Meyer von Wielligh – founded by business partners Abrie von Wielligh and Norman Meyer – designs bespoke furniture inspired by sustainable sources and the natural environment.

Meyer von Wielligh is a well-established South African furniture company that today crafts bespoke furniture with rich connections to nature and sustainability – but it was the meeting of Abrie von Wielligh and Norman Meyer that truly sparked what is today a bustling company.

“We met in 2004 – we were students studying at FurnTech, studying cabinet making together – we both just had a passion for making furniture, and they had an incubation programme there which gives you the opportunity to start your own business”, explains Norman. “At that stage, we were both students; we said, we’ve got nothing to lose – and we started the business…. And now it’s already 16 years later!

Since Meyer von Wielligh’s founding, Abrie and Norman have together achieved many awards for their creative talent. Key to their pursuits, however, is the drive to create timeless designs that are sustainable and are inspired by nature.

“There are so many elements that inspire us”, says Norman – to which Abrie adds that “Something that’s very important to us is to draw people closer to nature – we want to bring timber back into the home; we want to get our clients to focus more on nature, because that’s where everything starts.”

Meyer von Wielligh draws inspiration from the organic lines and rich textures from nature. Abrie’s designs have incorporated elements and ideas from trees, mud, leaves and landscapes to create new furniture. “I spend a lot of time in nature looking for things that I can do, and make it (products) practical”, adds Abrie.

Chiefly, sourced materials are obtained sustainably, with a keen eye on forming part of the supply chain. “Because we’re users of wood”, explains Norman, “we’re quite conscious that we need to be part of the chain that is sustainable – the timber that we use comes from America, and is sustainable, and we’ve also taken it upon ourselves to donate trees (in the past).”

“We feel because we’re taking from nature, we need to give something back as well”, Abrie adds.

Meyer von Wielligh’s works are founded in the principles of timeless designs, which ensure longevity and sustainability.

“We believe that timeless designs are very environmentally friendly, because you buy one piece and it goes down generations because it fits into the style… so we don’t follow trends”, Abrie says. “We put a lot of thought into our designs and our way of making the designs so that the furniture can last from one generation into the next.”

Today, Meyer von Wielligh is internationally recognised and has collaborated with some of the most well-respected design collectives in the industry, with their furniture and limited-edition art pieces being found as far afield as Dubai and Sydney.