If you ever get the chance to pop into the Ardmore studio and museum in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, you are in for a treat. With any luck, you’ll get to chat to its founder, Fée Halsted, while there. She is the heart of the company and always so generous with her knowledge and time.
To mark both her baby’s 40th birthday, and a new wallpaper collab with legendary British design house Cole & Son, we asked Halsted to tell us what else makes her tick beyond this world of creativity and community.
What’s the best book you’ve read in the past year? And why?
When the Nightingale Sings by Suzanne Kelman. It resonates with women facing severe adversity and the will to survive through resilience.
How do you keep fit?
Running around the studios and estate. I also go to the gym twice a week – very early in the mornings – and ride horses as often as I can.
Weekday, low-key restaurant go-to?
I hardly ever go out during weekdays, but on weekends I enjoy visiting La Lampara, which is not too far from the estate.
What is the one artwork you’ll always love, and why?
A magnificent bowl with impala jumping around the rim. The sculpting is exquisite, and it comes to life with movement. It reminds me of the Joburg fountain of impala, donated to the city by the Oppenheimer family, that now sits outside Anglo American’s old office at 44 Main Street.
Do you have a hobby?
Dressage riding!
The one unusual item you can’t live without?
A 100-year-old wool koala bear given to me by my Aunt Trix.
Who was your high school celeb crush?
Kirk Douglas.
Three songs that you’d take to a desert island?
Gimme Hope, Jo’anna, by Eddy Grant; Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (I Love You Baby), by Frankie Valli; and Four Seasons (Spring), by Antonio Vivaldi.
Images: Supplied.
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