A New Chapter

Six months ago, I embarked on an exciting new journey as Creative Director and new owner of Elsje Designs — a brand I’ve long admired for its unique blend of artistry, charm, South African craftsmanship and design. As the founder of HeniZ Creative Studio, merging these two creative forces felt like a natural step toward building something collaborative, vibrant, and deeply inspiring.

Our vision at Elsje Designs is to create products and experiences that tell a story, rooted in the beauty of South African creativity. Bringing our teams together under one roof at the stunning DESIGN STUDIO Stark-Condé Wine Estate in Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch, has been nothing short of magical. Picture mountains framing golden vineyards, with light that sparks inspiration daily. It’s the perfect backdrop for our creative work.

Growing Pains and Gratitude

Sharing a creative space while running two distinct design studios has been both exciting and complex. While Elsje Designs and HeniZ Creative Studio each maintain their own focus and identity, bringing our teams together under one roof meant navigating new ways of working.

Behind the scenes, we’ve been hard at work aligning systems, refining workflows, and strengthening our service delivery. Some of these changes may have been felt over the past few months—and we want to say a heartfelt thank you. Your continued support have meant the world.

What’s Taking Shape

We’re thrilled with the progress we’ve made. We’ve expanded our reach with new stockists, including delivering to new international stockist in Europe and Africa, and evolved our product range with fresh designs. We have been featured in 3 different national magazines. and our in-house team now creates original illustrations and offers bespoke packaging and design services tailored to our clients’ needs.

We’re also excited to announce our first in-person workshops, launching next month at our studio. Stay tuned for more details!

And there’s more to come…

We’re preparing to unveil a brand-new product collection designed for our most creatively adventurous clients. Expect vibrant, story-driven product line that capture the essence of Elsje Designs.

Come Visit Us

If you’re in Stellenbosch, we’d love for you to experience our world firsthand. Join us at our DESIGN STUDIO Stark-Condé Wine Estate, where you can meet the team, explore our creative process, and see our designs come to life. 

 For retail gift or décor shops interested in stocking unique South African goods, let’s connect—email us at info@elsje.co.za to start a conversation.

Here’s to creativity, growth, and the moments we’ll create together. I