Image: Homewood
Homewood was recently commissioned to create a beautiful table for a private members-only club in Umhlanga. Homewood owner and founder, Ian Perry, says that it is projects like these that come around once in a lifetime, which make all the hard work worthwhile. To be able to create a custom wood furniture piece without any limitations or budget constraints, and to be able to simply design with passion and as art, is a dream come true for Perry.
The ethos of this exclusive members-only club, which we cannot name, is bringing like-minded people from across the globe together in one collaborative space. This formed the basis of the table design, and Ian Perry drew pieces of wood from his own private collection to create this custom piece. Perry has been collecting pieces of wood over the years that held particular significance to him or which he found beautiful for various reasons. He has kept these pieces aside to create something really special, and there seemed no better time and project to utilise them than this one.
Image: Homewood
The table, which is now used in the reading room of the business club, has 16 legs, each consisting of a piece of wood from a different corner of the globe. From Mozambique, Zambia, America, Japan, and South Africa – each leg forms a solid foundation which supports the main tabletop – a beautiful and unique piece of blackwood.
Blackwood is an Australian Acacia species that has almost indigenized itself in South African natural forest areas, and is hailed for its rich, characteristic colours of brown, gold, straw, yellow, and caramel. A rainbow nation spectrum of sorts, with each piece of wood being different from the next. Using locally sourced South African wood as the tabletop creates a powerful metaphor, as each table leg, originating from a different country, supports the top in a mutually beneficial relationship. It paints a beautiful picture and reinforces what this exclusive members-only business club stands for.
Image: Homewood
This artisanal piece is now used as a display table in the library of the club, showcasing rare, valuable, and limited-edition books from across the globe. It is also used on the odd occasion to host dinner parties when new members are inducted to the club. It holds a very special place in Ian’s heart, and there is no better place for it than in the dignified solace of the reading room.
Image: Homewood
This project is testimony to just how meticulous and versatile the team at Homewood is, and how good they are at conceptual design and creating unique, once-off pieces that tell a beautiful story.
View the luxury, handcrafted table we crafted for this exclusive club here.
