Ilovani – A Love For Sustainable Living

We’re celebrating local women in design this Women’s Day! Lisa Murray and Claire O’Grady share a love of sustainable design and functional furniture. As head designers at Ilovani, the pair take great pride in producing high-quality, eco-friendly furniture and homeware.

Ilovani is a furniture and homeware design and manufacturing company. They are based in the small Garden Route town of Plettenberg Bay in South Africa’s Western Cape province. Founded in 1996, Ilovani’s inception was inspired by the incredibly beautiful indigenous South African hardwoods and a love for all things sustainable.

Passionate about sustainability, Claire and Lisa design and their workshop staff manufacture pieces for the home that are eco-friendly and kind to the environment. This not only involves using sustainably sourced and recycled materials, but also ensures that they are manufactured in an eco-friendly manner.

“We only use timber sourced from accredited sources, implementing recovery programmes to create handmade furniture, homeware and accessories using recycled glass, wood off-cuts and redundant wine barrels.”

Made to Last

Ilovani prides itself on creating unique and functional designer pieces that are built to last. Each piece is hand-crafted using traditional, tried and tested methods to ensure high-quality and longevity of its heirloom pieces.

“The idea behind our designs is to make pieces that last for generations instead of just a few years. The most rewarding thing for us at Ilovani is to design and create furniture and homeware that people buy once and cherish for the rest of their life. Increasing the longevity of items is an important way of decreasing their overall carbon footprint.”

Supporting Local

However, being sustainable is not just about the products being produced – Ilovani believes that it’s also about supporting the local communities to which this trade is their only source of income.

It also goes to great lengths to sources all materials and services locally to ensure maintained minimal impact on the environment.

Timeless Appeal

Ilovani’s distinctive and functional range is available in shops and outlets both nationally and internationally. Although its unique designs have changed over the past 25 years, its focus on sustainability, quality and craftmanship has never wavered.

“Although our designs are modern, they also boast a timeless quality that ensures that they that won’t date – they have a soul beyond fashionable seasons and offer a functional way to connect the organic with the urban.”

Visit Ilovani for a eco-friendly means of making your home look gorgeous!

Check out the Ilovani showroom at The Heath Complex, N2 National Highway, Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape, 6600.