Text: Candice Botha. Photographs: Sally Chance. Article from the July 2013 issue of Garden and Home Magazine.
With an astute eye for a bargain and some creative flair, it’s possible to put together a great scheme without blowing your budget as the apartments of these two young couples show
Budget Brilliance
Hannah and David Little have the enviable ability to spot the potential in old finds; these upcycled pieces give their Durban apartment oodles of unique style.
Hannah, a trend-forecaster for a fashion retailer, and her husband, David, a painting and renovation specialist, renovated their home extensively, leaving them conscious of cost when it came to decorating. “I like pretty, girly things but with a bit of an edge,” explains Hannah, who’s chosen an almost all-white palette to keep the living area airy and fresh. The zing of their yellow front door lends personality to the space, while touches of glass, crystal and silver introduce some sparkle.
The Littles have a great eye for potential and made an effort to find good-quality furniture at bargain prices, even if they needed a bit of work. “It’s amazing what you can do with a lick of paint and new upholstery,” says Hannah. Take the dining chairs they bought second-hand off Gumtree’s website for example. These were given a fresh feel with a coat of water-based enamel and Hannah used a staple gun to recover the seats in Skinny laMinx Flower Fields fabric.
The couple’s canny creativity can also be seen in the shelf above their sofa; this lovely feature was fashioned from inexpensive wrought-iron brackets and a piece of untreated wood. But, perhaps our favourite of their upcycled furnishings are their graphic black and white chevron cushions made up from a duvet cover Hannah found on sale. “I loved it immediately, but there were only singles left so I bought one and transformed it!” she says.
Hannah and David’s Thrifty Decor Tips
Bargain hunt; there are great furniture finds in second-hand stores and on websites like Gumtree. - Enlist the help of your talented friends; the Littles asked a friend who is an art teacher to create a custom painting for their living area, and the black and white cushion covers were sewn by a talented colleague.
- Paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to add something special to a space. This room was given a punch of pizzazz by simply painting the front door yellow.
- A chic frame can turn a black and white photograph into a sophisticated work of art.
Sources: Biggie Best biggiebest.com Gumtree gumtree.co.za Skinny laMinx skinnylaminx.com
Toni and Sergio’s Cost-Savvy Decor Tips
Think quality not quantity. Rather save up for ‘wish list’ pieces than go the instant gratification route and try to furnish an entire room in one go.- Have a clear plan in mind for each space; this will enable you to act quickly when you spot a bargain on sale and help you avoid making impulse buys you’ll later regret. It’s also handy to keep a small measuring tape in your bag/car as well as a list with the dimensions of the furniture you’re looking for.
- Include a mix of old and new; incorporating inherited pieces not only helps to keep costs in check, but also adds character to your home.
- Don’t dismiss a piece of furniture which doesn’t tie into your colour scheme. If it’s the right size, shape and price, this can easily be remedied with an inexpensive lick of paint.
Worth the Wait
Toni and Sergio Caon admit that they can’t resist a sale; it’s a trait that’s served them well in giving their compact Jo’burg apartment a playfully stylish personality.
“We wanted to invest in quality furnishings without blowing our budget, so we decided to decorate our apartment over time rather than trying to do everything all at once,” say Toni and Sergio Caon, owners of Treviso Italian Deli & Cafe. “Updating our open-plan kitchen and living area was at the top of our ‘to do’ list.”
The newlyweds thriftily painted their green melamine kitchen cabinets in a neutral shade, Earthcote’s Magic Mushroom from Jack’s Paint Blackheath, removing the old-fashioned mouldings and adding some floating shelves for a more contemporary look. To make room for their retro dining table, a sentimental piece made by Sergio’s late grandfather, they got rid of the overbearing T-shaped bar counter and fitted a new splashback 
and worktops. “We chose Formica in a flat, caffe latte colour to get a similar look to a mod composite counter, but at a fraction of the cost,” explains Toni.
The walls throughout were painted the same serene colour and polished porcelain tiles selected for the floors; these bounce light back into the space making it feel bigger and brighter. They invested in a chocolate, L-shaped leather sofa from Weylandts for the living area and dressed it up with printed scatters, which are just a few of the covetable designer furnishings they’ve snapped up at various sales.
As an oversized painting would be too expensive, they mounted gallery shelves above it to create a stylish feature wall. Among the pictures on display are a series of vintage gargoyle postcards the couple picked up in Paris and cleverly had framed to make cost-savvy, custom artworks. “These give our home character and are a fabulous reminder of our honeymoon,” smiles Toni.
Source: Ceramic Factory 011 057 4314 Cottonwood Trading Company cottonwoodfurniture.co.za Country Road 021 405 4300 Jack’s Paint Blackheath 082 774 9173 Kuki Jeanne Design 011 440 8597 Le Creuset lecreuset.co.za Lorenzo Nassimbeni lorenzonassimbeni.com New to You newtoyou.co.za Treviso Italian Deli & Cafe 011 326 2288 Weylandts weylandts.co.za
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