About us
Hey, it's Mode Project Designs
Turning ‘meh’ into magnificent is our superpower. Colour, frames, photo books, walls, interiors, you name it, we jazz it up with creativity, precision, and a playful twist. From picking the perfect paint palette to hanging your favourite memories just right, we handle every detail so your space feels uniquely yours. We love making homes that are not only beautiful but also full of personality and life. Your home isn’t just a place to live, it’s a place to celebrate, unwind, and show off a little. With Mode, every corner, wall, and frame gets the love it deserves, and every project is a chance to make magic happen!
Meet Mae
Mae is our passionate, people-loving framer who brings big energy and heart to everything she touches. With a love for creative detail and a serious talent for custom framing, she turns your special pieces into works of art. She's a proud mom of two, always up for a chat, and brings laughter and warmth into every space she walks into. When Mae’s not framing, she’s connecting with clients, with colour, and with every story behind the frame.
Meet Charissa
Charissa is the calm, thoughtful force behind the camera and all things digital at Mode Project Designs. With a deep love for storytelling through imagery, she captures the beauty in life’s everyday moments , from meaningful details to the natural world around us. Passionate about animals and nature, Charissa brings a grounded, creative energy to the team. Behind the lens or behind the screen, she’s all about heart, honesty, and capturing beautiful things just as they are.
Corlette
Corlette is the hands-on helper who jumps in wherever she’s needed with care, creativity, and a passion for doing things just right. She brings a love for photography, a deep appreciation for history, and a sharp eye for detail into everything from framing to finishing touches. Whether she’s behind the scenes or behind the lens, Corlette’s quiet strength and steady presence help keep the Mode magic flowing smoothly.
Meet Riaan
Riaan is our go-to guy for picture hanging perfection and lifting anything that makes the rest of us say “nope!” With an eye for balance and a strong set of hands, he makes sure every mirror, artwork, and gallery wall is hung straight, safe, and stunning. As Mae and Charissa’s dad, he’s also the steady support in our creative chaos bringing calm, care, and just the right amount of manly energy to our all-girls team. We’d be lost (and a lot less level) without him!
Meet Koddy
Koddy is our spirit animal. Calm, collected, and always steady, he’s the go-to guy for everything from painting homes to custom picture framing, and yes, even picture hanging. You’ll never catch Koddy without a paint brush in hand, and his fine eye for detail means every wall, frame, and corner gets the perfect touch. Whether he’s smoothing a wall or lining up a gallery wall, he does it all with effortless style and just the right amount of cool.
Born from Snapshots, Frames,
Paint Fumes & Way Too Many Coffee Breaks
Long before Mode had a name, creativity was already running through the family veins. Charissa picked up her camera skills from her mom (a photographer herself), and those lessons grew into a full-blown passion.
Corlette, never one to sit still, took it further, opening her own photography shop where canvases were stretched, photos were printed, and memories came to life. Mae, meanwhile, was knee-deep in custom framing and dabbling in interiors, turning blank walls into masterpieces. And Riaan? The jack-of-all-trades, picture-hanger, problem-solver, and the guy who always knew how to make sure everything was level. For years, each of us was running our own show. Different businesses, different passions, but always the same love for craft and beauty. Then came Knysna.
A town full of charm (and maybe a little magic) where we all landed, coffee in hand, and realised… why not do it together?
That’s how Mode Project Designs came to life, a family-run mix of framing, painting, photography, and design. It’s a little quirky, a little chaotic, and very much us. Because when you put creativity, hard work, and a family full of dreamers in one place…
well, you get Mode.