Text: Diana Wemyss. Photographs: Peter Rimell. Article from the February 2015 issue of Garden and Home Magazine.
This year, treat yourself to a space that’ll give you more me-time, quality time with your family or allow you to start and end the day on a high note. Here are three stylish examples
A Sociable Kitchen
Design your kitchen so you can spend more quality time with your family, whether cooking, watching TV or just grabbing a cup of coffee
Three essential elements: A large multifunctional island, a work station and a sitting area with a TV.
How this sociable space was achieved: Having lived with a kitchen consisting of a number of disjointed areas, this Cape Town couple asked architect Alex Stewart (pictured) to design them a large, comfortable kitchen-cum-living area where they could spend time with their two young daughters.
The design challenge was to “reframe the spaces, and to get an easy flow,” explains Alex. His solution was to create a centrepiece for the room in the form of a long island that serves as a hub for family activities. It has a table fitted at one end for dining, providing a place for the family to congregate. On the practical side it has plenty of work surface for food preparation plus loads of storage space hidden behind frosted glass doors. Sleek cabinetry keeps the look clean and uncluttered.
The focal point of the sitting area, furnished with a generous sofa and armchairs, is the TV, which forms part of the display of art. Set to one side is a desk and computer for homework and catching up with paperwork.
Wooden floors, attractive lighting and built-in appliances help to establish this as a family space for relaxing and socialising and not just for cooking.
Cushions and throw from Mavromac, table mats, baskets, milk jug and salad bowl from L’Orangerie.
Sources: Alex Stewart 021 424 2989 or alexstewart.co.za L’Orangerie 021 674 4284 Mavromac mavromac.co.za
A Private Sanctuary
Text: Candice Botha. Photography: Sally Chance.
Those with busy lives and active families know that a private space where you can enjoy a little me-time is a necessity
Three essential elements: A restful colour scheme, comfortable seating for relaxing and a desk where you can work without interruption.
How this quiet refuge was achieved: To create a room where they could each have quiet time away from the usual hurly-burly of family life, Shayne and Sonja Cadman of Durban took a second look at a ramshackle outbuilding on their property.
As it had the advantage of being completely separate from the house, it proved ideal. They gutted it, laid a Cemcrete floor and installed stacking doors across the side adjacent to the garden.
Then they asked interior designer Taryn Flanagan (pictured) to help them furnish it. “We wanted this room to be smart and elegant and not a playroom for the children.” To make it suitable for relaxing and working, Taryn included a sitting area, a desk and built-in shelves housing a television.
She used existing furniture, like the wingback chairs and rattan sofa, and added a modern lamp, a large mirror and raw wood coffee and side tables to pull it all together. “Although it’s an adult room, the kids aren’t banned so we included some floor pillows that can be pulled up to the coffee table so they can sit and draw,” adds Taryn.
Shayne and Sonja are delighted with their grown-up, me-time space. “It’s calm, uncluttered and stylish — ideal for unwinding,” they say.
Lamp from Plumbago, mirror from Taryn Flanagan Interiors and coffee and side tables from Cécile & Boyd.
Sources: Cécile & Boyd cecileandboyds.com Cemcrete cemcrete.co.za Plumbago 031 303 8730 Taryn Flanagan Interiors 083 792 3285 or facebook.com/TarynFlanaganlnteriors
A Luxe Bedroom and Bathroom
Text: Tess Paterson. Photographs: Christoph Hoffmann.
Start and end the day in an area that pampers the senses
Three essential elements: Sufficient privacy, a soothing, neutral palette and a double vanity.
How this subtle luxe look was achieved: The owners of this renovated Johannesburg home had in mind a large suite that would provide a retreat at the end of a long day. Their renovations resulted in the ideal space – a large open-plan area with exposed rafters and a romantic atmosphere.
To divide the space into bedroom and bathroom areas and give the bathroom some privacy, a screen wall was built against which the toilet enclosure was constructed. Decorator Claire Frost Fabcoted the wall with Leaf from Mavromac to give the bed more impact and used the same fabric to cover a comfortable armchair made by Petite Designs. “I kept to whites and neutrals adding green tones to give an elegant freshness rather than a cloying prettiness. The window treatments were kept very simple, with generous linen curtains in the bedroom and plain white roller blinds in the bathroom,” she explains.
In the bathroom section, a double vanity similar to those in luxe hotel suites makes early morning preparations easier while reflective materials — glass, chrome and an oversized mirror — carry through the light, airy feel.
“The end result is classic, clean and not too fussy,” says Claire. “It’s definitely a suite conducive to relaxing and recharging.”
Bedside tables from Miller’s Antiques, bedside lamps from Highthorn. The bathroom mirror was made by Da Vinci Glass.
Sources: Claire Frost 083 449 2653 Da Vinci Glass davinciglass.co.za Fabcote Installations fabcote.co.za Highthorn highthorn.co.za Mavromac mavromac.co.za Miller’s Antiques 011 402 4757 Petite Designs petitedesign.co.za
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