Where to take a question about an order, a listing detail, a care note you are unsure of, or a trade sample request. Start here and we will point you to the right desk.
A few working definitions and limits, so a support question does not turn into a back-and-forth about what was actually meant.
Every entry in the range carries four things: dimensions, material origin, care notes, and the studio or cooperative behind it. If a listing is missing one of those, it is still being written up and should not be treated as final. Photographs are shot in daylight on plaster and raw wood, so glaze and weave read close to how they look in a room.
Stoneware thrown on a wheel and baskets woven by hand vary in wall thickness, rim height and weave density. A mug that sits a few millimetres shorter than its neighbour, or a lid that needs a small turn to seat, falls inside normal range. We treat these as character. A chip, a crack, or a lid that will not close at all is a different matter and we want to hear about it.
A household order for a flat in Observatory or a gift that needs to last past one season runs through the standard quote list. Interior stylists, guesthouses and small retailers are handled on a separate track, where sample requests, lead times and bulk terms are worked out per project. Mixing the two slows both down, so pick the route that matches what you are actually doing.
Linen softens and shifts tone with washing, palm fibre fades under long direct sun, and matte glazes can mark if scoured. The notes on each listing describe how a piece behaves in ordinary use across South Africa, including coastal humidity. Follow them and the object ages well. Ignore them and it still works, just not the way the maker intended.
If something on this page does not match what you were told elsewhere, treat the written listing as the reference point and raise the gap with the support desk so it can be corrected.
Most of what lands in the support inbox is about lead times, care, and how the quote list works. Here are the answers we give most often, written plainly.
In-stock pieces leave our Cape Town store within two working days. Main centres usually see parcels in three to five days; outlying towns can take a week. Ceramics and glass are double-boxed, and we send a tracking note once the courier collects.
You can add any listing to a quote list without committing to a purchase. We then confirm stock, current lead time, and delivery cost in one reply, so you can decide before anything is packed or charged.
Stoneware mugs and bowls are dishwasher safe on a low cycle, though hand washing keeps the glaze even over years. Linen and cotton textiles go in a cold machine wash and dry on the line in shade. Woven baskets and wooden boards should stay out of water entirely.
Yes. Trade orders from interior stylists, guesthouses, and small retailers run through a separate desk, with sample requests and volume quantities handled case by case. Mention the room count or unit numbers and we will work from there.
Photograph the parcel and the piece before unpacking further, then send both to us within seven days of delivery. We replace breakages from the same studio where stock allows, or refund if the maker has no more of that run.
Still unsure which route fits? Reach the desk at info@ekhowleyco.com or call 057 062 6635. For order and returns conditions, see terms.