About Us

Our Story

People often ask me how Inside Out Décor began.

They usually expect the answer to involve a business plan, years of research or a carefully mapped-out strategy.

The truth is far simpler.

Inside Out Décor didn’t begin with a business.

It began with a passion.

Long before there were beanbags, beautiful fabrics or showrooms, there was a little girl sitting beside her mom’s old Singer sewing machine. I loved making things. I would sew clothes for my dolls, sketch outfits I dreamed of wearing and even redesign my own wardrobe just to see if I could create something new. Creativity wasn’t something I learnt later in life—it had always been part of who I was.

As I grew older, life took me in a different direction. I built a successful career in corporate banking, where I spent many rewarding years learning about people, relationships and business. Those years taught me invaluable lessons that still shape our company today: professionalism, integrity, accountability and, above all, the importance of listening.

But even while building my career, my passion never disappeared.

Ever take leave to do what you are passionate about? Well that was me. I sewed during my leave… day and night

Motherhood only deepened that love for creating.

When my eldest son, Ayden, was born, I poured my heart into his nursery, making everything from his bedding to a simple padded baby mat. Years later, when our twins, Caleb and Caitlin arrived, I found myself doing it all over again. Looking back now, I smile knowing that those little baby mats would eventually inspire one of our very first products.

The moment that changed everything came from one simple question.

A colleague asked me if I could make teepee tents for a children’s party business she was starting.

I’d never made one before.

But I’ve never been very good at saying no to a creative challenge.

So I said yes.

Those ten teepees quietly changed the course of my life.

Working around a full-time corporate career and raising young children, I spent my evenings sewing on a domestic machine at home. Before long, our lounge became a photography studio, our dining room became a workspace and every spare corner of the house seemed to fill with fabric.

It was never just me.

The whole family became involved. Ayden would stuff the Baby Mats with Our twins being our first little models. Looking back, those early days were beautifully chaotic—and they remain some of my favourite memories.

As our little business grew, so did our confidence.

One customer asked if I could make a bench cushion based on one of our baby mats.

Once again, I said yes.

That single request opened the door to an entirely new range of products and taught me one of the greatest lessons in business: some of your best ideas come from simply listening to your customers.

In early 2020, my husband Ralph joined the business full-time. We had planned an overseas buying trip, but as COVID began changing the world, our carefully planned itinerary disappeared almost overnight.

Instead, we found ourselves in Bali.

Looking back, it feels like one of those moments where life gently redirects you exactly where you’re meant to be.

It was there that we discovered beautifully crafted loungers and floating beanbags unlike anything we’d seen before. We instantly knew South Africans would love them just as much as we did.

That unexpected detour became the beginning of a whole new chapter for Inside Out Décor.

Today, our business has grown far beyond anything we imagined in those early days at home. From our factory and showroom in Cape Town to our Johannesburg showroom and growing production team, we’ve been privileged to furnish homes, boutique hotels, guesthouses, lodges, hospitality spaces and commercial projects throughout South Africa and beyond.

Yet despite how much we’ve grown, our philosophy has never changed.

We believe beautiful products should also be practical.

We believe comfort brings people together.

We believe in local craftsmanship, thoughtful design and exceptional service.

When people ask whether leaving corporate banking was a brave decision, I always smile.

I don’t think I found my passion.

I simply stopped ignoring something that had quietly been part of me all along.

If our story encourages just one person to believe in an idea they’ve been carrying for years, then sharing it has been worthwhile.

Inside Out Décor has never simply been about creating furniture.

It’s about creating spaces where life happens.

Where children build forts in the lounge.

Where friends gather long after dinner has ended.