House and Leisure Bloom

I’m thrilled to welcome you to your new issue of House and Leisure. As you can tell by our cover, we’ve taken the season and theme quite literally. And why not? (Sorry, Meryl Streep*) Who doesn’t love a beautiful floral still life and a touch of pink for spring, right? We’re here for all of that, and to embrace the season with open arms (take a backseat for now beige). In our previous issue (Volume 1) we celebrated wide-open spaces (and lots of beige!) and reflected on what we felt was a longing or need to escape our surrounds as a result of lockdown; adventuring into the great outdoors – quite literally. For this issue, we’ve shifted to a place where we’re embracing our more immediate surrounds, our homes. No more…

Sumien Brink (1) A stalwart in the South African publishing industry, Sumien has a natural flair for creative energy and editorial vision. Her trajectory from fashion editor at Cosmopolitan to editor of House and Leisure (when it launched in 1993) and then on to Woolworths TASTE, Plascon SPACES and VISI speaks volumes of her brilliance. ‘My favourite flowers are Nasturtiums, always – I love the colour and buttery smell.’ Get a glimpse into Sumien’s home on p146. @sumienbrink Trevor Stuurman (2 & 3) From winning the ELLE South Africa Style Reporter title in 2012 to becoming a TIME Next Generation Leader 2021 almost a decade later, Trevor’s star continues to rise. His belief that ‘being African is his superpower’ is decidedly evident. As an award-winning, contemporary multimedia visual artist, Trevor has travelled extensively,…

If I’d just kept my ‘business’ called Funky Thangz going, I’d be cooking right now. Sure, there would have been those lean eons from say about 1997 to, erm, five minutes ago – but playing the long game would have been so worth it. You see, the fly-by-night start-up that I established in 1994 (my Standard 4 year) hocked a constellation of sun, moon, star and lizard-inspired items I fashioned out of FIMO clay. They were all the rage with my classmates for about a week. Then my enthusiasm waned, I fell behind on accounts and became obsessed with Boyz II Men. It was the end of something good and a turn I deeply regret. If I had just persisted with the fashioning of those thangz that were funky, I’d now be…

For plant molecular biologist and floral artist, Cynthia Fan, modern ikebana is deeply rooted in an understanding of the traditions of this ancient Japanese art of flower arrangement. Ikebana’s principles are perfectly captured in the first arrangement type she was ever taught – the Hana Isho Rising Form. Plant subjects and objects rise along vertical lines of movement in measured proportions and angles. From here, her unique approach shifts towards intuition and self-expression. Spindly stems, structured leaves and delicate flowers are composed in magnifications of glass and light ‘The art of ikebana is to listen to the spirits of flowers and plants. It is how to make the voice or sentiment of the flower a visual combination with your feelings. Ikebana allows the heart of the arranger to touch the heart…

Scents of Adventure by ARC Marc Jacobs Perfect Fourteen years after the launch of the original and gloriously optimistic Marc Jacobs Daisy, comes its latest incarnation, Perfect. This Eau de Parfum is all about celebrating self-love and being #PerfectAsIAm. The quirky-cool packaging is what we have come to anticipate from the luxury brand, adding an injection of humour and lightheartedness to our dressing tables. Notes include rhubarb, daffodil, cashmere and almond. arcstore.co.za @arcstoreofficial…

1 / Jan Ernst Ceramics x Merchants on Long Multidisciplinary artist Jan Ernst de Wet, who uses clay as his main medium and nature as inspiration, has again brought his imaginative art to life through a collaboration with acclaimed concept store, Merchants on Long. The Ocean POP collection is made up of various items, including vessels and candelabra – some purely decorative, others fun-yet-functional – each inspired by the kaleidoscopic world within our oceans and all the organisms that inhabit it. @jan_ernst_ @merchantsonlong 2 / Frances van Hasselt x Leandi Mulder The FVH x LM Woven Mohair Collection – Desert Homage – is an ode to nature (and irregularity), with no one item the same. With each piece, the irregularity of the yarns and weave convey the subtle shifts and changes of the…