A Gauteng home designed to reflect the personalities of its inhabitants
Marianne Hattingh is passionate about interior design and believes that a living space should reflect the personalities of all who live there.
“There wasn’t much I could work with in terms of the architecture,” she says. “And all the interior finishes were tired and drab.”
But Marianne, who owns the interior design business Lavender & Lilies Interiors, believes there is strength in unity – not only when it comes to designing a shared interior, but also in terms of the mindset of the residents.
“Wessel and I took the bull by the horns. I drew up the plans and had them finalised by a draughtsman. Renovations began in March 2015 and we were able to move in by October!”
The house, which originally had three bedrooms and only one bathroom, gained an en-suite bathroom, TV room, garage and stoep. And between the six of them (dogs included) they enjoy every bit of the house: in summer, they socialise around the fire pit on the stoep, while the kitchen, dining room and TV room are their favourite spots in winter.
“When we constructed the garage, an outbuilding was merged with the house; this is where we’ve set up my office and it’s also Wessel’s favourite place to ‘recharge his batteries’.
“We love our respective areas. We also have a wonderful outdoor room that serves as both storage space and a ‘man cave’. The guys can do anything out there – from hanging biltong to sawing wood.” >>
When Wessel Hattingh bought this 1950s ‘square house’ in Meyerton as a design project for his wife Marianne about two years ago, she wasn’t entirely convinced that it was a good buy.
Personal taste
Marianne’s bubbly enthusiasm makes you wonder how long it will be before she wipes the palette clean and starts from scratch once again...
“In the 22 years I’ve been in the interior design industry, I’ve had to discover who I am and what I like, otherwise one tends to redo something every third month. At first I struggled with this but now I know exactly what I like,” she says.
She describes the house as classic with interesting additions. “It’s important to me that our home has a relaxed atmosphere so our children can enjoy it. They don’t have to tread on eggshells; they can live in it! Each of their bedrooms has its own theme which they decided on – it’s their personal space and it’s important that they feel comfortable.”
Marianne likes to experiment with colour. “In my world, colours come and go with the fads. Right now, lemon-yellow is my top colour of the season. It evokes joy, peace, warmth and love – and it goes beautifully with the dark grey we’ve used here and there as an accent. Our yellow front door provides a warm welcome for visitors.
“I also love neutral colours like black, dark grey, white and cream. Other favourites include shades of cherry-red, dark pink, sapphire-blue, turquoise and foliage-green. Metallics such as gold, bronze and silver are also pretty.” >>
Marianne says she’s very fussy when it comes to floors: “I like cement floors and Persian carpets. I love the simplicity of concrete floors in combination with bright colours and strong elements such as paintings, rugs and scatters.”
Treasures and bargains
The furniture throughout the house is a combination of brand new pieces, such as Marianne’s velvet sofa, and well-loved items like the heirlooms from her grandmother and an antique cupboard from India that Wessel gave her.
“We cut my grandmother’s dressing table in half and made side tables for the living room,” says Marianne. “My mother also gave me quite a few items, such as the small wooden kist in the living room. I love finding a bargain and giving it a fresh coat of paint, like the chartreuse chairs with the carved crosses in the backrests. My beloved grand piano was also a steal – I got it from a woman who was moving house.
“There’s also a couch in the lounge that I reupholstered in gold fabric. It has a curved wooden frame with button detail at the back – an authentic Victorian piece that I bought in a dilapidated state from Belinda at Kiki’s Vintage Studio in Parys. I had it restored and voila – another favourite that will someday become an heirloom.” >>
Wallpaper remains one of Marianne’s favourite accessories. “When I was in Grade 8, a friend and I decorated my entire bedroom with Biggie Best wallpaper. I was so proud of my handiwork and that room with its pink roses was just beautiful in my eyes.”