From dated to contemporary
The couple were keen to work with a blank canvas so they pretty much gutted the place, knocking down walls and replacing door and window frames.
When this was done, they could begin with Tammy’s favourite bit – the décor! She has always had an eye for beautiful and functional interiors, having grown up with interior decorator and designer Sue Lederle as her mother. Tammy expresses her creativity with various business ventures, including her interior décor company Ivy Décor & Design and loveables.co.za, a curated décor gifting store.
While meticulously planning the style of each room, Tammy spent months searching through stores, magazines, websites and décor journals to pull together just the right colours and textures so that no time would be wasted on expensive mistakes.
She paired newer deep-buttoned pieces, natural woods, linens and velvets (her favourite décor choices) with older couches, armchairs, ottomans and tables from their previous home.
Alistair, founder and owner of Holmes Underwriting Agency, enjoyed building things for the new house from old rafters and beams, including shelving and Ivy’s gorgeous crib in the nursery.
But it was colour that played the biggest role in the decorating process, Tammy says. “I wanted to create a neutral canvas in our home and then add pops of fun colours to different areas. We still like to think of ourselves as young (35 is the new 25 after all), so I didn’t want to make the space too serious.”
Using colour as a guide means that nothing is oddly matched and that some uniformity and flow is created.
“I planned each room’s colour around the way we’d use the space – so my home study is playful, colourful and creative, and the guest suite is a more regal blue with pinks for a fun, feminine touch.”