featured spaces

My nearest and dearest know my insatiable love for the Big Apple, and I still regret not having gone to live there for a bit with my love, pre kids.

Everybody has that one couple they are friends with….the ones who are easy going, go with the flow, are super fun to be around and come with little drama. So, when my Mr and Mrs Super Chilled asked me to be involved with their project and  give some design advice, I jumped at the opportunity. Taking a 2 bedroom single story home, to a 4 bedroom double story home complete with splash pool, front and back decks/gardens and a double garage was no small feat, but the result is quite simply breathtaking.

Walking into the space on shoot day, I was once again hit by the tranquil and calming energy the space has; driven in part by its residents, and in part by its careful spatial planning. There truly is an art to simplicity and this home embodies it perfectly.

Unassuming from the road, there are few hints as to what lies behind the big wall, so when you enter the house you are quite taken aback by the immense amount of space this home has. In fact, the front facade makes you feel transported to a farm in the Klein Karoo or Port Albert. The flow of the home works well with en-suite guest rooms at the front, and entertaining at the back with the master suite at the top being something quite special and “spoily” as Mrs Super Chilled would say.

Houses have their own personalities and energies, and so when I was introduced to this grand old lady first time around I was quite taken a back, and then quite simply, could not wait to get my hands on her.

From the street all one sees is a door, and not the prettiest at that, but oh, when you get your first glimpse of the giant ferns in the front garden you realise there is something magical here.

Beautiful wooden floors, and lush jungle like garden in front with subtle detailing throughout, like an inherited string of pearls around her wrinkly neck….getting the picture?

After a decade in retail I love that my career has done full circle, bringing me back to my original passion, interiors and design. It’s a refreshing change for me, for my suppliers to be around the corner and over the hill, rather than a 12 hour flight, 2 trains and a taxi trip away.  What I can’t seem to get my head around though is the break ups. You see, retail is a long term relationship, whereas interior design is more like a short fling. Ok, so it’s not quite a “it’s not you, it’s me” scenario, but the eventual heartache is still there.