Those who have had the privilege of exploring the Midlands, will attest to the fact that a major component of the Meander’s magic lies within the local community’s business ventures. Repurposed is a proudly South African brand, specialising in custom, handcrafted decor and bespoke interior design.
Angela Carle, the owner of Repurposed at St John’s Village Lifestyle, greets us with an enthusiastic smile as we enter the spacious store. Her bubbly personality and passion for design is evident in the abstract layout of the store. Her ambitious vision for Howick has resulted in the launch of her store, Home Trends – an all encompassing store featuring elements of design, building and furnishing.
Partnering with Yard Seventeen, Leicester Flooring, PG Aluminium, Cosy Couch, Cobra and Wonder Water, she’s created a one stop home store. As we embark on a guided tour through the store, Angela explains that her business venture, Repurposed, is rooted in sustainability, community upliftment and environmentally conscious practices. “We’re very much about the environment.
We sell lots of things that are either reclaimed, recycled or repurposed”, she says whilst gesturing toward light fixtures that have been repurposed from an actual railway station.
The store is designed according to the tenets of modern contemporary architecture, with exposed brick and indoor vertical garden trends making an appearance throughout the tour. The store’s designated kitchen area enjoys a spacious layout, the intention of which, was to mirror the sentiment that a kitchen remains central and at the heart of the home. Home Trends plan to open their very own deli, showcasing an array of traditional South African food. The deli, which launches in September 2019, focuses on fresh, organic and artisanal food. Angela plans to collaborate with the surrounding farmers in order to source and utilise local produce.
An entire section of Home Trends is dedicated to showcasing the sustainable methods that result in beautiful repurposed goods for sale. The store’s long-standing relationship with Ngwenya Glass, a company based in Swaziland, is an example of Home Trends’ dedication to community upliftment. At Ngwenya Glass, the surrounding communities band together to collect glass, which is then recycled and hand-blown into beautiful and artistic pieces. Home Trends also works with talented women in local townships in order to fashion handbags out of recycled plastic. The money earned from these unique accessories are then funnelled back into the community.
Yard Seventeen focuses on the design and creation of custom-made furniture from reclaimed Oregan sourced from demolitions. Equipped with a passion for industrial-chic furnishing, they are able to convert old wood into new, sustainable creations.
When asked about the future of Home Trends, Angela’s answer certainly did not disappoint. “It’s going to be big. It’s going to become a major brand”, she says smiling, with the unmistakable sparkle of ambition present in her eyes. Angela reinforces her belief in the store’s authenticity, vowing to preserve the personalised, local flavour that makes it so unique.