Craigavon Fourways - South Africa
This project is based in Johannesburg South Africa.
The client (a long-time friend) initially contacted me in July 2015 asking if I knew of any designers in South Africa that could help him with his interior – designing and decorating the entire house, and some cosmetic renovations.
Because I have not lived in, or worked in South Africa for over 16 years, I couldn’t offer him a local point of reference, but flippantly said “buy me ticket, and I will happily do it”. Michael responded with “consider your ticket booked”.
The scope of works included:
Repainting the interior, Building two nib walls to create specific zones in the entry, living area and dining area Installing engineered timber flooring throughout the house – 230m2 of engineered flooring, Replacing carpets Replacing all window treatments Repositioning power points Replacing light fixtures Furnishing and decorating the entire house
The Brief:
Michael spends a great deal of time travelling throughout Africa, working on social and economic upliftment programs, and wanted to create a sanctuary to enjoy, when he did get to spend time at “home”, and a place to entertain.
He purchased a house impulsively one Saturday morning 3 years ago, because the lockup garage had extensive storage for all his bush-bashing gadgets and toys (a serious go to the bush kind of guy), and he liked the pool and the garden. In his words “the actual house – was just that a house”.
Michael is what can only be described as a true bachelor, with a huge appreciation for beautiful spaces, but absolutely no taste of his own, other than a keen eye for art, and an insatiable appetite for hedonism.
The brief was in the way of a file of photos of his eclectic collection of “stuff” on Pinterest, labelled “My owner has no idea – PLEASE HELP”
The only thing Michael was clear about, was that he did not want it to feel “put together” in a way that would be in direct conflict of his personality. He wanted a sense of peace, serenity, and not overly masculine or feminine.
The inspiration for the design direction came from Michael’s resonance with Africa, the bush, nature, and most importantly his need to create a place to call home.
Specific Challenges/Limitations:
The project was scheduled for September 2015 and had to be done in 3 weeks.
Other than a few pictures, I had no reference of the house or the spaces that I would be working with.
Also, and probably more challenging, was the fact that I no longer had a reference of the South African market as far as products, services, building regulations were concerned. I had no contacts in the industry and was literally flying solo and very blind.
When I arrived in South Africa on 15 September 2015, it was my first opportunity to fully understand the scope of works.
People find it hard to believe that I literally had to source the trades i.e. painters, electrician, carpenter, tiler and general handyman from next to the side of the road. Due to the high unemployment rate in South Africa, these wonderful trades people have no choice but to find work in this seemingly unconventional way. Obviously there is a great risk that whoever you choose may not be able to execute the work required – but I was very fortunate – every one of the trades were outstanding and did an amazing job.
The client (a long-time friend) initially contacted me in July 2015 asking if I knew of any designers in South Africa that could help him with his interior – designing and decorating the entire house, and some cosmetic renovations.
Because I have not lived in, or worked in South Africa for over 16 years, I couldn’t offer him a local point of reference, but flippantly said “buy me ticket, and I will happily do it”. Michael responded with “consider your ticket booked”.
The scope of works included:
Repainting the interior, Building two nib walls to create specific zones in the entry, living area and dining area Installing engineered timber flooring throughout the house – 230m2 of engineered flooring, Replacing carpets Replacing all window treatments Repositioning power points Replacing light fixtures Furnishing and decorating the entire house
The Brief:
Michael spends a great deal of time travelling throughout Africa, working on social and economic upliftment programs, and wanted to create a sanctuary to enjoy, when he did get to spend time at “home”, and a place to entertain.
He purchased a house impulsively one Saturday morning 3 years ago, because the lockup garage had extensive storage for all his bush-bashing gadgets and toys (a serious go to the bush kind of guy), and he liked the pool and the garden. In his words “the actual house – was just that a house”.
Michael is what can only be described as a true bachelor, with a huge appreciation for beautiful spaces, but absolutely no taste of his own, other than a keen eye for art, and an insatiable appetite for hedonism.
The brief was in the way of a file of photos of his eclectic collection of “stuff” on Pinterest, labelled “My owner has no idea – PLEASE HELP”
The only thing Michael was clear about, was that he did not want it to feel “put together” in a way that would be in direct conflict of his personality. He wanted a sense of peace, serenity, and not overly masculine or feminine.
The inspiration for the design direction came from Michael’s resonance with Africa, the bush, nature, and most importantly his need to create a place to call home.
Specific Challenges/Limitations:
The project was scheduled for September 2015 and had to be done in 3 weeks.
Other than a few pictures, I had no reference of the house or the spaces that I would be working with.
Also, and probably more challenging, was the fact that I no longer had a reference of the South African market as far as products, services, building regulations were concerned. I had no contacts in the industry and was literally flying solo and very blind.
When I arrived in South Africa on 15 September 2015, it was my first opportunity to fully understand the scope of works.
People find it hard to believe that I literally had to source the trades i.e. painters, electrician, carpenter, tiler and general handyman from next to the side of the road. Due to the high unemployment rate in South Africa, these wonderful trades people have no choice but to find work in this seemingly unconventional way. Obviously there is a great risk that whoever you choose may not be able to execute the work required – but I was very fortunate – every one of the trades were outstanding and did an amazing job.
Project Year: 2015
Project Cost: $25,001 AUD - $50,000 AUD
Postcode: 2191
