Chief Kuku's
THIS IS US
Forever passionate and delightfully mad about curating exquisite artisan décor, styling with personality and great cups of coffee, we partner with design-conscious clients who are looking to transform their ordinary spaces into extraordinary experiences that inspire creativity, spark conversation and are worth showing off.
Where it all began
Our story begins in a busy little town called Hoedspruit (recognised as the safari capital of South Africa) on the edge of the Kruger National Park. In 2012 we opened a small shop with the intention of discovering amazing, hand-made objects, furniture, soft furnishings and décor items from across the continent. Our love of “Deepest, Darkest Africa” was at the heart of everything we did - and so naturally, “Darkie Designs” was born! The much-loved original name, cleverly thought up by our workshop staff, served us well for many years and still holds a very special place in all our hearts.
But 2020 is a year for change and so we embarked on the exciting yet terrifying journey of a rebrand and name change that would see us into the future and beyond...
Welcome to KUKU
As our business has grown, so has our love for unique, handmade items of all kinds. And as we expand our never-ending search for these amazing items across multiple continents, passionately serving clients from all corners of the globe, our brand needs to grow with us.
So, we embraced our creative madness and dove head-first into a name change and new brand that has us excited for what’s to come.
KUKU is a way for us to connect with what we really love doing - sourcing for and styling incredible spaces. We want to bring attainable luxury to every client we work with, offering them a way to realise the potential of a space with a curated selection of artisan furniture, decor and soft furnishings. Sometimes the smallest detail can make all the difference.
Bianca
She describes herself as an impulsive, fiery and fiercely loyal person, Most who know her describe her as barking mad, in a lovely, cuddly and wonderfully endearing way. Known affectionately as "B", Bianca is driven by the desire to create beauty in everything she does. She began her design journey with TWAK (Trees with a conscience) Wood, which focused on sourcing various pieces of wood from SFC certified forestries and concessions in Mozambique, turning them into beautiful décor creations.
She was the driving force behind the Make A Difference (MAD) movement in Hoedspruit which saw the advent of MAD Cows – her original design and décor company, which ultimately evolved into Darkie Designs, and now KUKU.
Her love of creating beauty from her surroundings is what drives her each and every morning, together with a relentless work ethic and abiding passion for what she does.
Her favourite space in her home is her bedroom, which she describes as her "sanctuary".
Jana
Gutsy, bubbly and refreshingly genuine, Jana our second in command has been imparting style-wisdom with clients alongside Bianca since January 2016.
Having spent most of her adult life as a top-class guide at some of Africa’s most luxurious safari lodges, her passion for décor and design was a natural evolution. She saw first-hand how prized lodges created amazing and memorable spaces for their guests using decor and furnishings sourced from around the world. She quickly fell madly in love with the infinite possibilities and experiences that decor and design has to offer.
Jana loves the fact that each new day on the job is an adventure and has a particular love for the KUKU shop & showroom.
“I’d buy it all if I could,” she quips. “It’s all crazy beautiful.”
Workshop Wizards
The workshop is the beating heart of KUKU and the place where magic happens. This is where armchairs and couches come to have fresh life breathed into them, where scatter cushions are made to order in a range of amazing fabrics and where the dreams of our clients are made reality.
Located next-door-but-one to our showroom, the workshop is always a hive of activity with our team of amazingly skilled and talented people working hard to turn old and sad into new and happy or a create fabulous new looks for your living spaces.
We've got Moosa Chiloane and Warren Ngobeni working on our upholstery, taking damaged and tired items of furniture and giving them a new lease on life. Porcia Fortunate Machie is our cushion queen, creating the awesome scatters that are absolutely our best sellers. And last but far from least are Julia Grace Madonsela and Patricia Pinkie Mathonsi - our wonderful cleaners who keep both the workshop and our office and store pristine, clean and tidy.
