We have creativity in us all – some a little bit and some so much more! When we look inside our homes we find that some are able to manufacture and create the most beautiful ornaments and furniture while others are brilliant in how they move stuff around to simply look in place!
I have never thought of myself as creative, but perhaps deep inside there may be something and as important, the ability to appreciate the creativity in others. Earlier today I was taken along by 2 of my friends from Phototalk to share a conversation with the owner of Get Crafty in Bloemfontein – Andriët Lups, to discover why this is the perfect venue to share some of our creativity!
I would like to share some thoughts from our conversation and allow some of the photos to talk for themselves:
What was the vision behind creating Get Crafty?
After school I was still uncertain on the career path to take and I soon took a liking to interior design and joined my mom in Colesberg where she started Get Crafty. The focus of the business was on interior design and ceramic painting and we also gave classes in ceramic painting.
In 2002 I moved to Bloemfontein where I started Get Crafty and also made curtains and assisted other businesses in interior decoration. I do not refer to myself as an interior decorator – this is rather for those who have studied in interior design. My skills were acquired through more than a decade of experience and working closely with owners of homes, guesthouses and businesses who have requested assistance to add some value in this field.
What would you regard as your specific strengths and focus when consulting on interior decoration?
I love communicating with the clients and especially the home owners. Some might say that there is not enough money in interior decoration for homes and may prefer to revert to only business clients, but I love the personal touch and discovering the clients preferences and tastes!
Curtains may often be regarded as expensive – I recognize that cost is an expensive component and that the “expensive” stuff must be kept natural and not too expensive. We should play around with the other components around the curtains such as the mocks etc. Some clients may even wish to play around with variety between summer and winter mocks..
I also believe that installation is most important. By charging fees for installation you might put the whole project at risk when allowing a husband of third party to do the installation to save costs. I prefer to do the installation myself without additional fees to ensure that the end result is perfect! [or as close to perfect as possible! ]
What process do you follow when consulting with a client interested in interior decorative features at his home?
I don’t believe that advertising is the way to go. Quality delivery and working closely with clients ensure that 90% of all work is gained via word of mouth referrals from satisfied clients.
During a telephone conversation you can find much of what the client has in mind. By then setting up a meeting at the home or venue and taking along a few books with photos illustrating what is possible we can communicate effectively and come up with the plan to meet the needs of the client.
The whole process of design, adding decorative materials, moving furniture around or hanging paintings should be fun and should add value and meet the needs of the specific client!
It is important to recognize that we are all unique and we have different tastes and preferences. By working on the furniture, curtains, blinds, mocks, linen we should aim to deliver a result which could make us leave proud of what has been achieved and with satisfied clients enjoying their homes even more!
We see that Get Crafty is so much more than an interior decoration consultancy – can you tell us more?
I wish for a visit to Get Crafty to be an experience! You should be able to find unique items not to be found in every retail store. These could include some unique lamps, scatter cushions, jugs&mugs, kitchen gadgets and many more..
I strive to find and bring in new products every week and the visitor should easily find that unique birthday present in the R50-R500 price range.
We also do some lamp working where we melt glass into beautiful beads and jewellery or to add that something special to our kitchen utensils.
We offer coffee and cake for those browsing around and at lunchtime we also have some Quiche and salad, muffins with biltong and jam etc.
What are the hidden secrets making Get Crafty exclusive and personal?
Get Crafty should be more than a shop and a quick stop to purchase something special. Our visitors take time to enjoy the company of friends while sitting at the picnic spots outside in the garden or the tables inside and on the outside,
We have also accommodated business conferences for small businesses as well as several stork teas and birthday parties.
I hear that you have big for the future – can you tell us some more?
We have,at an area called “Die Kaia”, the perfect spot to host picnic concerts. We plan to host approximately 50 people at a time and provide them with picnic baskets and good entertainment once every month.
The talented Henning Joubert will treat the guests to music and song at our first concert and guest will also be treated to the best wines from Delheim and cheeses from some of the well- known retailers.
We would like to keep it small and intimate with our guests enjoying themselves on the blankets in the garden and allowing the entertainers to mingle with all those in attendance.
Where is Get Crafty located and how do we make contact with you?
We are situated at 109 Aliwal Street, Waverley in Bloemfontein and our number is 0832793166.