News & Events

CHRIS WEYLANDT REFLECTS ON A DECADE IN RETAIL AS WEYLANDTS CELEBRATES TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Tuesday 22nd December

This month Weylandts Homestores celebrates its tenth year in furniture retail. From humble beginnings in 1999 when the first store opened in Durbanville, today Weylandts is a leading force in the furniture and homeware retail industry, renowned for the eclectic product ranges that founder and CEO Chris Weylandt sources by hand from all over the world.

“From the start, I wanted to develop beautifully-merchandised destination stores which would provide a truly inspiring shopping experience, encouraging customers to discover their individual sense of style and translate that into their own living spaces,” says Weylandt. “The mix of product - the combination of antiques from the East, sculptural artworks from Africa and clean contemporary lines from Europe - creates the unique and constantly evolving look that is so specific to Weylandts.”

A CA by training, Weylandt has successfully combined a shrewd business mind with a passion for good design to create a groundbreaking business model. “Weylandts is built on passion. When I began to choose the pieces that I loved rather than what I thought customers would buy, the response was amazing. The business has grown from strength to strength over the last decade and we look forward to continued success and expansion,” concludes Weylandt. There are currently six Weylandts showrooms in South Africa in the Western Cape, Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Weylandt reveals his lists of the most inspiring trends, people and places of the last decade.

Top ten global trends over the last decade:

• Design integrity: The increased importance of this is evident in the design concepts emerging worldwide.
• Sustainability: The use of eco-friendly renewable materials and responsible production techniques.
• Organic design: Reflected both in form and choice of materials.
• Ethnicity: Deep-seated traditional craftsmanship such as beading, artworks influenced by our heritage, our environment, space, sense of time, colours and textures.
• Globalism: Drawing inspiration from around the globe to express a truly world-inspired style.
• Crafts: The resurgence and celebration of hand-crafting skills and a return to simple wholesome values.
• Indoor-outdoor flow: The blurring of lines between these areas in our homes has led to an improvement in both quality of outdoor furnishings and lifestyle.
• Open plan living: Utilising living space to provide a better sense of flow and feeling of inclusiveness.
• The cooking revolution: This has changed the way we live, entertain and design our living spaces.
• Individualism: The increased desire - in the face of overpopulation - for unique and interesting items that set us apart and allow us to express and reflect our own identity, and further define our living space as a sanctuary.

Ten most inspirational characters over the last decade:

• Sir Terence Conran – designer, interior decorator, restaurateur and writer
• Hans Wegner – Scandinavian furniture designer
• Glenn Murcutt – Australian architect
• Jamie Oliver – British chef
• Ingvar Kamprad – Swedish entrepreneur and billionaire IKEA founder
• Arne Jaconsen – Danish architect and designer
• Karen Roos – former editor of Elle Decoration
• Kenneth Cobonpue – top furniture designer
• Sumien Brink – editorial director of VISI
• Li Edelkoort – Dutch trends forecaster

Top ten buying destinations:

• India: for its exotic energy, vibrancy, handcrafting skills, exotic food and creativity.
• Denmark: for its clean, contemporary furniture lines and timeless design.
• Italy: the Milan furniture fair is an epicentre for furniture design and trendsetting, lifestyle, clothing, inspirational architecture and sense of history.
• China: for its antiques which are so rich in history, juxtaposed with monumental development on a vast scale.
• Philippines: for furniture pieces with a strong emphasis on hand-crafted quality and the use of natural, sustainable materials.
• Indonesia: for its woodwork skills, use of organic materials and sculptural artworks created by nature.
• Bali: for its interesting antiques, vibrant culture and tranquillity. Weylandt particularly likes the Ubud region for its seductive beauty.
• Brazil: for its vibrant energy infused with colour and naive artworks which are made from recycled materials and filled with character.
• Thailand: for its contemporary designs using traditional skills, and the constant innovation with a strong emphasis on quality. Weylandt also loves the delicious Thai cooking which makes use of seasonal produce.
• All over Africa: for traditional functional objects beautifully hand crafted with meticulous attention to detail. Simple everyday objects become artworks in their own right.

Ten iconic furniture pieces:

• Egg table
• Barcelona chair
• Eames chair
• Pigalle chair
• 5 stone lamp
• Louise chair
• Egg chair
• Anemone lamp
• Bamileke stool
• Wishbone chair

Ten things that make Weylandts unique:

• Weylandts is founded on a philosophy of passion which encompasses all aspects of the business
• Weylandts embraces a dedication to the art of easy living, grounded in good design
• The products have longevity and marry functionality and design
• The minute attention to detail in every aspect of the business
• A holistic approach to retail - from the selection of product and the buildings used to showcase it, to the aroma and choice of music in the stores
• The unique merchandising style where product is given the luxury of space to breathe
• The juxtaposition of contrasting elements, including design, history and source
• The collection of unique products sourced from around the globe
• An emphasis on integrity and quality
• Constant innovation and leadership in the industry

Weylandts milestones over the last ten years:

• 1999 – The first store opens in Durbanville
• 2001 – Green Point store opens
• 2002 – Knysna store opens
• 2002 – Weylandts develops and launches the CASA furniture range
• 2003 – Fourways store opens
• 2004 – Swakopmund store opens
• 2005 – Menlyn store opens
• 2008 – Umhlanga store opens
• 2008 – Weylandt was elected one of the top 15 most influential people in the South African design and decor industry by the Decorex Walk of Fame
• 2009 – A personal milestone, the launch of the Maison wine range produced on Weylandt’s farm in Franschhoek

View more articles from 2009