How Two Friends Turned a Passion Into a Business

From Playdates to Business Partners

Layera started the way a lot of good things do — with two friends and their kids. Andrea Cilliers and Marlet van der Merwe met through their children, who go to the same school and became friends of their own. Between school pickups, playdates and birthday parties, a friendship grew — and in June 2026, that friendship turned into a business.

We’re both hands-on, both a little obsessed with getting the details right, and between the two of us we cover a lot of ground: design, relationships, research, and running the numbers. Layera is what happens when that all comes together — thoughtfully made pieces for your home and your kids’ playtime, created by two people who genuinely enjoy the work.

Marlet van der Merwe — Client Relationships & Design

Marlet is the people person of the two of us — an extrovert through and through, who genuinely lights up around others. It’s no surprise she’s the one building relationships with our customers and spotting new opportunities before anyone else does. She also has a real eye for design: if something doesn’t quite fit visually, she’ll catch it instantly, and she’s behind a lot of the artwork that makes Layera look the way it does. Outside of work, she’s just as passionate about 3D printing as Andrea, along with gardening and horse riding — she has two Friesian horses. She’s also the more organised of the two of us (which, given how organised Andrea is, is really saying something), and she loves nothing more than a good spreadsheet or a well-planned list.

Andrea Cilliers — Design, Development & Operations

Andrea is the left-brain half of Layera. Before this, she spent ten years practising as a lawyer — and these days, that same attention to detail goes into designing models, building the website, calculating costs, and constantly researching how to improve print quality without sacrificing efficiency. She taught herself Blender and Tinkercad from scratch, using nothing but online videos and a lot of trial and error — proof that she’s a fast learner who isn’t afraid to figure things out as she goes. Like Marlet, she shares a love of 3D printing, gardening and horse riding, and outside of work she’s usually found reading or building Lego. Where Marlet thrives on people and connection, Andrea thrives on process and precision — and together, that balance is exactly what makes Layera work.

“We didn’t set out to build a business — we set out to be good friends who happened to love making things. Layera is what grew out of that. Every product we make still has to pass the same test: would we be proud to have this in our own homes, or hand it to our own kids?”

Our Core Values that Drive Everything We Do

Made With Love

Every piece starts as a shared passion project between two friends who care as much about the details as you do.

An Eye for Beauty

From colour to finish, nothing leaves our workshop unless it looks and feels exactly right.

Always Improving

We’re constantly testing and refining our prints, balancing quality with efficiency so you get the best of both.

Real Relationships

We love getting to know our customers — because good business, like good friendship, is built on real connections.

Organised Down to the Last Detail

From cost calculators to packing lists, we run a tight ship so nothing falls through the cracks.

Self-Taught and Hands-On

We believe in learning by doing — whether that’s mastering new design software or dialling in the perfect print setting.

Our Mission

Our mission is simple: to bring thoughtfully designed, well-made products into your home and your children’s playtime — created by two friends who put real care into every piece. From custom home decor to toys built to survive an actual childhood, we design and print everything ourselves, and we’re always looking for ways to do it better.