Mud Studio D’Afrique avec amour.

Proudly local, Mud Studio’s uniquely African designs proudly draw on traditional arts and crafts techniques, such as beading, to create contemporary pieces with character.

Based in the Orange Free State, Mud Studio is perhaps best known for its beaded chandeliers yet, over the years, the company has expanded its offering to include furniture items, such as stools, as well as original artwork.

That said, the iconic Original Mud Chandelier is still the most sought-after piece after all these years.

Conceived in 2005 by husband-and-wife duo artist and designer Werner Du Toit and ceramic artist Philippa Du Toit, the Original Mud Chandelier has won numerous awards over the years for its distinctive design, including being named one of the top 50 worldwide designs that shaped the millennium. 

The chandelier was also exhibited at MoMA New York and is stocked globally, including at The Conran shop in London and Anthropologie in Los Angeles.

Made from approximately three thousand hand-rolled clay beads, the idea for the design came to the couple while busy in their studio.

“The design stemmed from the constant amount of waste material the studio produced,” they explain.

The beads are strung on 316 stainless-steel wires and used to decorate the metal framework, giving the metal chandelier its distinct appeal.

Since then, the design has illuminated rooms big and small (with customers including Ralph Lauren, Sir Richard Branson and Val Kilmer)  and lives as its production supports over 100 local families.

https://mudstudio.net