It began with a search for a quiet room.
A hidden room in Hermanus, and the husband-and-wife team who made it.
Off the Record is the latest chapter from husband-and-wife team Ingrid Louw and Anton van der Valk. Ingrid — a self-described maker at heart with over six years in design — built her reputation on a simple belief: that good design quietly improves the way we live. Anton, a certified accountant and former mixologist, keeps the numbers honest and is quietly counting down to the evening the cocktails arrive.
What started as a search for office space became something more. Ingrid set up her studio, ILBespoke, at the back and curated a shop of South African craft at the front. When the old biltong shop next door closed its doors, the couple saw the room they'd been waiting for — and Off the Record was born.
"Modern and sophisticated — without ever feeling pretentious."
Designed, not decorated.
Every chair, every fixture, every pool of warm light was chosen by Ingrid to feel considered rather than precious. This isn't a loud room built to be seen in — it's a quiet one, built so you can actually hear the person beside you.
We keep good company.
We don't serve meals, but we believe in provisions worth taking home — snacks from The Treat Co and award-winning wheels from Klein River Cheese. A small nod to the local makers we love.