Vision in Design
Celebrating the winners of this collaborative and creative challenge
House and Leisure recently partnered with Australian tapware brand Meir and Hertex Fabrics in an exciting challenge featuring Meir’s Lustre Bronze range of taps. Hertex is a leading supplier of high-quality interior fabrics, wallpaper, rugs, furniture and homeware that started in a small Cape Town showroom in 1987, and has grown to several outlets countrywide. Meir products are available in 40 countries worldwide and are renowned for their exceptional quality, durability and style.
Architects and interior designers were invited to submit their creative interpretations, colour combinations and associations showcasing the three brands in both video and moodboard formats. The Lustre Bronze round curved basin mixer was the focus, with each entrant tasked with heroing it in their decor schemes. The results were impressive, with the judges having a tough time selecting the winner and two runners-up.
Siobhan Thomas of Meir South Africa explains the idea behind the competition: ‘We wanted to create awareness about Meir and its beautiful products, and to inspire new designs using this exciting colour. Lustre Bronze represents a move towards using warmer colours in kitchens and bathrooms, including metallics. These spaces can often be quite clinical and we wanted to encourage people to try something a little more exciting by showing them how that can be achieved.’
Winner: Etienne Hanekom Interiors
‘I wanted to give this entry a personality and break away from the moodboard mould. And what better way than starting with a depiction of a morning ritual in the bathroom? Taps are one of the things we touch every day, so it makes sense that they’re beautiful. ‘The first thing I thought of when I received the package and saw the colour of the tap was the Earth. If terracotta could be metallic, it would be Lustre Bronze. We took that as our inspiration and started crafting a basin using terracotta modelling clay. It’s been ages since we made something with our hands and it was a lot of fun. I’m excited about the new trend towards ‘playfulness’, where design is a little less serious. We always try to add a playful element to our designs. We then added Hertex velvet, linen and bouclé fabrics in various shades of blue to represent the idea of running water. ‘The market is flooded with satin gold and champagne-coloured tapware. I think the warmer Lustre Bronze is a fresh take on earthy metals and is a bit more timeless than gold or black sanware. We would use it with natural stone basins, satin-coloured ceramics, or solid wood surfaces and basins.’
Second place: House / 2Home
Stacey Russell, Kyle Coetzee and Denis Metcalfe of House / 2Home took second place with muted tones of green, pink, navy, grey, terracotta and slate, often incorporating nature-inspired materials. ‘We love using natural elements from our beautiful country. Organic materials can create calming environments that connect people with nature and provide healthier living spaces. We’re excited that interior design is becoming more about individual expression and we love helping our clients tell their stories.’
Third place: One Design + Development
Third place was garnered by Anlo Neethling of One Design + Development, who loved the bold, eye-catching colour of the tap. ‘The bronze finish adds warmth and a touch of luxury, while the modern design keeps it sleek and contemporary. It works especially well in kitchens or bathrooms with natural tones, such as wood or stone, and can create a beautiful contrast against lighter colours including white or marble. I loved working with different textures, finishes, materials and fabrics.’
Honourable mentions
Three studios deserve special recognition as honourable mentions for their exceptional creativity and craftsmanship. POP Design Studio crafted warm, inviting interiors that celebrated the earthy richness of bronze, pairing its reflective finish with Rainforest Brown marble and Hertex fabrics to stunning effect. Mo & Co delved into bronze’s raw, mineral essence, pairing it with natural, organic finishes like Hertex’s Kyoto wallpaper to create designs grounded in simplicity and elegance. Veld Architects pushed creative boundaries with innovative flatlay compositions inspired by local artist Justin Southey, combining Lustre Bronze with textures and tones that reflected South Africa’s natural landscape. Though they didn’t take the top prize, these studios showcased the versatility and timeless appeal of Lustre Bronze, proving that great design is a collective celebration of artistry, innovation, and place.
