Condé Nast House & Garden

What exactly is ‘a-list style’, and equally, if not more importantly, how does one achieve it? it is a question in two parts that has come in and out of focus for me throughout this – you guessed it – our a-list issue. On paper, the premise is simple enough: an all-access pass into the homes of the rich, the famous and the influential; a lifting of the proverbial veil. i have recently been binge watching Downton Abbey ahead of the new movie, and it is funny how, even in the early 1900s, people have always been fascinated by how the gilded half lives. while it is all well and good knowing what we want to see, what interests me is the why and the how – as in, how is…

It’s been three years since designer Ivan Mccarthy Peens started Meuble Fine Furniture – three hold-on-to-your rattan-seat years of bracing political, economic and personal maelstroms. But true to the adage, Ivan, his business partner (and the manufacturing yin to his creative yang) Theunis erwee and the team have not only endured but emerged stronger. ‘We have edited and refined our look and product offering to something truly timeless, quiet and follows the principles of slow living,’ says Ivan. ‘We saw the need for well-made, well-priced timber furniture, and we have kept those products as part of the current range but have started adding different material and colour options – including stone and upholstered pieces too.’ Perhaps most indicative of the brand’s growth has been the recent move into its dedicated showroom…

COMPILED: GEMMA BEDFORTH; PHOTOGRAPH: INGE PRINS; STYLIST: SANRI PIENAAR…

TEXT: GEMMA BEDFORTH; PHOTOGRAPHS: GABRIELLA ACHADINHA, SUPPLIED…

SEUN ODUWOLE Five years ago, Seun, principal of the local architecture firm SI.SA, found himself wondering: ‘Why can’t we have a museum space [in Lagos] that operates at the same level as the Louvre or MoMA?’ The John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History was born shortly after. A celebration of the West African people, the project began as a restoration of a ’20s public swimming pool built for Black Lagosians by John Randle, a Nigerian business leader and doctor. Seun’s design has since grown into a 9 290-square-metre exhibition space, community centre and performance pavilion, scheduled to open later this year on Lagos Island. (He is photographed at the site.) The exterior is made of dyedTyrolean cement and evokes the mudbrick of ancient Yoruba architecture, while golden metal slats…

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