Laurie Owen produces an incredible array of elegant home décor. Her tables, chairs, and other furniture designs feature a strong use of muted earth tones,
Shortly after re-arranging her mother’s beautifully hung, prize lace curtains, with a pair of scissors at the age of 5, Laurie started her design career in Paint Technique. Formal training was neither necessary nor welcomed as her natural talent demanded a free and unstructured framework with the freedom to explore whatever path without fear of offending some structured rule, which, by the way, sh
e never intended to observe in the first place. Before long she began designing the interiors of a few restaurants and smaller hotels with amazing success, given her informal grounding. Thankfully she has always had the benefit of belief in her, from her clients and this has served to strengthen her resolve to challenge convention. Her moving from the coastal resort city of Durban in KwaZulu Natal to the bustling “mining town” of Johannesburg, heralded an explosion of exposure for her adding to her portfolio of experience with the Leisure Market mainly within Game Lodges, Private Residences and Boutique Hotels in remote locations of Africa. One simply has to Google “Little Kulala” to witness the magic she spun from the web of inspiration of the Sossusvlie Desertin Namibia, or view “Clifftop” to see how she is able to adapt to a completely different environment without sacrificing her “Romantic, Organic” look and feel that she is famous for. The media have fallen in love with her work, and she has been prominently featured in many international publications such as Wallpaper and Elle Décor – Russia, Sweden and Paris to name a few. The Dubai 2011 International Hotel Awards presented her with the Best Interior Design Africa and Best Interior Design South Africa award. Her work has taken her from Mallorca to the Seychelles and back to the remotest parts of Africa with her spin always weaving into the local requirement through her flexibility and innovation. Uniquely, she not only researches, develops and designs 90% of her products but amazingly, manufactures them too. Drawing her inspiration from the geographic locality of the project where she works, she uses local crafters and skills such as weaving, sewing, carving, beading and metal working and as a result, has managed to bring a contemporary flair and design to the most mundane “curio industry”, always using natural, local and raw materials. This empowers communities and assists, mainly indigent women to earn a living wage in otherwise difficult circumstances throughout Africa. Working closely with Women’s self-help groups, Aids affected communities and other disadvantaged communities; Laurie touches the soul of Contemporary Africa. This fresh and unconventional approach has breathed a fresh life into leisure interior design which needs to be seen to be appreciated.
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