Contemporary Décor in the Bushveld

August 27, 2014August 27, 2014 / Nicky Wood / Leave a comment

South Africa has so many amazing private Game Lodges available to the traveller… we are lucky to be spoilt for choice. As mentioned in my ‘About’ page, one of the things I would like to share is the beautiful décor found in many of these lodges, guest-houses and hotels.

For me, as much as I love to get out of the city and just unwind in nature, staying in a place which inspires me with its décor, is an absolute treat.

So I have to introduce you to Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway in the Welgevonden Private Game Reserve. We visited this lesser-known gem about 2 years ago, and it still remains my favourite Game Lodge.

Usually typical lodge décor would entail dark wood, animal prints, earthy colour schemes and not exactly what one would call contemporary. What makes Clifftop so unique is the light and airy atmosphere the interior designer managed to incorporate with a modern twist on all the furnishings. I loved it that all the materials used were still natural (for example wooden chandeliers and a headboard constructed of branches) yet there is no ‘heavy’ feel to it and at no point is it overdone or lacking in comfort. The magnificent setting (literally on top of a clifftop) is maximized to the full by keeping the colours neutral so nature speaks for itself.

Another thing which Clifftop does very well is offering their guests privacy and romance at each meal with the proper utilization of public spaces. Tables are placed strategically in different areas of the main lodge for diners to be able to appreciate the views and each other’s company. We were surprised on our first night with a candle-lit dinner in the wine-cellar with a special message written for us personally by way of an arrangement of beautiful little seed pods on the table. It is the little things that can actually make or break a stay. Especially if you are like me and you have high expectations because you have been excited to visit a place for the past 6 months or longer.

In this sense, Clifftop definitely does not disappoint. So if you are looking for something slightly different than the ordinary game lodge experience, Clifftop should be high on your list of places to see. What makes it even better is the fact that it is a lot more affordable than similarly styled lodges whose target market is clearly overseas visitors who think nothing of blowing R10,000 a night.

A touch of colour – Mosaic

August 20, 2014 / Nicky Wood / Leave a comment

A fun way to add some colour to your kitchen (or any other area of your home for that matter) is by way of a mosaic design. You really don’t need to be an expert in mosaic to be able to do this.

I did a short course a few years ago and I love doing it as a hobby. Basically what you need is this:

Mosaic tiles (you can buy these at most arts and crafts stores or even at Builders Warehouse or CTM)
Grout
A Tile cutter
Glue
Rigid surface

Mosaic tiles can be purchased conveniently on mesh-backed sheets such as in the picture below – making it easier should you not want to cut a larger piece of tile into smaller pieces. Should you struggle initially to pull the tiles off the backing mesh, place the mesh in hot water for about 5 minutes to allow excess glue to soak off.

There is a great store in Lynnwood Ridge in Pretoria that sell these glass tiles at reasonable prices – Jimnettes.

I also purchased the glue which is suitable for glueing the mosaic tiles to walls at this store:

So now all you do is pull off the tiles from the backing mesh, coat the wall or the surface you wish to decorate with glue (I just used an old knife for this), stick it on and voila. You have your mosaic.

It really is that simple. I stuck the tiles very close to each other in the are that I decorated, so in that case you do not need to use grout in between the tiles. You would also only need the tile cutter in case you want to cut the tiles in smaller pieces or different shapes. As per below, I stuck to a basic pattern and just used the tiles exactly as you buy them at the store:

This is what the tile cutter looks like should you want to experiment with cutting the tiles smaller or into different shapes:

As you can see for yourself Mosaic can be very simple and easy depending on the pattern and design you want to create. At the same time it is a relaxing hobby and it really adds to the appeal of your home!

Open plan living design

August 13, 2014August 13, 2014 / Nicky Wood / 3 Comments

In my home we have one area which is the kitchen, dining and living room. With any open plan area which serves a dual purpose you want to separate the functions but you also want to maintain unity. So you definitely don’t want a first-time visitor to your home to be unsure of the purpose of an area, as this can just make them feel uncomfortable. Our challenge was to maintain the idea of one big open space by not secluding one area from another and yet still allowing for each area to flow into the next. If we were to place a “traditional” 2 or 3 seater couch in front of the TV, the back of the sofa would have faced anyone walking into the house and it would have created the sense of two distinctly different spaces, by acting as a separator between the two areas. So we opted for a low-profile “modular” unit where each unit is actually separate and can be moved around. This made it easy to arrange the seating to maintain an open and inviting look but still remain functional.

There are two simple and easy ways I would like to mention to join different elements in a large open-plan area. The first is the repetitive use of colour. As you can see I chose red to liven things up a bit given the white tiles and walls. From what you can see also, it is not necessary to use the same shade of colour. In fact, the different shades of red – from burgundy to a dark orange – still bring the look together. We also used silver subtly by specifically choosing a silver-grey rug and lamp-shade, and the legs of the sofa, dining and bar chairs are all silver. Even the curtains are grey. I specifically chose a neutral colour for the curtains (as opposed to red for example) to make the area seem bigger. Bear in mind that a warm or bright colour may tend to draw the eye inwards (advance) and thus narrow the space, and a cooler colour recedes a space – basically making it seem bigger. The different use of texture (i.e. a fluffy carpet and a suede type curtain and almost satin-like lamp-shade) makes the room seem more interesting and appealing.

The next element is shape. The backs of the dining and bar chairs are the same shape. They also mirror (although to a lesser extent) the rounded covers of the overhead hanging ceiling lights. The square shape is easily repeated by the coffee table and the dining table in the different areas. It is important not to underestimate the impact of different shapes in a room. Even something as simple as an empty vase allows you to make a room more interesting by adding a different type of shape to the area.

By simply following basic principles related to colour and shape, I hope I have given you some ideas for your open-plan living area.

Indoor Plants

August 12, 2014August 12, 2014 / Nicky Wood / 2 Comments

So, if you are lucky enough to have ample natural light in your house, there is no reason why you shouldn’t consider getting an indoor plant or two. They are really less maintenance than you might think. I water ours only once a week, and they have been alive for a year now…so I think they might make it! My husband dislikes the tray at the bottom of the pot which you usually see in nurseries to collect excess water… so we managed to find a good solution. The planters that we got at a company called “Allscape” have a small pipe (hidden very well) which I assume allows for an alternative draining mechanism. Allscape delivered the plants to our home, all at a reasonable price, and you can of course choose the colour of the pot and the type of plant from a pre-defined list.

This is the skylight by the way:

I have to admit though that there is one type of plant that I have trouble keeping alive! Luckily you will now get the material/fake variety in almost every decor store you walk into:

Unfortunately shop owners are benefiting from the fact that the orchid craze is seemingly never-ending, and as such the mark-up on these products are unbelievable. My hubby and I found 2 small, plain ones at the Lifestyle Home and Garden Centre in Johannesburg and then we bought separate pots to place them in and pebbles to fill up the empty space. The little extra work that we had saved us a lot of money!

This is one plant that always looks beautiful and elegant – even if it isn’t real!