Ilovani Furniture
Owners: Lisa Murray and Claire Regnard O’Grady Start-up costs: ‘We can’t give a specific amount, but for businesses in our industry one would need capital for tooling and equipment, and at least a few months’ rent for premises and running costs.’ Turnover: About R3 million.
Lisa Murray, designer and owner of Ilovani Furniture, has no formal design training, but was always intrigued by the art that surrounded her as a child.
‘My mother and grandmother were both artists, and my father was an inventor and engineer at heart who could make anything work,’ says Lisa. ‘And I married a man, Neil, who has the same aptitude.’
In 1996, Lisa and Neil opened Ilovani, a hobby-turned-business, employing one person and showcasing Lisa’s designs in her then-business, a health store. The products were so popular that within three years the business needed its own showroom and factory. Lisa ran the wood-processing factory and showroom outlet with the help of various managers, and with Neil as her mentor.
The business has always embraced skills development programmes for the local community. Ilovani means ‘chameleon’ in isiXhosa and Lisa chose the name as a tribute to the ever-changing character of the creature. What also makes Ilovani special is that the timber comes from accredited sources with a focus on renewable and recyclable resources, such as wine barrels, plantation timber and locally grown exotic timber. Other natural materials also feature strongly.
‘Nothing is waste to us,’ says Lisa. ‘We create accessories from wood offcuts, while our wire and glass beading project has the potential to create ongoing piecework for anyone.’
In 2010, Lisa met designer Claire Regnard O’Grady of Amoeba Concepts, and the two realised they shared the same passion for sustainability. A few months later, the Ilovani showroom transformed into Amoeba@Ilovani. Also in the pipeline is a collaboration between Amoeba and Ilovani to create a signature range of contemporary furniture.
Running a store is a full-time business, and so is running a factory, which Claire is in charge of. ‘Claire has many strengths: logic, organisation, clear vision and immense style,’ says Lisa. ‘Joining forces is the best decision Ilovani has ever made! Claire is the most phenomenal asset any business could wish for and we work so well as a team.’
Ilovani supplies high-end stores in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo with their gorgeous products. ‘In our Ilovani team, we aim to recognise one another’s strengths and remember that without each member of the team, we are nothing,’ says Lisa.
‘I feel incredibly fortunate to have walked the Ilovani journey. The satisfaction of being part of a product from the dream stage to the prototyping, then getting the final feedback is incredibly rewarding.
‘The journey has introduced me to new experiences, places I would never have been and people I would never have met.’