Create your dream home with Core Furniture’s complimentary, no obligation interior design services. Whether you’re starting from scratch or adding the final touches, our design experts are here to transform your dream home into reality.
Our massive portfolio of products with various finishes allows us to create a custom look for your home, so we are not limited like other retailers in our offering to you. Our experienced design team has worked on many projects across Southern Africa and is abreast with global interior design trends.
We sit down with this award-winning interior designer to discuss her recent accolade and her prizewinning Bishopscourt project. We delve into her design inspiration and discover what’s (always) in her handbag.
What kinds of interiors would you say you are known for?
Modern and glamorous, mostly. But I also venture into layered maximalism too. While I am guided by my own sense of style, I am usually driven by what my clients want – it’s always a fine balancing act.
What inspires your interior design?
Oh my gosh, so much! Where do I even begin? Feelings, energy, nature, patterns… just to name a few.
What is your favourite go-to design tip?
I’m afraid I don’t have a favourite go-to tip. I’m not a cookie-cutter interior designer, so all my projects are different.
Which of your projects are you most proud of and why?
I am proud of every project we’ve done because when our clients are over-the-moon happy with what I’ve designed for them, that’s my greatest reward. For me and my team, it’s always about the client’s needs and desires. Since each project is completely different, we’re proud of each one for unique reasons.
Cheryl recently won the SBID Award for Best Interior Design for a Residential Project over £1M. The SBID – The Society of British & International Interior Design – is the UK’s leading accreditation body for the interior design industry. Devoted to excellence in learning, training, and the practice of interior design, SBID sets the standards that shape the industry in the UK and globally.
What does it mean to you to have won the prestigious SBID Award?
It means that I’m on the right track. Receiving recognition for many years of hard work, passion, and dedication to my field is incredibly rewarding. While we don’t do what we do for accolades, it’s still humbling, satisfying, and reassuring to win this award.
Why do you think this particular project is so award winning?
This project was extremely challenging because of the tight timeline we faced. Luckily, I had a blank canvas to work with, as the house was stark and void of any design detail or character. This allowed me to truly put my stamp on it. The home features extensive design work, including custom joinery and furnishings. Having all of this recognised is simply amazing.
Can you tell us more about how you became an interior designer?
From the age of five, my favourite book was one of my mom’s coffee table books titled Elite Homes. I’ve always loved exquisite interiors, fabrics, furnishings, and gardens. While other kids were distracted by toys, I was admiring interiors, sizing them up, and dreaming. I feel like it was just in my DNA.
What must-have item do you always keep in your handbag?
Sorry, nothing exciting here! My cell phone and reading glasses – I can’t function without either.
What’s the most treasured item in your own home, and what does this tell us about you?
My most treasured item is my art collection. I appreciate all forms of art, but I particularly value the pieces we’ve collected over decades during our travels. The memories of acquiring them and the stories behind the artists make the collection truly priceless.
What are your thoughts on the debate about budget versus quality and longevity?
I don’t subscribe to budget interiors—I value quality above all else. If you wait until you can afford a quality piece instead of buying multiple budget items, you’ll acquire something that lasts forever. In my experience, buying low quality inevitably means buying twice!
Your projects mainly focus on beautiful residential properties and enhanced family living spaces, is there still a dream project that you would like to work on?
There are two! I would love to work on a project in the UAE. The high-end, modern, elegant, and glamorous interiors that I love to design are perfectly suited to that region. Another dream project would be a large country house in England, where I could layer patterns, colours, and textures. I’d use my maximalist approach, which I also adore, to create a richly detailed and characterful home.
Which Core Furniture product do you currently have your eye on?
I love all the Eichholtz pieces, but most of all, I’m drawn to their light fittings. I’m currently working on a project featuring a Japanese-inspired home bar, and Eichholtz has a stunning fan wall light that I’ve got my eye on.
Vondom furniture is used throughout this boutique hotel enhancing its uncluttered paired back style. The minimalist designs are precision manufactured in premium quality outdoor materials allowing them to withstand the harsh Mediterranean sun effortlessly all year round.
SHOP THE LOOK
Faz Daybed with Parasol by VondomUlm Daybed with folding canopy by VondomSurf Sun lounger by VondomFaz Armchair by VondomRest Coffee table with ice bucket by VondomRest Sun lounger by Vondom
Cheryl, founder and lead designer at Cape Town interior design studio Changing Spaces, and her team recently won the SBID Award for Best Interior Design for a Residential Project over £1M.
