Text: Natalie Boruvka. Photographs: Christoph Hoffmann. Article from the August 2014 issue of Garden and Home Magazine.
Stepping out of their comfort zone and adding dollops of bold colour helped a professional couple turn what was once simply a house into a vibrant, inviting family home
Who lives here
An ex-banker and his head-hunter wife with their three young sons, a cat and a six-month-old Ridgeback.
The house
An L-shaped house in Bryanston, Jo’burg, with a steeply pitched metal roof, positioned on an expansive terraced site.
With three young boys, a moody cat, a boisterous puppy and lots of family and friends who regularly visit, it went without saying that we needed a house with lots of space,” recall the owners of this Johannesburg home.
The property they discovered in Bryanston couldn’t have been better suited to their needs. In addition to the lovely, airy house, it had a spacious terraced garden where children and pets could run riot. What clinched it for the couple was that the design by architect Charles Marinier leaned towards a country feel. “We loved the sash windows and shutters, and were fortunate that no major structural changes had to be made,” they say. “All it needed was a little love to make it shine.”
The couple asked their friend, interior designer Samantha Collett Southey of The Chalk Studio, to introduce an entirely new contemporary decor scheme. The first thing she suggested was that they refit the kitchen, which had badly yellowing cabinetry that no amount of respraying would’ve been able to cover. “They love to spend time cooking together so I knew this was one area where I could really go all out,” says Samantha, who designed the room around a statement island fitted with a gas stove and an automated extractor fan that retracts into the beautiful oak countertop.
While the kitchen and main bedroom are fairly understated, the living areas are a riot of colour — a complete contrast to the neutral scheme that existed previously. The dining room and living area feature delicious hues of aubergine, mauve and powder blue in geometric and floral prints and the veranda comes to life with a striking ikat in mustard yellow, grey and black. “The bold, brightly patterned fabrics were all quite daunting initially, but luckily the homeowners trusted me and came to see that the use of colour was key to creating the happy, sophisticated home they wanted,” explains Samantha.
Throughout the living areas, the vibrant shots of colour and pattern are balanced by light wooden floors, rough sisal carpets and neutral walls. Another pleasing example of this is in the large entrance where, aside from two floral armchairs that echo the colours used on the veranda, white against charcoal predominates.
Ultimately what the homeowners wanted was a home in which “nothing is too precious” and where every room would be inviting and accessible to each member of their family. So even though beautiful fabrics have been used on all the armchairs and sofas, they were designed with pre-shrunk slip covers that can simply be thrown in the wash if marked by a muddy paw or hand.
“A project like this is so rewarding because it proves that creating functional, practical spaces doesn’t mean you have to compromise on comfort and aesthetics,” explains Samantha.
Sources
Ambiente Luce ambienteluce.com Black Fabrics blackfabrics.co.za Block and Chisel Interiors blockandchisel.co.za Cabbages and Roses 011 447 5002 Caesarstone caesarstone.co.za Charles Marinier Architects 011 788 6791 Die Ossewa Antiques dieossewaantiques.co.za Dreamweaver Studios dreamweaverstudios.co.za Fat Sak fatsak.co.za Home Fabrics homefabrics.co.za InRetroSpect bamboo-online.co.za Julian Decor julian.co.za La Grange Interiors lagrangeinteriors.co.za Leonardo Design 011 264 0053 Lightco store.lightco.co.za Merge Designs mergesa.com Plascon plascon.co.za Romo South Africa romosouthafrica.com Samantha Collett Southey 076 334 1789 T&Co tandco.co.za The Chalk Studio 011 646 4067 or 076 334 1789 The Cottage 011 726 7506 The Gatehouse thegatehouse.co.za The Light Shed thelightshed.co.za The Lighting Warehouse lightingwarehouse.co.za The Private House Co. privatehouseco.co.za Top Rock toprock.co.za Weylandts weylandts.co.za
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