From humble beginnings in a small studio in Newlands, Cape Town, we started with a simple dream to make a real impact in the design industry in South Africa. Today, over 25 years later, SA Decor and Design continues to thrive! With a growing team of experts in the field, we’re shaking things up in the world of design and media – and making real moves in the industry as a whole!

As we celebrate Women’s Month this August, we thought it the perfect time to introduce you to the amazing team of women behind our growing brand. We want to share a little about how and why we started as well as our passions and what really goes into this phenomenal platform! We’ve come a long way and we continue to make great strides for women in the media industry – in South Africa and around the planet!

How it all began…

Our visionary and the face behind the brand, Marcia Margolius has always been ahead of her time! Over 25 years ago she first had the idea to combine her love and knowledge of the design world into a media platform. As a qualified designer by trade with both local and international qualifications, she had already written a few books but the industry was still calling out! The rest is, as they say, HISTORY!

Today we are a team of vibrant female professionals and our success, we believe, comes from an authentic passion for what we do… we all sleep it and eat it and we have a brilliant CEO at the helm, Ian Hurwitz.

We are committed to every client, offering a custom-tailored approach to every company you see on our platform. We focus on building long-term collaborations and we work very closely with numerous marketing and PR professionals worldwide to ensure we bring you the latest in the industry!

In a nutshell, SA Décor and Design continues to snowball and we look forward to bringing you the latest edition in print! Keep your eyes peeled for updates on the newest issue!

Meet the WOMEN who make it all happen at SA Decor and Design…

Meet Marcia Margolius

What’s your role?

I started SA Décor & Design in 1997 and still head the creative side of the business especially focused on the social media element.

How would you define yourself in three words?

Happy, Driven and try to ensure that nothing gets me down!

What drives you?

My love for design, branding and growing companies.

How long have you worked at SA Décor and Design?

I have worked in the Design Industry for over 3 decades.

Your favourite chair from Chair Crazy?

I love the old classics – A Replica Charles Eames chair in my lounge would be perfect.

What inspires you in your daily work?

The love of beautiful design – meeting and exceeding client expectations and growing companies to the best of my ability. We have become a leader in the industry for placing your company in the spotlight and I love working with a team that is driven and that understands good design. I have a growing love for all things digital and keeping myself up to date with all the changes in an ever-changing world of digital and social media!

I am constantly inspired by the wonder of travel and seeing worldwide shows which we have missed so much over the past few years.

What do you love most about your job?

Every day is different… one day I can be sourcing images for windows to handles and the next working on top international and local brands and helping to get them known to the industry.

Vintage or Contemporary Furniture?

Contemporary with a bit of Eclectic Zing is my thing.

What’s your favourite time of day?

I am a morning person … I hit the gym at 5am.

What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had?

Being a leader and at the forefront of design for so long, I sometimes get upset when I see competitors copying what we do. Nowadays however I take it as a form of flattery.

Black or white or a colourful interior?

As I age I enjoy seeing more colour.

Your typical day working with SA Décor and Design?

Tamsyn my online editor and I work very closely together and I must say it’s an absolute pleasure – I work well ahead of schedule and support the efforts of our sales team by providing our clients with as much social media content on all platforms to keep everyone happy.

Meet Tamsyn Cornelius

What’s your role?

I am the Decor and Online Editor at SA Decor and Design.

How would you define yourself in three words?

Quietly-confident, creative and spiritual.

What drives you?

As a creative entrepreneur and copywriter, I am driven by the arts, inspiring words, and encouraging people and those closest to me. I constantly push myself to do more and stretch beyond my comfort zones.

How long have you worked at SA Décor and Design?

I have freelanced as a part of the SA Decor and Design team since 2017.

Your favourite chair from Chair Crazy?

I am constantly inspired by the latest ranges at Chair Crazy but if I must pick a current favourite, it is most certainly the classic Acapulco Chair! Such a timeless piece and available in so many fun colours. I can just imagine chilling on my patio in one of these beauties!

What inspires you in your daily work?

Writing is my passion. This combined with a love for all things interior design, and every day is an exciting new adventure. I am always inspired by the latest trends, new colourways and exciting new ideas that make their way into the design industry every day!

What do you love most about your job?

I love the freedom that it brings. As I work remotely, most of my work is done independently, so I have the freedom to schedule my day according to my own time. Working with SA Decor and Design has been a breeze in this regard!

Vintage or Contemporary furniture?

Contemporary.

What’s your favourite time of day?

I like to joke that I am neither a morning person nor an evening person! I suppose my perfect time of day is mid-day. The most productive time for me!

What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had?

As a work-from-home mom of two, I face new learning challenges all the time. It is a constant juggle between school schedules and work commitments and the key here is to find a good balance for both work and your personal life.

Black or white or a colourful interior?

My other side hustle is creating art and hosting art parties – so my answer is definitely – colourful interiors. Lots of colour and texture, please!

Your typical day working with SA Décor and Design?

My day starts by logging onto the blog and creating engaging content and blog posts that we schedule daily. I work ahead of schedule to ensure that we have a minimum of 3 to 5 fresh new posts going up on the blog every day. My entire day is therefore filled with research, writing and scheduling posts online.

Meet Geraldine Stewart

What’s your role?

Head of Business Development

How long have you worked at SA Décor and Design?

A couple of months

Your favourite chair from Chair Crazy?

The Air Bar Stool. I love sitting outside around a table with friends in the summer.

What inspires you in your daily work?

A passion for home decor.

Vintage or Contemporary furniture?

Definitely contemporary.

What’s your favourite time of day?

