Design is a journey… it’s about asking questions and staying curious, and never standing still. Designers see the world not as a finished product, but as an opportunity to recreate or even improve. Every moment, each encounter, can be a source of inspiration.
As such, we’re constantly evolving as a company. The Mavromac and Gatehouse of today is not the same company it was yesterday – and we can say with certainty that we’ll be different again tomorrow.
Of course, there are themes that run throughout our history: golden threads that link designers across the generations, and which can be referenced and reinterpreted as we channel our past to make a more interesting – and more comfortable – future.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of our evolution has been our transition to becoming a powerhouse of South African design and manufacturing. In our earliest days, we mostly imported our stock. We would scour the world, looking for quality furniture and fabrics that we felt deserved a wider audience, and the chance to grace South Africa’s most beautiful homes.
Whilst we still find inspiration in our collaborations with the world’s leading fabric designers, we’ve increasingly come to realise that here in South Africa, we have a pool of design genius and artisanal excellence just waiting to be tapped into. Appropriately enough for an interior design company, we started looking much closer to home. As a result, we’ve developed our own in-house design studios and furniture workshops – the genesis of our Gatehouse brand.
Today, when you purchase a piece of Gatehouse furniture, you’re not just buying a beautiful piece for your space. You’re investing in a South African success story with deep roots. You’re supporting artists whose passion has the power to move your soul – even when you’re sitting comfortably.
Every Gatehouse item has a story to tell – a story that was written in Africa and handed down through generations. A tale of attention to detail and quality, and of finding a new medium to share ideas about the meaning of beauty and the notion of home and sanctuary.
More than wood, metal and of course fabric, the key ingredients in what we do are heart and soul. Oh, if only our chairs could talk, or our sofas speak! What tales they would tell. Tales of materials sourced from the Earth, and of the many skilled hands that worked tirelessly and worked together to bring them into being.
Africa is famously the home of rhythm, and to watch our artisans create a chair or sofa is to witness a modern take on an ancient dance. It’s truly a labour of love, and a joy to behold.
To learn more about the Gatehouse story, and how we’re inspired by the passion of our designers and artisans, reach out to us here: +27(0) 11 444 1584
Make it your own