Collectible design is having a moment. Furniture is no longer just furniture; it is art you can actually live with. Design-conscious homeowners are asking more from the objects they bring into their homes, favouring rare pieces that are beautiful yet functional, while still carrying a deep-rooted cultural narrative worth telling. The Seats of Stewardship collection reflects this moment.
Commissioned by Greenpop, one of Southern Africa’s leading environmental organisations, the collection brings together four of South Africa’s most respected design studios – The Urbanative, Houtlander, Mash.T Design Studio and PureSpace Design – each contributing a signature chair inspired by the Cape Floral Kingdom, South African heritage, and regenerative design. The result? A collection that is as much about meaning as it is about craft.
The Akaya Lounge Chair: TheUrbanative
Akaya means ‘home’ in Xitsonga, and that warmth runs through every element of this piece. Designed by Mpho Vackier of TheUrbanative, the Akaya Lounge Chair forms part of their Homecoming Collection, an exploration of belonging, comfort, and African vernacular architecture. The upholstery features a collaboration with local designer Kristin Hulda, whose Ndebele-inspired Labyrinth pattern brings hand-painted brushstrokes and bold graphic language into dialogue with the form. Together, the Xitsonga name and Ndebele-inspired textile create a conversation between cultures, reflecting the diversity of South Africa itself. Rather than isolating a single narrative, Akaya becomes a convergence: a contemporary expression of how different cultural identities can coexist and be celebrated within a shared design language. Built on a steel frame with stained ash timber, it is designed for longevity and rooted in local collaboration and circular design principles.
The Hlabisa Bench: Houtlander and Mash.T Design Studio
Perhaps the most storied piece in the collection, the Hlabisa Bench is a collaboration between Phillip Hollander of Houtlander and Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio, brought to life in partnership with the master weavers of Hlabisa, KwaZulu-Natal. The curved oak frame was engineered with precision timber craftsmanship and serves as the canvas for a hand-woven ilala palm backrest that carries the distinct touch of each weaver. The form was inspired by the rolling hills of KwaZulu-Natal and the silhouette of the traditional three-legged cast-iron pot used by Mjo’s grandmother. Only three productions of the Hlabisa Bench have ever been made. Only three productions of this bench have ever been made. The second was acquired by the Musée National d’Art Moderne at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the first South African object ever to enter the museum’s Design section. The third is part of Greenpop’s Seats of Stewardship collection.
The Intersection Bench: Derrick Baard and John Bauer, PureSpace Design
Conceived by interior architect Derrick Baard, the Intersection Bench is a cruciform structure where four solid timber benches converge at a central point around a living tree. Integrated into the timber are porcelain inlays by ceramicist John Bauer, acting as fossilised memories beneath the sitter’s fingertips. The curved backrests are sourced from upcycled timber elements, adding history and continuity. Crafted from naturally felled trees, it makes the case simply: to build for people, we must first care for the earth.
Together, these three pieces represent a budding wave in South African design – one where functional design, cultural legacy, and ecological purpose converge. The Seats of Stewardship collection went to auction at Greenpop’s inaugural gala on 31 May at The Olive Press, Boschendal, and the proceeds are going towards advancing the organisation’s environmental impact across Southern Africa.
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