Hello sunshine 40 pages of stunning homes & sunlit spaces

A BOLD MAKEOVER TRANSFORMS A DREAM FAMILY HOME INTO THE GOLD STANDARD FOR INDOOR-OUTDOOR LIVING

With its grand rooms and park-like garden, this graceful house in Cape Town, South Africa held the promise of a comfortable family home for Laurie and Danica. However, it lacked the warmth and personality they wanted for their tribe of six – including pre-tween triplets. Enter interior designer Simone Hirsch who was gifted a clean slate to craft inviting living spaces that would make family gatherings and entertaining a breeze.

The couple’s previous place in Johannesburg was slick, cool and modern. The shift in cities and lifestyle required a softer touch for their new home, and Simone took her cue from Laurie’s quirky tastes. “Laurie is quite eclectic and likes fun things, but also pieces that are timeless. He’s not afraid to push the boundaries,” she says. “If their first home was minimalist, the move was towards maximalist for this one,” explains Simone, who harnessed the power of rich fabrics and unique pieces to bring the home to life.

In the hallway, a beautiful carved wooden table topped with an abundant dried-flower arrangement welcomes visitors and sets the refined tone for the home. From here, the view is of a striking staircase, the dining room and a lounge converted into a games room – two spaces Simone was keen to reclaim. “They were dead areas, and I wanted to make them interesting areas the family would be drawn into and want to be in,” explains Simone. A signature of both the dining room and the converted lounge is plush curtaining, which gave Simone a starting narrative to work from with the rest of the furnishings and design choices.

Bordering the dining room and the neighbouring room, a patio runs the full length of the home. Doors can be flung open to connect the inside and outside. Here, Simone wanted to create a destination, transforming the space into a comfortable outer lounge with a less formal dining space, all enhanced by greenery. Designers Guild fabric and combinations of natural textures expressed in the rattan furniture, grass matting, and side tables in stone and ceramic deliver warmth and understated luxury.

This is a home filled with children, and Simone says as much as she responded to Laurie and Danica’s design brief, it was the children who inspired many of her decisions. The kitchen, for example, already housed a breakfast nook, which Simone sought to make the heart of the kitchen and the home. As with other parts of the home, it needed warming up as well as a colour update. A bold blue pinstripe was chosen for the seating, the walls were wrapped with textured paper, and existing cabinetry was refreshed with navy paint. This is where the family now congregates for meals and homework.

Whether one is inside or outside the house, the success of Simone’s choices of colour, texture and pattern are what ensures the home feels contemporary yet cosy. “It was so fun to bring what was an already wonderful house to life, and reimagine it through the eyes of this family,” she says.

DINING ROOM The leafy scene interpreted on the handpainted wallpaper reflects the outside lounge that lies parallel to the dining room (top right), but in shadowy tones appropriate for a more glamorous, evening feel. For similar chairs, try the ‘Tall Feature’ dining chairs from French Tables. >

heart “THIS IS THE OF THE HOME. IT’S WHERE EVERYONE COMES TOGETHER AFTER A LONG DAY” ~ LAURIE

GARDEN PARTY This stunning home has glorious rooms and a verdant garden, but for Laurie, Danica and their four children, it also needed a dash of personality and warmth. Enter interior designer Simone Hirsch who was tasked with creating living spaces tailor made for spending time with family and friends. Case in point is the patio, which lent itself to organic materials, lashings of plants, and informal pieces, all supporting the brief to make comfort the priority. “It’s amazing how much time we spend outdoors now. We wanted the flexibility to dine or relax outdoors. It’s given us so many options,” says Laurie. >

GAMES ROOM This room – by day a TV and music room for the kids, by night a poker room – is dominated by Christian Lacroix ‘Reveries’ in Vert Buis fabric featuring mythical creatures. The generous use of fabric allows it to be sectioned off from the rest of the home. “It’s a fun, eclectic room that contains the noise, is practical, but stills feels luxurious,” says Simone. For a similar sofa, try the Manhattan Home ‘Vinny’ sofa from Temple & Webster.

KITCHEN While the kitchen layout and cabinetry were solid and included gorgeous handpainted tiles, it felt cold and unused, says Simone. Thibaut textured wallpaper in a similar tone to the existing cream flooring and dark stone benchtops instantly made it feel more authentic. For similar handmade tiles, try Old World Tiles.

KITCHEN Avid home-cook Laurie with Danica and their children Felix, Layla, Emelia and Mila-Belle, in their revamped farmhouse-style kitchen. The informal but vital space is where the family gathers in the mornings and evenings, for everything from meals to homework sessions. A considered makeover saw the existing breakfast nook revitalised with a bold blue pinstripe fabric used for the seating, while the turquoise cabinetry, which dominated the kitchen, received a new lease of life in a more muted and sophisticated navy, and the light oak counters of the nook were stained dark for a cohesive look. “It was cold and stark and now feels warm and homely,” says Danica. For similar lights, try Restoration Online. >