Fantastical kid's furniture without franchised kitsch

16 February 2017 - 15:05 By Siphiliselwe Makhanya
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Olly Polly makes tasteful decor for children’s rooms.
Olly Polly makes tasteful decor for children’s rooms.
Image: Supplied

While mainstream retailers continue to offer children's products featuring popular film and television franchise characters, smaller local businesses offer an alternative, minimalist aesthetic.

Designer Genevieve Motley is one of the reasons for this. The Amanzimtoti entrepreneur is the creator of Olly Polly, a children's décor business selling eared chairs, house-shaped clothing rails, dinky shelves and other nursery necessities.

The trained jewellery designer decided to branch into décor after a fruitless local search for the kind of items she wanted for her daughter Olive's room.

"I've always been drawn to a clean, minimal style when it comes to interiors and absolutely loathe the busy children's decor that the market is flooded with.

"My aim is to create quality products that will grow with your child and that can even be passed onto others; timeless pieces that can be used in any area of the house and not look out of place."

"I've been in business for one year now and have been overwhelmed by the love and support of fellow moms."

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The small Olly Polly team includes a carpenter, a seamstress and Motley's partner, Gavin. Their products are made to order by hand and can be painted in the customer's preferred colour scheme.

The shelves are especially popular. Motley's favourite is a swan-shaped floor shelf ideal for children's picture books.

"I have an incredible team that I affectionately like to call my pensioners club. My carpenter Colin is invaluable to my business and has been with me from the very start. I'm always amazed at how seamlessly he translates my ideas into life.

"The newest addition to my team is a seamstress, which has lifted the stress of late-night sewing and has allowed me to focus more on the designing process as she takes care of all our sewing orders.

"My partner Gavin has been my absolute rock this last year and has been integral to my success as he supports my dream."

• Olly Polly is available on ollypolly.co.za. Simply Child Interiors and Ma Petite cater to the same aesthetic.

This article was originally published in The Times.

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