The Carrol Boyes Story
Our story began more than 30 years ago, when a talented English teacher – Carrol Boyes – decided to pursue her passion for art and sculpture. Since the inception of the brand, our products can be found in the homes of South African collectors and abroad. Carrol Boyes is a trusted and celebrated brand; we pride ourselves in exceptional quality and recognizable style.
Young Carrol
Carrol Heather Boyes was Born in Cape Town, 21 November 1954 as the oldest sibling to her two brothers, Charles, and John Boyes. The Boyes children were lovingly raised on a farm in Limpopo and were always community driven – with a passion for local entrepreneurs, artists and the rich heritage South Africa exudes. Carrol, Charles, and John have always focused on business steeped in family and the legacy continues as Charles took over as CEO of the brand in 2019.
Carrol’s Graduation
Carrol Boyes graduated with a fine arts degree from the University of Pretoria. Like most art graduates in the country, she had dreams of taking the art world by storm but was met with the tough reality that a career as a sculpturer was not feasible in South Africa. Instead, she made a career of teaching English to high school students and art to juniors. At the age of 35, she decided to start her own functional art business after 15 years of teaching. She experimented with jewellery before finding her niche in home décor accessories and kitchenware. She launched her business in 1989 from her home in Cape Town where she focused on cutlery and flatware specifically.
“After 11 years of teaching, I followed my childhood dream of being an artist and a designer.”
-Carrol Boyes
The Brand is Born
Carrol chose copper, silver, brass, and pewter initially for her sculpted artworks. She created Verdigris candle sticks, jewellery, and assorted brass works. Collectors and tourists soon fell in love with Carrol’s quirky yet functional pieces for the home at Cape Town’s Greenmarket Square.
Art dealer, Peter Visser saw the allure of Carrol’s pieces and sold her collection in his trendy store in Cape Town’s vibrant Loop Street. “Each of her designs is a statement in itself, completely personal, fresh and different,” he said.
Carrol’s ethos was to produce high quality, unique, striking, and collectable pieces of art that could be used and enjoyed by customers each day.
“Being the first person to do something is a huge advantage. I was lucky in that I got to the market first with the kind of products I produce. If you can't do something new, then you must do the old very, very well.”
-Carrol Boyes
In 1991, as her brand grew by word of mouth, with many people flocking to her small stall in Greenmarket Square, Carrol quickly realised that she needed production on a larger scale to keep up with the demand for her homeware pieces. This is when the production facility opened in 1990 in Limpopo. Carrol’s father, Dr Dennis Boyes, offered an unused building on their family farm to produce the items, cementing strong family ties within the brand. The initial staff complement of 12 quickly grew to 350 employees - as the brand became sought after - locally and abroad.
The Brand Grows
Carrol’s first international order catapulted the brand into popularity with the demand for her products far exceeding her expectations. In 1999, Carrol moved from her home office in Llandudno to her new office premises in Rose Street, Cape Town.
Four years later, in 2003 she launched her first retail store at the tourist mecca, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, in Cape Town. This flagship store was the beginning of the brand’s retail footprint which now sees a compliment of almost 50 stores nationwide and a successful ecommerce business globally.
Present Day
After more than 30 years, numerous awards and accolades later, the business is continually growing with an offering of over 1 000 products. The brand continues to thrive as Carrol’s handpicked and mentored designers produce homeware, décor and furniture that is instantly recognisable in the art and design sector.
Over the years Carrol has been recognised and acknowledged for her incredible achievements in business and contributions to the design world. The Carrol Boyes group draws its talented complement of people and vendors from across the gloabe to provide excellence in both quality, functionality and customer service. With decades of sketches in the archive and personally selected designers who worked alongside her for many years, the brand is only set to reach new heights with each year that passes, ensuring Carrol’s legacy lives on in her designs.
“My vision is to take it into the next generation. I believe there is a lot of talent in this country, and I owe it to my staff and customer to find it so that the company has longevity.”
-Carrol Boyes
