Having established a firm foothold in Europe, Asia and the Americas, the South African launch follows store openings on the African continent in Ghana and Nigeria.
Kare's collections are varied in style, including everything from beds, tables and sofas to rugs, lighting and tableware, all bold pieces with a healthy dose of colour and pattern. “Kare is a brand that speaks to all tastes in interior design, whether crazy or conservative, they cater to homes, offices, restaurants, hotel rooms and lobbies,” says the Joburg franchise owner Karin Cawthorne.
Cawthorne has a background in retail and interior design and believes she's an ideal fit for the German brand. “I’ve always been passionate about interior design, architecture and beautiful things; when I discovered what Kare had to offer, I knew that I wanted to be a part of their story here in SA."
Kare was started in 1981 by then students Jürgen Reiter and Peter Schönhofen. For the founders, the brand's popularity can be put down to an offering that caters to diverse palates with clients who yearn to go beyond the run-of-the-mill, safe offering when it comes to their interiors.
Beyond supplying furniture, Reiter and Schönhofen travel extensively, discovering what the public wants and then designing pieces in collaboration with skilled craftsmen and design leaders.
The pair also developed the Kare Room Designer App, available for download on the app store and compatible with iPhones and iPads. The program enables you to place virtual pieces of Kare furniture and homeware into your own living space with a walk-around mode that allows you to experience each of the brand's designs from various angles.