The SBID – The Society of British & International Interior Design – is the UK’s leading accreditation body for the interior design industry. Devoted to excellence in learning, training, and the practice of interior design, SBID sets the standards that shape the industry in the UK and globally.
These international awards are among the most prestigious on the design calendar. The calibre of entries is exceptionally high, judged by a panel that reads like a veritable who’s who of the design and architecture world. Categories span interior design, product design, and interior fit-outs across residential, commercial, hospitality, and other design classes.
For her award-winning project, in the leafy and well-heeled Cape Town suburb of Bishopscourt, Cheryl employed a carefully curated selection of bespoke rugs, light fittings, joinery, and furnishings—each meticulously crafted—to create a high-end masterpiece. The exquisite artwork, thoughtfully chosen objects, and impeccable styling seamlessly complete this extraordinary home.
Cheryl’s interiors are defined by their glamour, elegance and modernity. She is also renowned for her meticulous attention to detail. Her keen sense of style is matched by an equally sharp focus on the technical aspects of her work. Precision is how we’d describe her approach, and it’s this very precision that keeps her clients coming back for more. Cheryl loves quality, as evidenced by her brand choices, and her projects often feature pieces from the likes of Eichholtz, Dedon, and Ferreira de Sá—this Bishopscourt project is no exception.
Chandeliers are a go-to choice for making bold statements in entrance halls, and the Saint Roche chandelier by Eichholtz certainly delivers an audacious welcome to this home. Perfectly proportioned for the double-volume space, it fills the area with elegance and sparkling light. Combined with the floor, wall, and cabinetry lighting, it ensures all the lighting needs in the space are beautifully met.
The Montparnasse chandelier by Eichholtz perfectly balances proportion and glamour above the kitchen dining table. It serves as both a contrast to and a complement for the organic shapes and materiality of the dining table and chairs.
Given Cape Town’s beautiful weather, this indoor-outdoor dining area couldn’t be more perfect. The Monticello pendant lights by Eichholtz add a touch of contemporary-meets-classical elegance above the dining table. Grouped together, they elevate the glamour of the space.
Underfoot, the outdoor rug titled Seashore by Ferreira De Sá ties this transitional area together beautifully. The gold graphic pattern of the rug complements the gold finish of the lights, showcasing a thoughtful cohesion in design. It’s a wonderful example of the Changing Spaces team’s meticulous attention to detail when it comes to decorating.
Heading outdoors, Cheryl and her team needed to consider furniture that not only matched the level of style found in the interiors but also offered comfort and durability. Dedon checked all the boxes for this project, with their collection of lounging and dining furniture perfectly complementing the alfresco architectural elements.
SHOP THE LOOK
Core Furniture is the foremost Southern African distributor of premier European brands. We strive to consistently align ourselves with the best and have become trusted by South Africa’s top interior designers for our wide range, innovation, accessibility and quality.
We asked Cheryl to look at Core’s offering and highlight some of the product that epitomises this Bishopscourt home. Her selection defines the quality and style of this incredible project.
The stylish Hermès Grand Luxury Beachfront Villa & Spa located in Skaleta, Greece used Vondom Furniture extensively for the ultimate resort look. The slick minimalist designs are precision manufactured in premium quality outdoor materials allowing them to withstand the harsh Greece Sun effortlessly all year round.
FEATURED PRODUCTS
Blow Coffee TableBlow SofaBlow ArmchairIbiza Sun LoungerIbiza Side TableUlm Daybed
Explore opulent furnishings, exquisite lighting, and decorative elements for your residential or commercial design project. Our team at Core Furniture can help you, contact us to learn more.
Marcel Wanders, a prominent figure in product and interior design, has spearheaded a design studio responsible for crafting over 1,900 iconic product and interior design encounters worldwide. These creations cater to private clients and esteemed premium brands. Marcel Wanders’ illustrious 30-year design journey is honored and showcased in some of the most prestigious art and design museums worldwide.
INTERIORS
BE INSPIRED…
PATTERNS
TEXTILES
SUAVE COLLECTION
Crafting the outdoors into a veritable oasis, Marcel Wanders partnered with Vondom to craft exceptional furniture pieces, seamlessly bringing an indoor ambiance to outdoor spaces. This collaboration with the esteemed Spanish company, known for its expertise in plastics, innovatively introduced an exceptionally durable production technique. Their collection replaces plastic with soft upholstered materials, elevating the outdoor experience to a new level of sophistication. The Suave furniture collection is the result of a 5-year collaboration between world-renown design studio Marcel Wanders and Vondom.
