From the heart

By Rami Moorosi, Project Consultant Monique Rankine, Project Co-ordinator and Stylist Deidre van Wyk, Photography Christoph Hoffmann

“I love the romantic look that comes with the weathered French Provencal look,” explains the owner of this elegant home. This home was built and designed from the heart and is a form of expression of the owner who is also an artist. “I’m an individualist, I just want to be me, I don’t want to be anyone one else,” she explains.

One of the impressive design elements of the style of this home is the seamless flow from the exteriors to the interiors. This is done through sandstone cladding on the exterior walls and the use of stone cladding in some of the interior rooms. Inside the home, the cladding forms interesting focal points, and some examples of this include the kitchen feature wall, cladding around the fireplace and even the bathrooms.

The romantic look and feel was achieved by using neutral colours and natural finishes enhanced by luxurious fabrics and textures. Adding to the romanticism are the sophisticated chandeliers and white lace curtains that lead onto the balcony. The end results are spaces that are warm, inviting and unpretentious.

Most of the timeless furniture that fills the spaces was from the owner’s previous home, as she believes that furniture should last a lifetime.

As an artist, she explains that she has her own signature and the same goes for her home. Every aspect of the home has a personal touch or is decorated with items that have sentimental value. A good example is the courtyard with a water feature in the middle, which adds to the sophisticated charm of the home and is one of the owners’ favourite spots.

She also explains that she likes mixing old and new, and that this adds depth to the spaces. Attention to detail is seen in the finishes such as the large front door. This was chosen because it complements the old weathered French Provencal look of the home. When decorating or building your ideal home the owner says: “You must be honest with yourself and you must have your own style.”