House of Chommies: A Dog-Loving Design Boutique in Gardens

If you’re dog-walking through Gardens and your hound starts pulling on the lead towards Hatfield Street, he’s likely to be hot on the scent of House of Chommies…. This sunny boutique in an elegantly refurbished heritage building is a haven for both dogs and their humans, its colourful interiors overflowing with colour-happy contemporary design and hand-crafted pieces made by their team of local artisans, for stylish dogs, cats, and people too. Explore further and you’ll discover a secluded courtyard with dog-friendly benches to rest on mid-walk, and a water-fountain that doubles as a doggy dipping pool for cooling off on hot Cape Town days.

Live more dog

The design and colour whizz behind this Cape Town brand is founder and CEO Nathalie Klijn, and the catalyst for her “live more dog” philosophy was her crazy boerboel-ridgeback-bullmastiff mix called Ringo, whom she rescued when she first moved to Cape Town. The name Chommies comes from a South African word for “pals” and her company is inspired by life with dogs at the tip of Africa: walks, wild places, the joy of dragging mud into the house and sand into the car. “Chommies is a way of life, and dog is our philosophy,” she says. “Our kind of luxury is velvet ears and lungs full of air. Walking is our ritual, where chance encounters become the best part of the day. We let dogs be themselves, because they let us do the same. We bring out the best in each other.”

Nathalie’s design aesthetic sees endless colour combinations applied to African craft with a contemporary twist, and she works closely with the Chommies artisans and knitters in their Cape Town studio, exploring the potential of their skills. “Nothing makes me happier than watching joyful dogs running free, off-leash. Let your dogs run free wherever you can. And if you need a leash, let it be a Chommies one,” Nathalie says.

A heritage haven

At House of Chommies (a beautifully restored national monument built in the late classical Georgian style), her vivacious visual style is given full rein… unconventionally coloured ceilings, walls adorned with patterned murals and commissioned wallpaper featuring playful illustrations of Cape Town living. It’s a mood booster just to stroll in through the stripey hand-painted hallway, dog off-lead and soak up the vibes. And dogs find the space calming too, so it’s a no-stress place to be fitted for a handmade collar or harness.

Hand-crafted luxury

The rooms showcase covetable design pieces for a dog-loving lifestyle, expanding way beyond the core Chommie’s range of collars, leashes and harnesses for every size and fur colour. You’ll find these here too of course, revealing traditional African craftsmanship such as weaving, whipping and macramé cleverly reimagined.

Then there are gorgeous knits (for stylish humans) using mohair from Karoo kid goats (supremely soft with a silk-like lustre) in playful stripes, delightful colours and patterns; plus ranges of colour-soaked casualwear and bags that make everyday feel like a holiday.

So much more than a retail store, this is a stop that you (and your dog) will want to weave into your weekday dog-walking itinerary often, and it’s perfectly placed between the Company’s Garden and De Waal Park so you don’t even need to go out of your way.

Good to know On weekends (when the concept store is closed), you’ll find Chommies at the Oranjezicht City Farm Market in Granger Bay.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm
Oranjezicht City Farm Market: Saturday 8am – 2pm; Sunday 8.30am – 2pm; Wednesday
Night Market 4pm – 9pm
Contact 072 046 5629, hello@chommies.com
Where to find it 110 Hatfield Street, Gardens, Cape Town
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