DESIGN FORWARD
Cécile celebrates the life and work of the founder of one of SA’s most loved design firms
Timed to celebrate the 30th birthday of Cécile & Boyd the brand, Cécile Tilley Memoir, simultaneously celebrates the life and work of Cécile Tilley, cofounder, design doyenne and the name behind the multifaceted creative studio. The beautifully compiled volume is a tribute to the woman behind the company, whose creative charisma inspired a new generation of decorating.
Though Cécile passed away in
2014, her spirit still informs the company’s attitude today, and this book honours the contribution she made over decades to the interior landscape of SA.
Compiled with archival and evocative visuals, personal anecdotes and poignant and humorous observations by friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances, the publication tells the story of her life and work, and chronicles noteworthy projects.
Beginning with a foreword by her business partner Boyd Ferguson, whose friendship with Cécile was the catalyst for the beginnings of the business, the book tracks her life, from her birth in Mauritius, life in KwaZuluNatal, and through various pivotal events, until her retirement.
Cécile’s personal qualities — generosity, humour, humility, nonconformism, confidence and a belief in collaboration — became the backbone of the company’s eclectic identity and shaped its reputation for comfortable and contextually appropriate design. A pioneer in so many ways — mixing crockery decades before it was considered cool, creating a homely experiential space out of the Cécile & Boyd showroom, and showcasing African motifs in a luxe light — made her a designer truly on the pulse and way ahead of her time.
Cecileandboyds.com