Trevor Radebe and Gardenberry furniture ticks all the boxes
We spoke to a brilliant South African furniture designer, Trevor Radebe. He started his company, Gardenberry, in his garage in 2014.
“We are a true garage startup! My focus is on using quirky designs and art to transform living spaces through comfortable modern items.”
At the heart of Gardenberry’s aesthetic vision, is the unique interpretation of nostalgic everyday items turned into modern, functional statement furniture.
Trevor has a background in Solutions Design and Programming.
“I have spent a lot of years working for mostly wealth management companies, designing and building IT solutions.”
A true entrepreneur, Trevor has also co-owned a franchise restaurant, and this venture would pave the way for the founding of the Gardenberry brand.
“This whole new direction led to a garage startup which has turn into a thriving business.”
He describes himself as a passionate person who is always looking for the next unique thing. He personally designs all his furniture, meticulously crafting a digital model, which allows him to conceptualize, build, visualize and test new ideas and innovations.
“From there, I typically manufacture the proof of concept with the aid of my CNC machine which gives me an incredible amount of accuracy and speed.”
Machining can only go so far, so from there on he loves getting his hands dirty and locking himself in his workshop for days until his body says “no-more”.
Trevor admits that he generally uses carefully sourced imported raw materials, and he has built a great network of local importers which gives him access to the whole world. He believes in the power of an interconnected planet and enjoys the total freedom he has to pick and choose his raw materials from anywhere on earth.
“I am particularly proud (and thankful) for the gift of imagination. All things start there, and God gave it to us freely, so I’m proud of making the most of it.”
As for future plans, he hopes the road ahead is free of potholes, but he isn’t afraid of any curves. (They make life interesting.)
“No potholes, but the curves are interesting 😊!”
He hopes to build on his existing Business to Business partnerships and expand his network. This will allow him to supply his products locally but also venture into the export market. Meanwhile he continues embracing the creative process.
“Currently underway, are some interesting new products that are in design and testing phases which I am really excited about.”
Trevor is an infantility positive and driven business owner, artist and creator. We can’t wait to see what happens next in his story!
