The best example of this is the textured charcoal wallpaper that covers one long wall on the open-plan ground floor and then wraps around the far end of the living space to subtly demarcate the lounge area. The wallpaper is one of Kim’s signature materials. She says, “It is the perfect ‘antidote’ to my full-on color, and art looks amazing against it [too]. It brings warmth and texture, and the light bounces off the linen-like effect of the paper.” Against this neutral backdrop, Kim has used a combination of boldly colorful pieces–the acid- pink rug and striking abstract artworks that feature various shades of yellow–as well as a cleverly chosen hanging light fitting to make the space come alive. But these elements all came together very intuitively and “organically,” says Kim. “I spend so much time meticulously planning interiors within my work sphere, so I quite enjoyed just letting this space develop its own personality over time.” Also a boon was the fact that the house had previously been given a considered structural renovation. This meant that its “classic London terraced house [layout]” had been enhanced with excellent built-in storage, high-quality appliances such as the kitchen cooker and extractor hood, and skylights that give a number of the rooms a greater sense of airiness and spaciousness.
The mirrors in the entrance hall are from Cécile & Boyd (cecileandboyds.com) in Cape Town. The black and white rug was custom made for one of Kim’s previous interior-design projects and has been repurposed here. “The low white shelving (left) and the enclosed cupboards (right) are really the kitchen built-ins, storing everything that a kitchen would need,” says Kim. “The enclosed cupboards store plates, glasses, cutlery, and so on, whereas the open shelving has my pots, cookbooks, and baskets filled with smaller items–and this was all in situ when we bought the house. [When we viewed it] I realized that there was not one tiny detail that I would have done differently so we pounced on it.” In this open-plan dining-kitchen- living space, the dining table was custom made to Kim’s design by Moorgas & Sons (moorgasandsons.co.za) in Cape Town. The dining chairs are from Sika Design (sika-design.com) in Denmark. Kim says she “chose this particular Estiluz (estiluz. com) light fixture because I needed something that was beautiful and statement-making, but it [also] had to be really unobtrusive and not visually blocking otherwise it would crowd the room. It is made up of two of Estiluz’s Volta lights, which can be hung in singles or multiples across widths.” The bright pink rug is from Gonsenhausers Fine Rugs (finerugs.co.za) in Cape Town. The gallery wall on the left is a mix of pictures that Kim has collected over time and includes pieces by “some nameless abstract artists (bought at Cécile & Boyd [cecileandboyds.com] in Cape Town [and] inexpensive mass-produced prints, but also original artworks by [well- known South African artists] Deborah Bell, Lyndi Sales (lyndisales.com) and Willem Boshoff (willemboshoff.com). I have no problem mixing value and styles of art.” On top of the shelves on the left is part of a set of seven vases–all slightly different– ”bought at Block & Chisel (blockandchisel. co.za) in Cape Town years ago.”
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