Six years ago, Sarah and John Bringinshaw, co-owners of Sarza in Rye, New York, opened their boutique with a selection of goods paying homage to their South African roots ranging from handmade serving trays and wall art to beaded chandeliers, letterpress greeting cards, throw blankets, custom wallpaper, and furnishings.
Sarah, a native of Durban, who once worked in the luxury yacht industry, brings SHLTR inside the trove and offers a few of her personal favorite items.
Tell us how you got started.
SB: “I’m a proud South African, but my love of design and interiors was born while working in the South of France in the luxury motor yacht industry. I was sourcing products for yachts and it was the products I discovered from Africa that inspired me the most. I admired the handmade, nature-inspired designs, yet contemporary feel of the product. Once I returned home to Durban, this passion was deepened by the influence of many friends who were architects and interior designers in South Africa and who were doing incredible work. When my next adventure brought me to New York, I founded Sarza as a way to keep my ties to my homeland of South Africa strong, and as a way to showcase the incredible design talent I’d found back home. I realized there was a gap in the market here, no one was really importing South African product on a large scale at that time.”
Describe the mission of Sarza.
SB: “Sarza is a curated collection of home goods, furniture and accessories, designed to make your life and your living space beautiful and unique. Most pieces are handmade in South Africa, by small-batch artisans and crafters, often woman owned businesses. Every item has a story to tell and is sustainably made. Our ethos: buy well and buy less. Love every purchase so much that it will be with you for a very long time.”
Three in-store highlights?
SB: The Round Waterfall Chandelier by The Handmade Story
“The chandelier is made up of hand rolled clay beads. Each bead is kiln fired, then dip dyed before being individually strung onto a wrought iron frame. Core to The Handmade Story ethos is the use of hand rolled clay beads. This is strategically important because the clay can be distributed into communities for women and their families to roll by hand – creating jobs where they are needed. Vulnerable women, many of whom are affected by HIV and who are unable to work, can roll these beads from home to earn a living to support themselves and their children.”
The Trees Summer Scarf by Lalela Scarves
“Lalela Scarves is a non-profit that supports a foundation called Lalela Foundation. Lalela provides educational arts for at-risk youth to spark creative thinking and awaken the entrepreneurial spirit. The Trees scarf artwork was created in the first few years of their program by Syiolisie, who was at the time a young student. He went on to study graphic design and retuned to run one of the many Lalela programs. Today, he teaches at the Zeitz Mocca museum in Cape Town and is a talented artist and photographer in his own right.”
Pick Up Sticks Server by James Mudge Furniture Studio
“This beautiful console is a visually commanding piece of furniture that forms part of the James Mudge signature range. It was inspired by a children’s game, also known as Mikado. It is wall mounted and presents clean, contemporary lines and simplicity, while at the same time shows the chaos and kinetic energy of sticks falling to the ground. The navy painted ends highlight the visual dynamism of the timber. This console has won the South African Elle Décor designer of the year award.”
What’s ahead for Sarza?
SB: “2023 is an exciting year for us as we are introducing four new furniture suppliers to our family of brands. We will be exhibiting at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in May and will be introducing a very exciting new furniture collaboration. We also have a wonderful restaurant project in the pipeline, working with a very well respected interior design firm in New York. We love working with trade and hospitality clients to help bring their visions to life. Because all of our furniture and wallpaper is created bespoke, we can work closely together to create some incredible customized pieces.”
