Casamento manufactures a range of upholstered furniture using traditional methods and a variety of unique handstitched finishing styles.
For owner Eve Collet, Casamento is a marriage of classic shapes, quirky artistic textures and finishing styles, bound together by quality workmanship and attention to detail. "Our work is a balancing act between ergonomics, functionality and artistic expression," she says.
"The Americans call the techniques we use Decorative Arts, and have whole museums and exhibitions dedicated to them," says Eve.
"In South Africa, there are so many traditional skills from the different cultures, like Zulu or Afrikaners. I borrow from all our cultures, and am amazed about how much there is still to explore."
"I enjoy making things," says Eve. "I don't do any upholstery anymore, it's serious physical labour, so you'll mostly find me designing and laying out or cutting fabrics, and marking things. I also do embroidery, mainly the more organic, spontaneous stuff."
Casamento's three embroidery artists work "a lot in an 'al fresco' style, where the final design only transpires as it is being made." Casamento's upholstery is done in-house, too. "We usually use wool-based fabrics as they are durable and the colours tend to be really saturated. That said, we also love cotton, velvet, linen and leather," says Eve...