showcased currently are by Jaco Janse van Rensburg, Amy Ellenbogen with artists Katherine Spindler and Dale Lawrence and Tracy Glass and Lindy Cohen.

Hemelhuijs




 

After this visual feast, you can make your way to Hemelhuijs restaurant owned by creative genius and food artist, Jacques Erasmus. Tarryn  and I discovered that the best cheesecake in Cape Town can only be crafted and made with care by a true artist. This cake is velvety decadence! A must! 
 

Besides gourmet food, everything in this restaurant has Jacques Erasmus written all over it. This is clear when you look up at the ceiling to find a hanging artwork or glance at the wall with a fascinating master piece made of toast, by the owner himself. Jacques seems to be thee Jack of all trades and is currently mastering them all. Besides him changing the menu and decor twice a year, he also is plays a key role in the MasterChef South Africa cookbook published by Human & Rousseau in November this year.

The visit to the design centre was an enriching experience. Do yourself a favour and experience it for yourself. Creativity is a birth right. We all possess it, whether you are a designer of note or a kid in crèche caught making a colourful mess on the wall... remember what the Free World Design Centre’s mantra... We don’t see walls, we see opportunities and if you see walls, get yourself down to this creative core to harness a dose of inspiration.

Thank you Tarryn, for accompanying me on this trip. Tarryn, better known as TarrynJo to her online audience, is a young talent to watch. She is witty, smart and books are what she does best. She is an intern in publishing and I have the privilege of working with her in publicity. Don’t take my word for it, visit TarrynJo’s blog for wonderful recommendations on the best reads in cirrculation at this top publishing company!Tarryn's blog is called Titbits from TarrynJo!

Tarryn paging through a design book.