What we do and don't do…
January 27, 2020

What it's all about here at DD...

There's an old saying that love makes the world go round. For us it definitely makes what we do a whole lot easier! You see, we just LOVE décor and design and helping you to style your interiors to suit who you are and your vision of the perfect lifestyle. It's our passion and quirky sense of humour that have put us at the pinnacle of local design, that and our commitment to sourcing incredible items from across the "dark continent" - items that have a story to tell and that share the amazing spirit of Africa through their form and function. Those items can be furniture, textiles, fabrics, objets d'art, accessories… you name it and we can find it for you. Within reason of course. Don't call us if you lose your car keys because we're pretty rubbish at stuff like that. Unless you've left them in the shop. Then we can probably find them. 
Styling is our favourite thing and what really goes to the heart of what we do. We just adore taking a blank canvas and creating magic by carefully placing items in such a way that they complement each other, look incredible and transform empty spaces into inviting living areas where you want to spend time, relaxing, far from the madding crowd. It might be arranging scatters on a couch, positioning furniture to maximise living space, bringing warmth and coziness to a barren room… Whatever it is, we excel at making magic happen in your home and your work space. Yes, we can make even the gloomiest office look ama-zing! 
Of course, being where we are in the capital of South Africa's Big Five safari industry, we've become quite well known for our ability to deck out safari lodges so that they look and feel out of this world. It's a look that works well at home too, thank goodness, so safari is probably our middle name now. Which is better than Alberforce. Or Wilberforce. Or Archibald…
We're often mistaken for interior designers. We don't do interior design, which includes lots of stuff like choosing taps, toilet seats, tiles, shower heads and the like. But we do do interiors, which is selecting colour palettes, gorgeous furniture, curtains and blinds, rugs and loose carpets, lots of accessories, lamps and lights and making everything look drop-dead gorgeous. 
Ultimately, what has underpinned the Darkie Design brand all these years is doing what makes us happy. And now we're taking that notion and expanding on it. Like for real. Big time. Hugely. Watch this space, as they say! We'll park it just there, for now… 

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By Kyra Harper August 15, 2023
Back in March of 2020, Bianca and Jana were dusting off their Fez’s and grabbing the pashminas out of storage in preparation to Rock the Casbah! However, as we all know and vividly remember - with March, came the eventual Covid shutdown, and instead of frolicking down the Moroccan streets, we all shut ourselves inside and watched the days tick by… 3 Years later, and now we can finally say - with conviction - that they’re going to Morocco at the start of September! This blog, filled with excitement and curiosity about all the weird and wonderful curios they might find, and endless sourcing they’ll do, stays as a reminder that sometimes plans change, things go awry and there’s not much you can do about it other than persevere - and that we did! So, here’s Bianca and Jana’s innermost thoughts about the trip, 3 years before it came to fruition, enjoy :) We've got our passports out and Jana has already picked out what she's going to wear each day… Come March [September] we'll be heading north with Air France to the Kingdom of Morocco, bright eyed and bushy tailed as we make our base in the ancient city of Marrakesh (also known as Marrakech to the French, but we're not French, so we'll go with the English version until all that fuss about Brexit is sorted out) - This turned into a year long negotiations trade, and now us outsiders would pay nearly double what we used to if we visit the UK - thankfully our flight is direct!! We'll be looking for inspiration and will be investigating what's there that we could possibly bring back to The Hoed. We can't wait to experience the atmosphere and afro-arabic influences of this amazing place as we visit the celebrated souks and off-the-beaten track artists and craftsmen that make Marrakesh so special. We're desperate to see the beautifully hand-crafted furniture, textiles, fabrics, rugs, carpets, objets d'art, accessories, lighting… anything that catches our eye and could possibly be brought back south. Berber mats and rugs are definitely on our list, as are the kind of furnishings you might find in a gorgeous Bedouin tent. If you think about it, the Bedouin refined the art of "glamping" into an artform - fabulous carpets on the ground, soft, billowing fabrics hung here and there, plump cushions spread on the ground, intricate leatherwork and carved wood, patinated metal… Total Glamping vibes! We just love all of it and will be tracking as much of it down as we can. We'll also have an eye or three out for wonderful ceramics and glassware and wonderful lamps that give off soft, filtered light.  For us it's about workmanship, so we'll hopefully be finding the people who make furniture and ceramics using techniques that have been passed down over countless generations meaning that everything we look at will have its own, and its own special story. Our mission is to share those stories with you and, if it's feasible, bring some of that special workmanship home to the Rainbow Nation. We're most definitely inspired and are sure this is going to be a truly special trip! Counting the sleeps till then! Less than a month to go now - we will be keeping the updates going on our social channels as well as another few blog posts to explain in detail our wild adventures - Stay tuned!
Tasteful Safari Theme
By Kyra Harper August 15, 2023
A safari theme never really runs out of viewing time and is particularly popular for interiors at the moment. The warm, earthy tones give a sense of comfort and the accessories offer the anticipation of travel and adventure.
Buy Mosquito Nets Online | Top Quality in South Africa
By Kyra Harper August 9, 2023
Stay protected from mosquitoes with top quality mosquito nets. Buy online in South Africa for the best deals. Shop now and sleep peacefully.
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