Changing Spaces Interior Design
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Pops of bright colour and dramatic focal walls transformed a dark office space into a vibrant holiday apartment on the Cape’s Atlantic Seaboard. We love turquoise and yellow and the rest we are leaving entirely up to you. We don’t need to see anything beforehand – no fabrics, drawings or photos – just knock our socks off.” This was the brief given to interior designer Cheryl Herweg of Changing Spaces when her clients bought a small, rather drab apartment on the Mouille Point beachfront. “I love it when a client trusts me to do what I do best,” laughs Cheryl. Previously an office, the apartment was dark with awkwardly shaped spaces and a proliferation of orangey brown veneered cabinets in all the rooms. “My aim was to make it much lighter and bring in colour and texture,” says Cheryl.
Donovan Stanford was commissioned to do the large sea storm painting in the lounge. The ottoman forms part of the coffee table, but can be pulled out to provide additional seating. Blue and white vases by Farah Hernandez, white dogs from The Pause Room, white vase from Mr Price Home and tealight holders from Weylandts. For the living area Cheryl designed a sleeper couch and an oval ottoman, which doubles up as a footstool, extra seating and a coffee table. Kaleidoscope Platinum wallpaper from Hertex Fabrics, floor lamp from K. Light Import. A low bookshelf behind the couch is a space saver and also separates the lounge area from the dining room and entrance. The built-in bar in the entrance was replaced with tall display shelving and two armchairs. Ceramics from The Pause Room, Mr Price Home, Farah Hernandez, Heartworks and Maiden Name.
Rather than replacing all the dated cabinets which would have been both costly and time consuming, Cheryl asked Lisa Spaarwater of Lemon & Lilac Paint Techniques to paint them all white. “This not only lifted the feel of the entire apartment, giving it a much fresher look, but accentuated the accessories too,” explains Cheryl who also mirrored the walls in the dining area to create the illusion of space and reflect light into this corner. As her clients work seven days a week, Cheryl wanted them to feel in a holiday mood the minute they walked through the door.
“I painted the walls in a soothing neutral tone, Landing by Plascon, and then added interest on some of the walls with wallpaper. I had to keep in mind that the husband likes a sleek, modern look while the wife prefers something more relaxed and colourful. The palette of blue and turquoise adds to the tranquil feel, while pops of yellow and coral add warmth.” While an open-plan layout does enhance the sense of space, Cheryl felt that the different areas in this apartment lacked definition. “I came up with a furniture arrangement that clearly demarcates each zone. To separate the living space from the entrance I designed a large L-shaped couch and placed a low bookshelf behind it. That is the beauty of designing your own furniture; you can make it fit the space perfectly,” she says. Cheryl also believes in using fewer but larger pieces of furniture in a compact space. “A lot of little
Items can make a room look cluttered.” For this apartment she chose multi-purpose furniture such as versatile side tables and ottomans that double up as coffee tables and additional seating. She also designed a sleeper couch with cushions in beautiful fabrics so that it doesn’t look like a sleeper couch. “I made the couches extra deep so that my clients can lie down and watch TV quite comfortably.” Did we mention that there was a tight three-week deadline? Not only did Cheryl achieve all this on time, she more than knocked the owners’ socks off. “We were blown away!” they exclaim.
The desk in the master bedroom was painted by Lemon & Lilac Paint Techniques. Tall white vase and bird candleholder from Mr Price Home. Pedestal vase from The Pause Room. A silver stool adds a glam hit to this restful en suite bathroom. The melamine cabinetry in the bathroom was painted by Lemon & Lilac Paint Techniques and new crystal handles were added. The wallpaper in the master bedroom was printed by ArtLab. The cushion fabrics are from Halogen International, the glass lamp bases from K. Light Import and drum shades by Lovelight Options.
Renovations at a glance. All the built-in cupboards were painted white and the old handles replaced with contemporary fittings. Wallpaper was added for personality and contrast. The dining area walls were clad in two types of mirror – silver and grey with a cutlery decal – to lighten up the space. An outdated bar was removed to make way for a stylish entrance. On the balcony the Jacuzzi was replaced with a comfortable seating area.
