A multi-tier Enchanted Faraway Tree chandelier by Cape Town lighting studio willowlamp anchors the interior of Boscheuvel House, a residential project by Matter Studio in Bishopscourt. “Architectural interiors are experienced through movement,” says Adam Hoets, founder of willowlamp and a trained architect. “Our work sits at the intersection of sculpture, architecture and light. Lighting should do more than illuminate. It should shape how a space is experienced.”
The Faraway Tree and Enchanted Faraway Tree collections originated as a single chandelier inspired by the fantasy world of Enid Blyton, and have since evolved into a family of sculptural lighting forms. Each piece can be tailored in scale, proportion and finish, allowing chandeliers and wall sconces to be specified together as part of a cohesive architectural lighting scheme.
At Boscheuvel House, the Enchanted Faraway Tree chandelier is composed of hundreds of suspended metal ball chains that catch and scatter light across surrounding surfaces. Boscheuvel House is located among mature trees in one of Cape Town’s leafy suburbs. The home was redesigned by Matter Studio, led by directors Mias Claassens and Jaco Bruwer. An existing level change was removed to reveal the full height of the interior, allowing the spiral staircase and double-volume space to unfold immediately on arrival.
The result is a dramatic vertical volume that called for a large-scale lighting intervention. “Once you walk in, you immediately look up,” says Claassens. “That’s where the willowlamp chandelier creates the magic. You begin to perceive the curved form of the bridge above, and the lighting draws the whole composition together.”
“The beauty of the ombré gradient in antique brass and copper chains is that it adds texture so the fixture feels organic,” says Hoets. “The inspiration is a tree in autumn, where colour fades from top to bottom in russet hues.” For Boscheuvel House, the chandelier frame was fabricated in laser-cut steel and finished in black oxide, creating a strong contrast against the white ceiling. At night, the structure casts layered shadows across the surface, evoking a forest-like atmosphere.
Boscheuvel House is available for exclusive stays and editorial location shoots. Located in Bishopscourt in Cape Town, the residence offers a distinctive architectural setting suited to design features, photography, film production, and private stays.
A Bespoke Enchanted Faraway Tree: Our Collaboration Model
Hoets was involved early in the project with Matter Studio, allowing the lighting to be developed in direct response to the architecture. His patented notch system, which enables fastener-free ball chains, allows for a high degree of customisation and close collaboration with the wider design team.
At Boscheuvel House, the Enchanted Faraway Tree chandelier defines the moment of arrival, operating as both a sculptural focal point and a spatial anchor within the stairwell. Hoets talks about “lighting as architectural art” rather than decoration. At Boscheuvel House, you can see what that means in material form. The Enchanted Faraway Tree defines the moment of arrival to this home as a visceral experience of light, craft, and architectural drama. The chandelier doesn’t just illuminate the stairwell. It defines the moment of arrival to the home as a visceral experience of light, craft, and architectural drama.
The Boscheuvel installation offers several practical takeaways for designers working with dramatic architectural spaces:
- Restraint amplifies drama. When you have a powerful architectural gesture, resist the urge to compete with it.
- Design for movement. People experience architecture by moving through it. Lighting should reveal itself progressively and perform from multiple vantage points.
- Let structure recede when appropriate. The black oxide frame at Boscheuvel allows the cascading chains to dominate visually. Designers working with willowlamp can choose from a large variety of design collections, finishes and materials to create a truly one of a kind lighting design.
- Material choices matter. The ombré gradient from brass to copper responds directly to the architectural palette. Lighting should feel integrated, not applied.
- Collaborate early. When lighting designers work alongside architects from the start, the result is more cohesive. The chandelier at Boscheuvel shapes spatial experience rather than decorates it.
- Handcraft delivers customisation mass production can’t match. Bespoke installations tailored to specific architectural contexts create moments that feel singular and memorable.
willowlamp is an award-winning lighting studio known for sculptural chandeliers and architectural lighting installations, including large-scale customised projects. Inspired by nature, sacred geometry, and organic forms, Hoets’ designs use a patented notch system that allows metal ball chains to flow through laser-cut frames, creating layered veils of metal ball chain material.
Each piece is handcrafted in Cape Town and tailored to suit the architectural context of projects around the world. For bespoke lighting enquiries: info@willowlamp.com.
