Walking into Adam Levin’s Parktown North home is like stepping into his mind. Busy, eccentric, colourful and intriguing. You’re not sure what to expect and there’s something different round every corner. A curious mix of African and Asian styles, it reflects Adam’s extensive travels and his love of experiencing new things, his fascination with textures, colours and materials.
Adam brings back pieces from everywhere he travels and as he’s on country 52 at the moment, that’s a fair collection. There’s also a constant flow of objects between his stores and his house so it’s never boring.
It’s a bit like being in a fabulous bazaar, there are so many different pieces dotted around. Everything has a story, from Adam’s ‘throne’, a 1930s boudoir seat upholstered with a Mali mud cloth, to the mirrored vase, the maker of which couldn’t speak English. This particular find led to a wild ride on the back of a little motorbike and an ecstatic family who suddenly discovered they had an income again, thanks to Imagine Nation.
One of his favourites is a wall hanging of an African dictator from Mali. ‘It was so cheap, but it’s irreplaceable,’ laughs Adam. ‘I like the incongruity of it, I can’t handle people who are too serious about décor.
‘I love things that are intriguing and a little witty ... you need a little funkiness in life. My pictures of chairman Mao and stuff like that, are all for fun. The things you surround yourself with have an impact on you, so it should be a good one.
‘Having said that, I try not to get too attached to objects as they tend to come and go. People are far more important! Although I do get sentimental about certain pieces, like my dictator carpet and the Burmese Bible Box I’ve had for absolutely ages ... I wouldn’t want to part with them.
‘I travel as much as I can,’ says Adam. ‘I started out writing about my travels in West Africa as it’s easier to sell internationally if you have something unusual to offer. Let’s face it, back in the day I couldn’t exactly travel anywhere besides Africa and not too many international journalists were doing any travelling in Africa!
‘My first book, The Wonder Safaris, was based on those travels. The second, The Art of African Shopping, is an anecdotal work filled with listings, stories and even some of my own sketches on my shopping experiences in Africa. The colour, the variety and the skill out there is astounding!’ Some of Adam’s original sketches are on display on the walls at home, along with bold prints bearing his signature, Adamo. He’s a man of many talents.
‘Having the shop gives me a good reason to travel a lot. I bring loads of things back so there’s always something new for my customers.
‘I travel to Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Morocco, China, Turkey, Mozambique, Ethiopia, West Africa and Cape Town – I love the stuff we get from Cape Town, they just seem to be so creative. I’m so inspired by the skill and innovation of the crafts people I meet.
I was recently in Bangkok and all the colours and decorations were up for their New Year and it was incredible! It’s such a joy to experience these things and I always have energy for them.
It’s like being a detective, trying to discover the source of a particular piece, discovering where it came from and who created it. When I’m on a mission like that I’m unstoppable!
‘My home, like my shops, is a balance of natural objects and contemporary styles. When I’m searching for new products I look at different textures, form and scale. Almost everything is handmade, drawing on traditional skills in a contemporary form.
‘Luxury isn’t really my vibe, I mean, I tend to go for peasant furniture! I love the fact it’s so unpretentious. Thailand and Indonesia are amazing like that, the people are so efficient and honest, just like their products. Beautiful décor doesn’t have to be expensive, you know! I want to sell stuff that I and my friends and my customers can actually afford!
‘The name Imagine Nation is so appropriate because the stores are filled with the imaginings of many different nations. Our eclectic jumble of products from all these different countries is what makes us special.
‘Selling contemporary South African pieces, like the protea pillow that we can easily export, makes me proud.
We have two stores at the moment, one in Cape Town and one in Joburg. I appreciate my loyal customers at the 44 Stanley Avenue store. They share my excitement about unusual pieces, they see the effort that’s gone into them and can understand the uniqueness and the fun in them, which is what it’s all about.’
