Remember when shopping didn’t involve staring at a screen while scrolling through never-ending product pages? 

With an overload of options, continuous scrolling is all we seem to do nowadays. In the process, we have lost the simple pleasure of visiting in-person stores with captivating displays, showcasing well-curated collections of beautiful products. 

At Vernac we want to encourage taking a step back, to stop scrolling - and start strolling again. Whether this is on our thoughtfully curated website, or in our, soon-to-be-opened, boutique store. We bring you a collection of the finest art and design South Africa has to offer and with that, we aim to reignite the spark for slow, thoughtful, and enjoyable shopping.

Vernac comes from the word vernacular, which describes an artistic expression, broadly characteristic of a region and its people.

With the strong and exponentially growing design language that we have developed in Southern Africa, we are proud to be able to build our collection solely from local designers and artisans.

WHAT WE STAND FOR

  • Created Carefully

    A good design centers around people. Not only the people for which the product was designed, but also the people that crafted it. Additionally, we only want to share products that are made from - as much as possible - locally and sustainably sourced materials.

  • Bought with Intention

    Whether you are buying for your own home, or a gift for someone you love, we want our products to excite and inspire.

    In a world of short-term trends, we intend for each of our products to bring joy and be cherished for years to come.

  • Romanticised Shopping Experience

    Whether online or in person, shopping in our store should inspire, delight and help distract for a small fraction of the day. Life is a collection of small moments - why not romanticise each moment?

Shop online

With a keen eye for design and constantly following the South African design scene, my goal is to bring together the most exciting local brands into one convenient setting.

Having worked in and traveled through Europe over the past few years, I found my inspiration in the most beautifully designed boutique stores, most often hidden in small alleys, and selling a unique selection of local goods. Experiencing first-hand how difficult it is to find these charming little shops, I thought I’d do my part to make locally made, special pieces a bit easier to find in South Africa, and to share them with you.