Our Story

Founded by Chelsea Makin and joined by her husband Andrew Makin, Alkaline is a South African design studio based in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. The studio produces contemporary homeware that blends sculptural form with functionality, guided by a hands-on, process-led approach to making.

Working with materials such as concrete, resin, gypsum, and salvaged construction debris, Alkaline explores material experimentation and surface expression through architectural, pared-back forms. Central to the studio’s practice is an interest in circular design and storytelling through material, transforming overlooked resources into considered objects that carry texture, presence, and a sense of permanence.