Fall in Love with Ardmore

By Louise Irvine

The new Thanda sofa has just arrived in Florida and will add the finishing touches to our new Ardmore Design Shop. We have high hopes for our home décor showroom resonating with the rhythms of Africa in the heart of Hollywood’s Design and Commerce District. Thanda means love in the Zulu language and we invite you to fall in love with Ardmore’s vibrant new collection of pillows and fabrics.

The success of the Ardmore Studio in Kwa-Zulu Natal is a heartfelt story which has made a real difference to a remote rural community in South Africa. Fée Halsted began teaching Zulu people to make ceramic art in 1985 and over the years she has mentored and empowered hundreds of artists who are now sharing their skills with the next generation. Each Ardmore ceramic piece is a one-of-a-kind work of art and throwers, sculptors, and painters collaborate in the creative process. They work together in the spirit of “ubuntu”, a Zulu expression which means “we are because of others.”

In 2010, Ardmore received a generous grant from the South African Business Trust which supports commercially viable initiatives and contributes to poverty reduction. These funds enabled Fée and her three children to turn their attention to textiles featuring Ardmore’s playful patterns. The Qalakabusha sofa, meaning “new beginnings’, was the first in a series of limited edition sofas that have captured the attention of interior designers around the world. Ardmore Design is now regarded as one of Africa’s leading luxury brands celebrating the cultural heritage of the country.

Fee’s lifetime experiences of Africa have inspired a succession of fabric collections including Zambezi, Sabie and Thanda which have been made into a huge variety of pillows and poufs for sale in our Ardmore Design Shop. The furnishing fabrics are also used for covering Ardmore benches which are ideal for dining and occasional seating. Ardmore home décor also includes a wide range of table linens in whimsical designs and two wallpaper collections by Cole & Sons which inspired last year’s exhibition Jabula · The Joy of Living with Ardmore.

Come see our new exhibitions, browse our pattern books and shop for the Holidays when our Hollywood museum opens. All sales benefit the educational programs at WMODA which is a 501c3 not-for-profit museum.