Hang the expense, says state decorator

FINE French drapery may be a tall order for most homeowners. But if taxpayers will pick up your estimated R650 000 bill, why spare the expense?

This appears to be the attitude of state interior decorators seeking quotes for French fabric for curtains and blinds to kit out a house at the government’s exclusive Bryntirion Estate in Pretoria.

The Sunday Times has caught sight of makeover plans for the home. They include new window dressing for eight rooms, including the gym and study.

The request for quotes from the Department of Public Works, which manages properties under the Prestige Portfolio, is dated August 2015.

It calls for a specific design from Camengo Allure, an imported French range that retails locally for R3 100 a metre. Then there is Casamance’s Jaipur range, retailing for R2 544 to R6 279 a metre.

The Sunday Times shopped around and found that curtains in the lounge would cost no less than R209 000 including VAT — for the cloth alone, excluding voile, heavy-duty rails, blinds, lining or installation. Those are listed separately.

The dining room’s curtaining would come in at R133 000, the upstairs TV room’s window just short of R100 000 and the passage area upstairs R56 000. The three windows in the main bedroom would cost a modest R36 000. The entrance hall, study, guest room and staircase could come in at a total of around R111 000.

The Department of Public Works failed to respond to detailed questions.

The Sunday Times has the address of this property, but was unable to confirm who it is allocated to — and whether the designer curtaining is being ordered at the request of the current occupant or is just a case of government decorators going wild. Homes on the Bryntirion Estate are usually reserved for cabinet ministers and deputies.