The Exclusives: Sixth floor

Writer: Mbali Soga | Images: Supplied

For the past year, we’ve managed to turn our homes into our sanctuaries. Transforming them into a work/life oasis. While the focus was on building your at-home office or gym, the rest of the house's spaces - from the living room to the kitchen - were corners allocated to rest, leisure, and spontaneous cook-offs.

Spring is knocking on our doors and indoor fatigue is getting to us, so we can’t help but wonder what décor trends to look out for to reinvent our homes (without breaking the bank of course).

Our private home + living collection, Sixth floor, is a must if you’re looking for style at a price that’s friendly to your pocket. Home + Living Buying Manager, Chevaune Morrison, explains; “When we decided to launch our private label collection, we were on the sixth floor of the building at the time, and so it just felt fitting”.

And so what better way to get the 411 than to ask Superbalist’s Home + Living experts?

Chevaune Morrison, Home + Living Buying Manager

Home decor and all things Lifestyle have always been my passion. Martha Stewart is my spirit animal. I knew from a young age that I wanted to do something that involved interiors. I studied Interior Design after school and worked in the industry for five years before I found myself in retail. I would say I'm a Jack of all trades at Superbalist. Leading a team, analysing trade, the market and future trends, and strategising are a few of my day-to-day roles, but the best part of my job is product development - creating beautiful products that our customers want.

This year, I’m most excited about the ‘wilder side’! I love how design is becoming more spontaneous and ‘rough’ around the edges. Unfinished surfaces add depth by creating visual and textural interest. Bits and pieces from nature are celebrated and make for one-of-a-kind decorative objects.

My recommended pieces to add to your home right now are raw clay decorative objects made by hand. Even better if it's a bit ‘wonky’. Natural textiles as well; linen, jute, hemp, and cotton. Scatter cushions with tufted details or unfinished edges will add visual interest. Something woven - like a wicker or rattan basket - to bring a lived-in relaxed look and feel to your space.

Rust is the new mustard. As consumers are wanting to slow down and form more of a relationship with nature, it's only natural that we start seeing more earthy tones becoming more and more popular. I’m not complaining - this colour trend is warm and cosy, and it will add some spice to your life.

My decor no-nos are definitely overdecorating. Each and every piece you put into a space should mean something to you and/or have a purpose.

Since I was young, I would scroll through my mom’s House and Leisure magazines or decorate my bedroom any chance I could get. I started my homeware career at an Interior Design Studio, but for the most part, I have been in retail for seven years. As a Senior Buyer, my role consists of buying and developing products for a number of categories. I manage the process from start to finish, including trend research, briefing suppliers, trade analysis and normally lots of travel to India and Europe.

I love the Crafted Interlace trend. It taps into the world of ancient craft and artisanal techniques, but with a modern twist. It fuses traditional materials and techniques with contemporary constructions. The pops of colour to contrast the natural materials is key.

Update your home with a statement rattan chair with a modern streamline crafted pattern, woven lamp base with a linen shade, or update your office basics with a black rattan storage set. Natural materials are key - think rafia, cane, rattan, wicker, linen, twine, and jute that are woven to create an interlace pattern.

The next ‘It’ colour in décor, in my view, is Army Green. It is an update on the forest green colour trend from AW ‘21, but it has more of a muted edge. It's inspired by organic pigment dyes and nature. The soft-washed quality of this tone feeds into a growing focus on sustainability, and the growing appeal of materials and processes that are kinder to the planet.

My go-to decor hack is rugs. The bigger, the better. Whenever possible, try to make sure your furniture sits on the rug. This will ground your space and create a cosy, well-finished room.

Jodie Kemp, Home + Living Buyer

I always dreamt of being a buyer. It sounded like the perfect job - a glorified travelling shopper with a limitless credit card. Little did I know how much hard work and understanding of the merchandise cycle is required to make it in this very competitive industry. After matric, I studied textile design - with a strong interest in homeware. I was lucky and blessed enough to be employed as a Buyer’s Assistant in homeware as my first job after my studies.

I'm very excited about the curvy contours trend for this year. I love how the contoured edges and plump details offer a sense of relaxation. The soft edges in toned or vibrant colours bring comfort into any space.

Update your space with curved sofas; statement, patterned, or plain rich velvet ottomans; or smaller pieces such as table lamps with soft edge details can give a fresh contemporary update to your space.

I am in love with nude - it’s the new grey. It adds warmth and comfort to your space, bringing a sense of relaxation. You can create contrast, depth, and texture by combining it with other lighter- and darker-toned neutrals.

My biggest decor advice is; Less is more - it creates more of an impact than “too much”.