A covered verandah and glazing extensions were added to make the most of the views, while a previously underused ground floor room was converted into a study and inviting cinema room. Otherwise, the ground-floor layout remained largely the same, save for a large kitchen at the rear. However, a little more breathing room was given. An extension to the rear created space for a porch and an additional bedroom on the first floor, while the master bedroom was moved to the other side of the house, making room for an adjoining dressing room as well as an en-suite bathroom.
While the views provide most of the decorating inspiration, so does Africa. Fortunately for Sophie, who grew up between Cape Town and England and is a keen collector of contemporary African art, she discovered that the owners – who are committed conservationists and philanthropists – spent most of their time in Botswana. ‘Once we established that connection, it felt like Christmas to me,’ recalls Sophie. ‘They love the colors of the African bush, which are all dirty greens, earthy terracottas, mauve browns and pops of yellow.’
This became the palette for the house – from the master bedroom, where a boxy yellow sofa, embroidered with giant African proteas by Saw Studio, contrasts with an otherwise earthy scheme, to the sitting room where upholstery in muddy greens and blues is hand-painted by Box with a warm yellow, striated ceiling. ‘We wanted a nod to the idea of a sunrise,’ says Sophie, who explains that the colors chosen for the room were inspired by a pair of paintings by Canadian artist Anne Griffiths, which frame the door that leads to the kitchen and dining area.
Art is a thread that weaves through the house. Some of the pieces were from the owners’ existing collections, but many were new additions. A pair of works by South African artist Amber Moir – who was last year’s artist-in-residence for Sophie’s product line Sister by Studio Ashby – hangs above the bed in the master bedroom, while the bathroom features an attractive sculptural carved seat by Cape Town-based Adam Birch. ‘I love how it makes this amazing statement in the corner,’ says Sophie.
The artwork is not limited to canvases and objects: it also dances on the wardrobe door in the dressing room, hand-embroidered by Saw Studio to recreate a favorite photograph taken by the wife. In the dining area adjacent to the kitchen, Sister By Studio Ashby’s hand-dyed and hand-spun ‘The Pine Trees’ rug – all blues, greens and rich reds – offers an abstract distortion of a photograph taken by Sophie. A kitchen bar stool by Anna Carlin is also a work of art, with a backrest made from playfully shaped wrought iron.
