Humble, rustic textures and cool contemporary design make magic in a country-style manor house in the old heart of suburban Cape Town.
This spacious Constantia home – a recent collaboration between designer and owner of La Grange Interiors, Sumari Krige, and Pretoria designer Adéle van der Merwe – is akin to discovering a sense of peace, and a place to rest.
The owners, veterans of the South African and UK banking scenes, who’d ‘been following Krige and La Grange for years’, and desired a home with ‘a specific South African flair’, decided, a year ago, to return to their home country. Within three months of making their decision, they purchased the property (a new build) and briefed Krige via email, and just 12 weeks later – Krige and van der Merwe’s ideas all having been made a reality – the family moved in.
Every space within the home was conducive to enjoyment and relaxation, but was also practical and user-friendly. ‘I was presented with a blank canvas; it was all-white and characterless – my job was to find its soul,’ says Krige.
The straight-lined architecture is given a breath of life by washed antique Persian rugs, slipcovered sofas in natural linens, jazzy cushions in monochromatic ikat prints, wooden vessels, wrought-iron ceiling lamps and textural wallpapers, with a touch of the industrial here, and the antique and historical there. It’s about layering and attention to detail. A soothing sense of flow connects interior and exterior, with sliding doors leading outside. The scheme of off-whites, beiges and greys, extending to gun-metal grey and even black with the occasional attention-getting splash of chartreuse, barely differentiated between inside and out, forms an appealing extension of both spaces.
The entire interplay of elements speaks to sophistication yet comfort – here no living area is out of bounds. This synergy of function and aesthetic is indication of the shared vision between owners and designers, and thanks to its hassle-free implementation, the new residents can kick off their shoes and really relish this well-rounded space.