Getting to Know Leg Studios

Hello all!

We hope you are doing well! We are happy to share our second round of "Getting to Know..." with you all today. This week we are focusing on the lovely artists behind Leg Studios. Leg Studios was founded in 2006 by Leon Eramus and Giulia Odendaal in Cape Town, South Africa. What makes Leg Studios stand out from the rest is that they started out in architecture designing various spaces, and are now in the world of furniture design. The various architectural and design backgrounds are evident in their sleek and forward pieces that utilize space and material in a unique way. In addition to their designs, of course we admire that they "strive to be original with [their] designs and honest with [their] materials." We took some time to speak with the creatives behind Leg Studios via email for a quick interview and would love to share our conversation with you! Get to know them a little bit more:

Why Leg Studios? Where does the name originate from?
Leon and Giulia both have the same 3 initials, in the same order for first, middle and last
names... the LEG part of the name came from here. Giulia is the right leg; (apparently) she is always right, while Leon is the left leg.

Tell us more about the creatives behind Leg Studios, Giulia and Leon. Could you give us a quick bio?

• Leon Erasmus – architecturally studied
• Giulia Odendaal – a theatrical and set design specialist

We are both living in Cape Town, South Africa

What inspired you to start Leg Studios?
For the past decade, Leg Studios’ core focus has been installation design for various
national and international brands. Our work regularly features locally sourced furniture products and decorative elements from which our latest [ad]venture has bloomed. Our furniture range came for a passion for playing in design and so the product range
emerged as a little sprout off Leg Studios. It is now growing and becoming a stand-alone
brand. It’s a very exciting time for the team!

If you could describe Leg Studios in one word, what would it be?
Mutative – We know what our goals are, but we allow ourselves to weave through that
journey; altering in response to our environment. As creatives and business owners
understand that linear stagnant thinking is restrictive and we prefer to feel free.

Is there a story behind your designs? It's so intriguing, we'd like to know more!
We are naturally influenced by the riches of unique African texture and pattern whilst
we draw inspiration from the bold simplicity of Scandinavian design. Leon is inspired by designers / creatives across various disciplines which include:

• Laduma Ngxokolo – Genius innovator in the way he celebrates Xhosa beadwork aesthetic in textiles.
• Atang Tshikare – Apart from being simply the coolest guy around; his work is gritty, fearless and without rules.
• Patricia Urquiola – Her work is both sensitive and striking.
• Wes Anderson – I could easily and very happily live in one of his films; forever.

Giulia finds social media (in general) a bigger influence on her than a specific designer. 

The team aligned our separate thinking into a single pool of thought, from which the
range was born. We played for about a year with the materials, textures and pattern and
then through a slow process of R&D started to refine the pieces. R&D is where most decisions are made around detail, finish, and material. We made and remade pieces until we knew that the right solutions had been found. Once we have the parts and finishes locked down with the various suppliers, the ordering process takes places. We assemble and hand finish each product at Leg Studios, prior to packaging and shipping them.
For us, the design process is about learning; we allowed the products to keep evolving,
and still do. Our debut range had been well received and while it is still in its infancy, we will start to play on a follow up range soon. We have new stories to tell and new learnings to make.

What is a typical Leg Studio day like?
Our offices, showroom and production area is in a great little complex in Woodstock. We are neighboured by many cool creatives and production. The space is clean and minimal, with an array of cool products displayed through the space. We work through hours of silence with erratic burst of laughter, but also through hours of mayhem and music. We aim to have fun; though always on point with service and delivery.

Where do you see Leg Studios in the future? What is the #1 goal?
In terms of our installation work, we are working on a variety of really cool brand-based
installations involving music, education, and interactivity that are in varying levels of design and production stages. This, we hope, to continue and grow. In terms of our furniture, we are working on building the brand internationally and creating partnerships with distributors and buyers in order to move our local design into a broader market. We are currently stocked in Berlin, Munich, Zurich, New York. Texas, Tel Aviv, and are working to find other regions ready for South African furniture.

We hope you enjoyed Getting to Know Leg Studios! Stay tuned for more! In the meantime, you can shop Leg Studios here.

Thanks for reading

-Ark + Nomad-