Hendre Bloem's reimagining of a modern family home
Using classic design and timeless style, interior designer Hendre Bloem created a home where each room has unique personality
Shannon Manuel
Shannon Manuel is the Senior Features Writer at GQ South Africa, where she leads editorial content across print and digital, including profiles, reviews, cover stories and in-depth features that explore culture, identity, innovation, and lifestyle. While her expertise spans across a wide range of topics—including personal finance, grooming, style, tech, fitness, travel & entertainment—she’s most passionate about crafting stories that spotlight creative minds and unique art forms. With eleven years of experience in the media and publishing industry, she brings a sharp editorial eye and a passion for storytelling. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media, Writing, and Film Studies from the University of Cape Town. Prior to her current role, she served as the youngest editor of Black Business Quarterly, a leading SA business publication, and graphic designer for the Green Economy Journal, a publication covering sustainability, clean energy, and green innovation. In 2024, she was one of only four South Africans selected - out of 300 applicants - for the Artificial Intelligence Ethics training programme led by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, a global initiative exploring the future of tech and accountability. Based in Cape Town, when not working, she enjoys reading, writing short stories, obsessing over music, traveling & animals, building crafts, and attempting to become an aerialist (with moderate success and many bruises).
The story behind Kipekee Studio’s unique furniture designs
Boutique woodworking company Kipekee Studio creates handcrafted furniture with a simple yet sophisticated design
Why Jan Ernst de Wet is SA’s most collectable young designer
Architect-turned- ceramic-artist Jan Ernst de Wet is inspired by nature to create textured pieces driven by functionality
How to decorate using mirrors to add that extra glamourous finish
Mirrors have always been a symbol of reflection and glamour. No longer just for the bathroom, the mirror has matured into a fundamental feature of interior design
Take a look inside designer Dylan Thomaz’s perfectly pared back pied-à-terre
In Cape Town, designer Dylan Thomaz of Curación has created a pared back pied-à-terre in nuanced neutrals and timeless design pieces
Marta Chrapka, the founder of Polish design studio, combines modernism and art nouveau to transform a Prewar apartment
Located on the fifth floor of a tenement house from 1913, the 150-square-metre apartment in central Warsaw captivated Marta Chrapka of Polish design studio
Women Shaping Design: Osaru Alile
Nigerian designer Osaru Alile is passionate about design, education and empowering young Nigerian entrepreneurs.
Women shaping design: Neche Ramjee
A founder of Green House Architects, Neche Ramjee is a passionate architect who has a never-ending curiosity for people and place making.
Women Shaping Design: Kara Schoeman
Free State-based artist Kara Schoeman specializes in sculpture and video installation that is inspired by nature and environmental awareness
Women Shaping Design: Mia Senekal
The designs of Mia Senakal and murrmurr combine striking aesthetics with optimal comfort to create unique furniture - each piece viewed as a work of art
Women Shaping Design: Mpho Vackier
Mpho Vackier, an engineer turned furniture designer explores the role of culture and cultural representations and visibility in modern societies, to tell contemporary African stories through furniture and product design
Women Shaping Design: Eva Sonaike
London-based Interiors Company Eva Sonaike specialises in luxury home textiles and soft furnishings with a distinctive and vibrant West-African aesthetic.
An Olympic torch representing the shape and spirit of Japan
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch is designed with a cherry blossom motif — a flower close to the hearts of all Japanese people
Inspired by the masters of mid-century design, Yasmine saleh ghoniem transforms this family home in Sydney
A transformation into a high-glam jewellery box filled with life, light and style
A room-by-room guide on how to incorporate black in your interior design and décor
Conceptually, the colour black means power, sophistication, elegance and mystery. Black designs are, by nature, a more dramatic style choice
Cape Town’s iconic boutique hotel
The hotel opened its doors last year in the unique oceanside location of Cape Town’s iconic five- star, award-winning boutique hotel on Chapman’s Peak Drive
Profile: Taking up space with Mpendulo Dlamini
An outstanding Black creative owning and exploring his identity through design work