about us
"There is something about African style that appeals across time and continents. The roots are inextricably African- which is a large part of its charm - but in recent years a new wave of designers have taken those roots, kept the glamour and something of the nostalgia, but injected contemporary sophistication into the mix"- Lucia Van Der Post, The Times, UK, 2002.
A passion for the design masterpieces being turned out by the new wave of home furnishing designers in South Africa - and an appreciation for the traditional arts and crafts of African culture – led Noleen Kutash to launch - Phases Africa where a majority of products are custom made and shipped across the globe. For more information on our products please contact us for pricing and lead time via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The introduction of Noreen’s collection to the global market is a timely one. South African contemporary design - together with new directions in African furniture and décor - has been one of the hottest trends in the high-end home furnishings market across the globe. Phases Africa’s collection takes that trend further, and introduces a brand new contemporary African style to global markets. It is an exciting mix of the "old" - Africa’s rich tribal and European colonial heritage - combined with the "new" - sophisticated custom-made furniture and home furnishings from some of South Africa’s leading contemporary designers. These African inspired furniture pieces frequently spotted in Africa’s top hotels and safari lodges consist of; hide and leather benches, daybeds and chairs, as well as, ostrich skin couches and wingback chairs, handmade cowhide rugs, wood dining room tables, servers, side tables and outdoor chairs.
Sourcing the goods for Phases Africa collection is an ongoing quest for that "special piece" of unusual beauty, fine workmanship and materials of the highest quality. "My aim has been to find items that are not readily available, that blend in well with a contemporary look and also with more traditional styles of design. For instance our “African Home Décor” line consist of a large variety of unique items; driftwood furniture and sculptures, wood turner vases, and tall collectable ceramic vases by top South African artists. Bamileke stools from Cameroon, hand carved from a single tree trunk, wooden hand-carved tall figures know as colonial figures, street wire outdoor furniture and telephone wire baskets. And let’s not forget, our unique lighting fixtures ranging from; ostrich egg shell chandeliers and standing lamps, wall sconces made from horns, porcupine quill lampshades, recycled one-of-a-kind chandeliers, as well as, bamboo friendly contemporary hanging lights,” explains Noleen.
Noleen Kutash travels widely in South Africa and other African countries sourcing her range. A buying trip might involve visiting craft-workers in isolated country regions, seeking out sculptors or wood workers. She frequently meets with leading furniture designers in Johannesburg and Cape Town to perfect the accelerating fusion of her homeland's rich cultural heritage with contemporary design.
The result is Phases Africa - a collection that combines a sophisticated contemporary design aesthetics in the organic and timeless beauty of Africa’s tribal and colonial legacy.