A DYNAMIC DESIGN PARTNERSHIP
Meyer von Wielligh is a dynamic design partnership that goes back some 15 years to when designers Abrie von Weilligh and Norman Meyer first met as furniture design students at Furntech (South Africa’s only centre of excellence for furniture) in George.
When a course requirement called for practical work experience at a design manufacturer, rather than seek employment, Norman and Abrie decided to create their own manufacturing business.
They have never looked back. To date, the pair have collaborated on collections with West Elm in the U.S and international design collective Southern Guild, thus ensuring that their furniture and limited-edition art pieces are found as far afield as Dubai and Sydney.
Abrie and Norman’s design studio and workshop is based in George on the Garden Route, an area with a long and established tradition of furniture making using indigenous woods. Their showroom in Gardens, Cape Town is run by Carla de Fondaumieve and AJ Bell.
We believe that each tree has a story to tell and so we respect the beauty inherent in every piece of wood that we use.
Abrie von Wielligh, co-founder Meyer von Wielligh
ORGANIC LINES & INTRICATE TEXTURES
Here, they find the inspiration in their surroundings that has informed every aspect of Meyer von Wielligh’s designs and made them synonymous with the use of indigenous wood, organic lines and intricate textures.
‘We enjoy the design challenge that comes with working with the wood, especially when we start playing with interesting detailing and finishing.’
For Abrie and Norman, the integrity of materials and quality of design is a critical part of their design journey. They therefore use only registered wood and select every piece of raw timber themselves. The starting point for each piece of furniture is always around the unique qualities of a particular piece of wood.
We believe that each tree has a story to tell and so we respect the beauty of wood and try to showcase its unique qualities in all our designs.
Their insistence on tactility combined with an organic sensibility has become a cornerstone of their design. As has their commitment to environmentally sustainable practices that is manifest in a policy where for every piece of furniture they sell, a tree is planted in return.
