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Founded by Fée Halsted, Ardmore is a coveted ceramic, design, and homeware luxury brand with stores, galleries, and studios in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and KwaZulu-Natal. What began as a ceramics apprenticeship in the foothills of the Drakensberg almost 40 years ago has expanded into a wide collection of exquisitely designed homeware and fashion items, including napkins, fabric, wallpaper, furniture, jewellery, scarves, and silk accessories. The Ardmore team includes local sculptors, painters, a graphic artist, and a pottery thrower, all of whom are trained by Halsted.
The Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa was opened in 1997 by John and Anna Thacker in what was then a privately owned home in Morningside. From the start, the Thackers brought their unique touch to the property, with individually decorated suites that reflected their travels and sense of wanderlust. While the Thackers no longer own the property they are very much still a part of its story, and earlier this year attended the launch of the new hotel suite. Currently, under the leadership of Michael Kewley, Fairlawns has a bold direction, with the addition of a new suite, as well as a luxury gift store.
The Ardmore Suite is inspired by the incredible hand-painted designs that have become the label's sought-after trademark. It started with a conversation between Kewley and Halsted, and what might have been just a nod to Ardmore in soft furnishings, fabrics, and wallpaper, ignited an idea to hand-paint an Ardmore mural in the suite.
Painted by two of Ardmore Design's talented artists Sydney Hadebe and Wiseman Mpofu, the Ardmore Satara Suite is a glorious and unique celebration of Africa. Hadebe is best known for his scarf and fabric designs, as well as the Ardmore x Hermés collaboration, while Mpofu has attracted attention from all over the world for his work with watercolours.
We visited for the launch and were awed by what we saw. The mural is undoubtedly the showpiece. Inspired by "Africa's untamed wilderness" it's a vibrant celebration of some of the most magical aspects of the wild in Africa. It features South Africa's heritage flower and national symbol, proteas, along with vines, flowers, leaves, and the occasional frolicking wildcat. Set against a black background, the popping colours of the mural are a delight for the eye. In addition to this artistic masterpiece, the Ardmore Satara Suite also boasts a collection of some of Ardmore Design's finest homeware and ceramic pieces, including cushions, fabric, pottery, and their beautiful 'Cat Walk' wallpaper in the bathroom.
Speaking at the launch, Halsted said it started with a discussion about wallpapering the suite. "That was easy. And then Michael said to me, 'Could we paint the wall?' And I thought about it and thought about it, and I thought, why not? Let's paint the wall. So I went to two amazing artists. And I have to tell you, Ardmore wouldn't be what it is if not for the incredible artists that I work with. The talent in South Africa is beyond... "
The mural was a long-distance collaboration, with the two artists who came to stay at the hotel and Halsted, who was not in Joburg at the time.
"I worked with them until midnight. Most of the night with emails, messages, and little WhatsApps between us. "Gogo, are you happy with this? [and I would say] 'There's no negative space here...' This would go on. But they are now so proud of this amazing wall that they did. And we're so in love with it. It's devised from a wallpaper we called Satara."
Halsted shared the inspiration behind the design. "I was with a dear friend of mine (who died of cancer quite recently) and we used to go to the Kruger [National Park]. And we would spend three weeks in the Kruger, driving. She would photograph. I would sketch. And we sat for an hour watching a female leopard near Satara [rest camp] in a bush with her two cubs. This is how that image came about. So everything we do has a memory for me."
Halsted's story of starting Ardmore is one of those tales that imprints itself. She recalled how she had lost her job – she was lecturing at a technikon in Durban, and it was last in, first out when cutbacks were put in place. "I only had two things," says Halstad. "My hands and lots of energy."
She held on to this: "I knew I was a bloody good teacher [and I wanted to] teach people who don't have opportunity. [I believed] you're meant to be where you're meant to be." Not too long after that decision, she made the move to the farm in the Drakensberg and started to teach. Her students were rural, young people who had little opportunity or outlet for their talent, and soon Ardmore became a name to reckon with. A turning point was the Standard Bank Young Artist Award given to the now-late Bonnie Ntshalintshali and Fée Halsted Berning in 1990.
About the accomplishments, Halsted says: "It's about growing people. And that's all I've done... None of this is mine. I've only been a bridge. Giving ideas, sharing my love for art, and my passion. And telling people, you can do it. I believe in you."
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