Evenings. I’m a bit of a night-owl.

Meet Liesl Dodgen

What’s your role?

I work as the Production Manager at SA Décor & Design.

How would you define yourself in three words?

I would describe myself as open, positive and hard-working.

What drives you?

Growing, evolving and always trying my best.

How long have you worked at SA Décor and Design?

I have been with the company since 2007.

Your favourite chair from Chair Crazy?

The Avery Chair – love the simple good looks of this chair.

What inspires you in your daily work?

To continue to learn and grow.

What do you love most about your job?

I love working on digital, as it’s always evolving and changing, and there’s always something new to learn.

Vintage or Contemporary furniture?

Vintage.

What’s your favourite time of day?

Around 4pm on a Friday – time to relax after a busy week

What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had?

The biggest learning experience I had at SA Décor & Design, was going from print to digital. There was much to learn and continue to learn in the fast-paced digital world.

Black or white or a colourful interior?

White

Your typical day working with SA décor and Design?

I usually start by checking emails and prioritizing my work according to priority. My day consists of working on WordPress updating the website, as well as delegating work as well as ensuring that deadlines are met and that team members complete tasks on time.

Meet Alwiena Van Veen

What’s your role?

Key accounts manager

How would you define yourself in three words?

Positive, solutions driven

How long have you worked at SA Décor and Design?

Going on 6 years

Your favourite chair from Chair Crazy?

The Sky Pro Armchair. Black is my favourite colour.

What inspires you in your daily work?

To offer a service to my clients and go over the call of duty.

What do you love most about your job?

I love helping clients to get their brand out there

Vintage or Contemporary furniture?

Bit of both

What’s your favourite time of day?

Mornings

What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had?

Take the good with the bad always

Black or White or a colourful interior?

Black with splashes of green (at the moment)

Your typical day working with SA décor and Design?

Phoning clients, sending out their posts we have done for them, checking their profile pages are in order and sending out proposals.

Meet Debbie Farrell

What’s your roll?

Graphic Designer

How would you define yourself in three words?
Perfectionist, Quiet, Funny

What drives you?
Happiness

How long have you worked at SA Décor and Design?
Since 2018

What inspires you on your daily work?
I like to make my Clients happy by providing them with work they find beautiful

What do you most  love most about your job?
That I get to play with images, shapes and colours to make things pretty on the eye

Vintage or Contemporary Furniture ?
Vintage

What’s your favourite time of day? …
Evening is when I begin to wake up 😊

What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had? …
That other people’s happiness is not dependent on you

Black or White  or a colorful interior ?
The more colour the better

Meet Fungai Kambamura-Anene

How would you define yourself in three words?

Outspoken, vibrant and free!

What drives you?

Keeping our clients happy.

How long have you worked at SA Décor and Design?

Up to 5 years

Your favourite chair from Chair Crazy?

Camden H Natural – looks comfy, and sturdy and I love the 2-colours!

What inspires you in your daily work?

Getting through the enormous workloads we have on a daily basis. Digital doesn’t stop.

What do you love most about your job?

Creating a visually inspiring profile page i.e. after loading artwork (products, catalogues, videos etc)

Vintage or Contemporary furniture?

Contemporary furniture

What’s your favourite time of day?

Morning

What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had?

The sun always comes up the following day and it doesn’t pay to worry too much.

Black or White or a colourful interior?

Colourful any day!

Your typical day working with SA décor and Design?

I spend my day updating, curating and building client profile pages.

Meet Margaret Jackson

What’s your role?

Sales Representative

How would you define yourself in three words?

Hardworking, persistent and passionate

What drives you?

Money

How long have you worked at SA Décor and Design?

6 years

Your favourite chair from Chair Crazy?

The Siesta Range

What inspires you in your daily work?

To get to my monthly targets. Working with my clients and   brands.

Vintage or Contemporary furniture?

I’m a Vintage kind of girl

What’s your favourite time of day?

Mornings – I get to work at 7am

What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had?

When you get knocked down, get straight back up.

Black or White or a colourful interior?

I like a bit of colour in this world

Your typical day working with SA décor and Design?

Check my emails, send our proposals and follow up, follow up – persistence pays

Meet Melanie Prins

What’s your role? 

Receptionist & Debtors Clerk

How would you define yourself in three words?

Aligned, systematic and persistant.

What drives you?

My main job is getting in the money and it is always great to see that flowing in on time.

How long have you worked at SA Décor and Design?

9 years

Your favourite chair from Chair Crazy?

The Replica Eames Patchwork Chair

What inspires you in your daily work?

Working together as a team

What do you love most about your job?

I’m systems orientated and so my job is the perfect match

Vintage or Contemporary furniture?

Contemporary

What’s your favourite time of day?

Evenings

What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had?

Time waits for no one – live every day!

Black or White or a colourful interior?

Black

Your typical day working with SA Décor and Design?

Creating and sending out statements with follow-up calls, updating our databases and meetings, meetings, meetings.

Meet Lydia Githinjl 

What’s your roll?

I am a back-end data administrator in SA Décor.

How would you define yourself in three words?

• Eccentrics
• Audacious
• Versatile

What drives You 

The constant quest to always better myself in every aspect of life.

How long have you worked at SA Décor and Design?

7 months

 Your favourite chair from Chair Crazy and why?

We are so happy to serve you

Next time you reach out, send us an email or read a blog post, you’ll have a better idea of who you’re dealing with! We are so thrilled to be able to bring you the best the industry has to offer! We’ve come a long way and we’re so excited about the bright future ahead for all of us at SA Decor and Design!