The Whimsical Duchess doesn’t do boring!
We sat down with the Whimsical Duchess herself, and spoke about all things beautiful, elegant, and yes, Whimsical.
If you visited us at the Homemakers Fair earlier this year, you would have seen her beautiful designs for yourself, but if you missed out on first hand whimsicality, we are bringing you her energetic design magic, straight to your inbox.
First up, Who is The Whimsical Duchess?
Alet Kotze is the creative force behind The Whimsical Duchess. She is an accomplished fine art photographer with a passion for capturing the elegance of real flowers and botanicals. Her passion for transforming nature’s finest details into breath-taking home décor is at the heart of the Whimsical Duchess brand.
Initially she only did interior decorating as a side-job, but that changed when the pandemic hit. Before Covid, she was a professional wedding photographer, but also loved doing some interior design when she had the time.
“When Covid struck and the weddings dried up, I decided to combine my two passions and create designs and fabrics out of my own fine art photography.”
What exactly does The Whimsical Duchess do?
“At The Whimsical Duchess each product is a masterpiece. Our collection brings nature’s timeless elegance to each of our different products. Whether it is home décor or even our clothing range.
The Whimsical Duchess remains a bespoke brand with a keen interest in working with each client to bring their vision and design choices to life.
“Because all our products are custom made – we can manipulate all the designs into something personal that will suit your space…from wallpaper and upholstery to curtains, carpets and scatter cushions.”
It’s not just about making new things.
Alet is proud of the fact that they also have a thriving business refinishing and re-upholstering special furniture pieces. “We also transform old furniture into statement pieces by covering it with custom real linen to change it into something totally unique. We basically change furniture into art!”
When asked about her own design aesthetic, Alet’s excitement is infectious…
“The Whimsical Duchess is more than a store – it’s a realm of inspiration and creativity. Beyond our product offerings, we provide interior design to help you infuse your surroundings with the charm of nature, but still ensuring that your spaces are a true reflection of your unique style and taste.”
The Whimsical Duchess only makes custom products, and everything is done with the end customer in mind.
There is never a dull day when you call yourself The Whimsical Duchess, especially when you find your work so satisfying. “Everything around my work excites me – my photography, creating new designs and products, working with customers…”
Alet also particularly enjoys changing interior spaces into something unique. “That is my most exciting part of my business.” For her it is impossible to pick just one favourite product or design. “Every time I do a new design – it’s my favourite!”
She does have a soft spot for the unique furniture art.
“It excites me to change beautiful old pieces into statement art pieces and I enjoy the collaboration with Tina, from Signature Surfaces.
She is realistic about the challenges of loadshedding and the other difficulties of running a small business in an unstable economy.
“That is really a challenge. We use generators in case of loadshedding, but because we are a small company, it stays a challenge and turnaround time becomes a problem.”
Looking forward, the future seems brighter than ever.
“We are busy with a few huge projects – creating unique décor for exclusive restaurants and guest lodges, and I can’t wait to see the final projects!”
She can’t pick just one favourite client but she does know which types of people she enjoys working with. “My favourite clients are those who trust me to create a totally unique space for them – who listens to advice and are prepared to be inspired.”
