Bofred on Designing Unexpected Furniture in Cape Town
If you're familiar with South African furniture, even just a little bit, you would definitely have heard of Bofred. Founded in 2014 by Christa Botha and Carla Erasmus, Bofred is a female-run furniture and lighting studio based in Cape Town. Both coming from fine art backgrounds, they initially connected over their shared love of travel. Carla & Christa always infuse storytelling into their objects, and each piece’s title offers a tiny glimpse into the inspiration behind it.
Known for their signature Bahla Chair, inspired by the traditional pottery of Oman, they produce all of their pieces right there in the Mother City. Collaboration is a big part of Bofred’s ethos, and they regularly join forces with local ceramicists, makers and artists to produce their designs. They are committed to not only creating meaningful objects but also to contributing positively to the South African furniture industry and its people.
WHERE ARE YOUR ROOTS? Christa: I grew up on a farm in South Africa, and that sense of space and isolation has shaped how I see, think, and create.
Carla: I was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. The balmy, tropical and hazy days of my childhood are anchored memories and a constant inspiration. After school, I went on to study Fine Arts in Pretoria.
TELL US ABOUT WHERE YOU CURRENTLY LIVE? Christa: Dubai—the Middle East has been home for the past twelve years.
Carla: I currently live in Cape Town, where our showroom and business are located.
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU MAKE AND WHAT YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT. Christa: We design furniture and lighting. Pieces that feel timeless but slightly unexpected, things that bring character and interest into a space rather than simply filling it.
Carla: We enjoy the play between sculpture, art, function and beauty. What inspires us most is materiality, pushing boundaries, developing our own composite materials, and collaborating with makers and artists who share that curiosity. The material is never secondary to the design.
HOW DOES PLACE INFORM WHAT YOU DO? Christa: Completely. Bofred was born from a shared love of travel, and that sense of movement, memory, and observation runs through everything we make. Our collections are shaped by the places we have lived and travelled through. Over time, these influences are distilled into form, material, and tone. The work is always personal.
Carla: We love infusing storytelling into our designs, and the titles of the pieces give glimpses of the inspiration behind them. Each collection we release has a name, a place, a context and a visual language. We cannot design pieces in isolation, so place is fundamental when we create and design. We genuinely find the magic in making when travelling.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON AFRICAN DESIGN? Christa: African design, particularly South African design, holds an incredible amount of depth. The layers of culture, landscape, and history create so much richness. It allows for a design language that is expressive, emotional, and entirely singular. It really is endless.
Carla: African design is colour and rhythm. It's music and community. It's vibrant and expansive and I couldn't be happier and more grateful to be immersed in Africa and all it offers us creatively. African design is incredibly tangible with inspirations all around us.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PART OF YOUR PROCESS? Christa: The moment a piece comes to life. After months of developing and refining an idea, there is a point where it exists in front of you for the first time. It feels both familiar and entirely new. That moment is what makes the process so rewarding.
Carla: When design, idea, material and colours actually turn to something real and sculptural. There is always an element of surprise when the final product comes to life, because creative interpretation plays a role, as well as the final material used.
TELL US ABOUT A LOCAL UNSUNG HERO. Local artisans and makers are the true unsung heroes. The people behind the scenes, who problem-solve, fabricate, and experiment alongside us. Some carry generational craft & maker knowledge, others are entirely self-taught artists, all working with extraordinary skill, committed to their craft and to being part of this small, vital creative industry in Cape Town.
WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE? Growing the studio with intention and continuing to build a body of work that feels meaningful. We are committed to working with skilled local makers and contributing to the broader design and manufacturing landscape in Cape Town and South Africa. Creating objects is one part of what we do, but building something that supports people, skills, and industry is the larger goal.
Written by Hanneke Lourens, a California-based furniture designer inspired by her South African roots. Hanneke crafts made-to-order collections and custom work by hand at her studio on the Northern California Coast.
See more of her inspiration and process on Instagram.