Vamp, in all its retro and story-filled glory, is a furniture spot in Woodstock that, with each week’s new line-up of exciting stuff, compels you to visit over and over again. We chat to owners Paula van Niekerk and Michael Dodds about this ever-changing retail space.
When and how did Vamp start?
Vamp started in 2009 after an epic road trip up the West Coast where Michael and I spontaneously decided to buy a truckload of retro-furniture. We had to figure out what to do with it all and the business idea quickly developed on the two-hour car trip home. With Michael’s background in woodwork and my passion for interiors, creating Vamp seemed the most obvious decision.
What sort of furniture do you stock?
Our focus is vintage and mid-century furniture as well as kitchenalia and collectables from the same era. We also stock work from local designers and artists that complement the Vamp lifestyle, as well as our own range of mid-century-inspired furniture.
How do you choose the items?
It’s a treasure hunt that never ends, from auctions and road trips to markets to estate sales. It definitely is the best and hardest part of our job.
Vintage and ‘retro’, although popular, is very niche. Do you find there’s a growing market in Cape Town?
Definitely. A lot of older furniture has a sense of craftsmanship that simply doesn’t exist any more. There are so many reasons that people gravitate towards vintage or retro. I think younger generations like it because it is so different to the modern and technological world that they have grown up in and older generations like it because of the sense of nostalgia it evokes.
What do you love most about your bustling area in Woodstock?
We are inspired by our customers and the many creatives that regularly flock to Woodstock. It is a neighbourhood where inspiration is everywhere and talent is abundant and we are very proud to be a part of it.
OF NOTE
Where 368c Albert Road, Woodstock
Trading hours Monday to Friday 9:30 am – 4:30 pm, Saturday 8:30 am – 3 pm, closed Sundays
Contact +27 21 448 2755, vampfurniture.blogspot.com
Photographs Juliette Bissett/HSMimages.co.za