Authentically South African: Trending Furniture From Haldane Martin

Haldane Martin is a South African furniture and interior designer, internationally renowned for work with a powerful sense of identity.

His iconic designs first drew major recognition in the ’90s for early works (Songololo sofa, Zulu Mama chair and Fiela lights) that were avant-garde explorations of contemporary African culture, sustainability and biomimicry. These have been heralded as culturally significant contributions to the South African design language.

Let’s take a look at some of our favourite pieces from Haldane Martin:

As the multitude of legs suggest, the iconic Songololo Sofa by Haldane Martin is inspired by nature’s creepy crawlies. The Songololo Sofa has a curvy sensual form that is a reinvention of the classic 1970s sectional sofa by Ueli Berger. A patented pivot and bracket system made from pressed steel allows the Songololo to be customised to any length, from a two-seater to six metres or longer. It can also be curved into a variety of shapes by the user to form an iconic centrepiece in almost any space. The segments can be taken apart, which makes the sofa easy to ship.

Paying homage to the classic Salterini Hoop Chairs of the 1950s, The Hula Outdoor Collection includes a Lounge Chair, Kitchen and Bar Stool, and Dining Chair. A powerful visual contrast forms as a juxtaposition of pure circular rings and the wire stripes of the curvilinear seat. This image harks to the name, coming from “Hula Hoop”, a light hoop used in a playful activity, whirled around the body by movements of the waist and hips. This contemporary take on the classic hoop chair has a closely spaced curvilinear wire seat that has been ergonomically shaped for comfort rather than the mesh that was traditionally used.

Plat / O – is a new collection of tables by Haldane Martin Iconic Design – perfect for contemporary homes, simple stylish cafes and restaurants, and sophisticated work environments. From the noun “plateau” meaning an area of level high ground, the Plat / O Table Collection includes a range of round and oblong shaped tops varying in size, from elegant 2-seater cafe tables up to generous 10-seater dining tables, as well as a conference table, server table and bar table.

The Neo Spoke stool comes with an option of a comfortable woven mesh cane seat or a dished solid oak seat (and optional flat cushion), and as a bar stool or lower kitchen stool. Modernising the traditional Windsor chair of UK origins, the Neo Spoke Chair Collection has been designed by Haldane Martin for an English countryside artist retreat and boutique hotel, and will be made available to order in 2019.