He was born in Cheshire UK, close to the city of Manchester, and on leaving grammar school studied Fine Art initially, before enrolling at Birmingham College of Art and Design (now Aston University) to complete a Diploma in Interior Design. After graduation he worked for some years at a company in London’s West End that specialised in designing hotel interiors throughout Europe. He says: ‘This is where I cut my teeth in creating furniture pieces.’

Slavin launched his own company, designing and manufacturing hotel bedroom furniture; he subsequently won a design award and was exhibited at the Design Centre in London. This exposure led to him being headhunted by a group of South African companies and he arrived in Johannesburg in 1973. He recalls: ‘Amongst other products, I designed my first range of kitchens and by 1975 I was embarking on a journey that I’m still experiencing today.

How would this veteran designer / manufacturer define the current design language of the modern kitchen?

‘Fashion is a very unpredictable animal. The modern kitchen, whilst drawing lessons from the past, also embraces the technology of the future. So there is always a positive feeling that change is fresh and innovative. New materials often dictate new boundaries of possibility and yet traditional values remain in determining practical solutions to suit real situations, rather than flamboyant architectural statements that merely wish to impress visually.

January/February 2012 Issue

For the rest of this article please subscribe or purchase the issue at various media outlets nationwide