HAND OF THE MAKER The home of Johannesburg fabric designer Amanda Du Plessis reflects her timeless style

An historic home and wild landscapes inspire Johannesburg designer Amanda Du Plessis’ fabrics

Collecting indigenous plants from the Melville Koppies nature reserve in the heart of Johannesburg, fabric designer Amanda Du Plessis spends as much of her time outdoors as possible, with her home the anchor of her homeware business, Evolution Product. Of her old South African farmhouse, Amanda says, ‘It embraces the narrative of the area we live in.’ With walls covered in creepers, the property seems to merge with the garden, while stained-glass windows, high ceilings and wooden floors all contribute to its old-fashioned sensibility.

Amanda and her husband, Rudolf, moved in seven years ago with their two sons, Wian and Malan. By setting up her textiles studio here, Amanda is able to be close to the family while working on her collections, for which the garden is a constant source of inspiration. ‘When we bought the house, the garden was formal, but over time I have filled it with plants from the Highveld: grasses, succulents and bulbs that are native to this area,’ she says.

The property’s large windows were an appealing factor. ‘Each window frames another part of the garden or view of the surrounding nature reserve,’ says Amanda. The main colour of the internal walls is a dark green to reflect the landscape, with calming additions of charcoal and rust. Modern and mid-century furnishings combine with the earthy warmth of sisal rugs and indoor plants, while many of the fabrics around the house have been designed by Amanda herself. She is inspired by the incredible photograms of ferns made by Thomas Blagrave in 1860, which she discovered in the archives at the South African National Biodiversity Institute in Pretoria. Once Amanda has selected her plants, she lays them on top of fabric that has been dipped in light-sensitive chemicals and, after being exposed to the sun, stunning silhouettes develop.

During her forays into the archives, Amanda uncovered a rich visual history of the first European explorers who came to South Africa. And, as one discovery led to another, her fabric ranges started taking on more of a botanical flavour. The results are beautiful collections with their roots firmly in South Africa’s artistic and botanical past, and a family home rich in decorative tradition and inspired by its surroundings.