This North Coast home oozes effortless style. We asked Ballito-based interior designer Lisa Twyman how she created an impactful, but serene space.
THE INSPIRATION
The inspiration behind the design of the home, and the brief to the architects, was first and foremost to consider outdoor living. “We have an amazing climate, as well as safety in this estate on the North Coast, so we wanted to place the emphasis on the garden, and blur the boundaries between the indoors and outdoors,” Lisa explains. “In fact, when the glass doors (which make up three sides of the living area) are all open, it feels like a veranda.”
FOCAL POINTS
Some of the home’s most unique features include the use of materials in their honest and raw form. Think off-shutter concrete, polished concrete floors and Balau wood cladding, a particularly hard and heavy timber from Malaysia. But, it’s the three trees in the centre of the home, growing up through the ground level to the roof garden above, that really make an impact and bring the natural world inside.
A NATURAL COLOUR PALETTE
“It was important to align with the original brief when it came to the final decorating and colour palette,” says Lisa. “The colours are minimal and pared back to allow the green palette of the garden to remain the focal point.” That said, pops of colour were used in a few spaces – rugs and cushions bring warmth to the living area, while a bold wallpaper adds character to a child’s bedroom.
LISA’S TIPS
For anyone wanting to achieve a similar look and feel in their own home, Lisa recommends keeping the finishes to honest materials only, and to edit all decor to a minimum. “For a home like this, it’s really about the philosophy of holiday living and keeping everything open with essential design features only,” says Lisa. “This starts with your architect and your interior design team right at the beginning of your new build or renovation.”
Details: www.lisatwyman.com; 079 931 6902; IG: @lisatwyman; FB: lisa twyman design
Photographs: Lar Glutz
