We have recently been introduced to a source of old French Oak from an insolvent sawmill in Alsace, northeast France. This is Oak that was sawn over the last 20 years and was put out to pasture due to imperfections in it – which I like so much. It has been lying in the open all these years and has developed a tremendous character, with knots and cracks – it is truly seasoned. I look forward to including this exciting wood into our new range, Simply Pierre.

Find out more about Simply Pierre

Life in the early 19th century in the Sandveld region, an area stretching up the Cape West Coast from Malmesbury to Lamberts Bay, was hard, and out of this austerity came a simple and functional design – the Sandveld chair. Many of the original chairs, which were small, low and of pleasing proportions, were made from the wood of the Cape orange tree and became known as Lemoenhout chairs.

They were never oiled or polished - traditionally they were taken down to the river once a week and scrubbed with river sand. From my early days of collecting Cape furniture, I have admired the honesty of this chair – it has its place in both kitchen and the most elegant of dining rooms. It is the epitome of Cape furniture design.

Click here to view the Sandveld Chair