Bathroom Butler: Remembering Madiba

In celebration of one of the most iconic humans in South Africa and the world, July marks the month that we celebrate Rolihlahla ‘Nelson’ Mandela’s birthday, more affectionately known as “Madiba” or “Tata”. In celebration of this incredible man’s legacy, this month’s mood board from Bathroom Butler and @visierenders pay tribute to his long walk to freedom with these beautifully inspired ideas for your bathroom.

“I work in different disciplines and I am influenced by the ways in which language, culture, space and place are inextricably intertwined,” says Corne Johl from Visie Design who was drawn to photographs of historic places significant to Madiba’s life, and pictures of his colourful attire that has inspired these five gorgeous boards.

Board 1: “The choice of materials and finishes for the first board was influenced by the colours and natural textures in this photograph of Qunu, the childhood village of Nelson Mandela,” says Corne who chose organic materials and used Bathroom Butler’s Brushed Stainless Steel range of bathroom accessories to complement this look.

Board 2:

The inspiration for this board came from images of the Bluestone Quarry on Robben Island where Madiba worked for 13 years of his 27-year prison sentence. The natural textures and light colours of the stone, the sky, and Mandela’s blue shirt – indicative of what they wore when working these quarries, have been used as the colour palette for this board. The shape and Polished Stainless Steel finish lent itself beautifully to the organic root of the board that reminded Corne of the tools the prisoners used in the quarry like the pick axe.

Board 3:

“The inspirational cues where taken from photos of Nelson Mandela’s release from the Victor Verster prison in 1990,” says Corne. Matte black was not only used for thebathroom accessories, but also as the thematic backdrop to this dramatic board that both complements and contrasts the chosen colour palette. The bathroom accessory range used was representative of the strong lines and angles used by both Nelson and Winnie Mandela’s gestures – still such a powerful display of freedom all over the world.

Board 4:

This board was inspried by a traditional Xhosa outfit Madiba wore during a Campaign Tour to the Eastern Cape in 1994 – the tribe into which he was born in 1918. The light colours have been enriched with the blues, greys and burnt orange and the shapes and linear detail on traditional Xhosa accessories. “I elected to use circlualr accessories with this board to highlight the circular shapes often used in traditional Xhosa attire, headwear and beadwork,” says Corne.

Board 5:

“I love this picture of Mandela taken after his 1994 election win,” says Corne. “The muted tones and gentle lines suggest the reconciliation and historical significance of these photos.” The characteristics and facial expressions of the individuals in the photos inspired the bathroom accessory range and the roundness of Madiba’s ring and watch helped decide the shape of the accessories used.

Corne runs a small creative studio which means that she is involved in every aspect of the creative process from conceptualisation to implementation. Corne specialises in interior design, 3D modeling and rendering. Check her out on Instagram – @visierenders