Novella Design, Cape Town

The range currently includes cushions, soft pots, tea towels and table runners that each help create a calm and considered atmosphere in the modern home.

Biography
Marieke Goncalves, the brand’s founder and designer, studied both at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and at the Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands. It is from both these worlds that she draws inspiration for Novella’s prints, combining the organic and geometric nature of African pattern with the refined simplicity of a European aesthetic. A Cape Town native, she loves the creative energy that the city radiates and has a huge heart for it’s inspiring people.

What’s with the name?
A simple Google search will confirm that a Novella is “a short novel or long short story”, but we prefer this New Yorker interpretation. Fancy words aside, the name was chosen as we firmly believe that each NOVELLA product has a story to tell. We acknowledge and value each maker that collaborates with us in the creation process - from the traditional Indian weavers of our Ikats, to our Cape Town-based screenprinters, to our local seamstresses who skilfully work with all of our fabrics, bringing them to life as new creations.

In a similar way, we know that our homes are unique and carefully compiled anthologies of individual pieces, carrying with them memories, stories and connections. They tell the tales of the places we’ve been, the things we value and the people we share our lives with. It is with this homemaker-storyteller in mind then, that our products are thoughtfully designed, produced and curated.