A talent for reinvention
To say that Deidre can spot potential in the unlikeliest of places is an understatement. For example, VW headlights were turned into pendants in the kitchen, and a bamboo ladder originally used as a towel rail now serves as a hanging rack for plants on the patio.
Deidre also has a passion for mixing old with new. “I love the contrast between an item with patina and history and the smooth clean lines of something modern. In my dining area, I combined the first piece of furniture I ever bought, a solid wood table, with super modern chairs.”
Her talent for reinvention also came in useful in the bedroom. “I had an old mango wood table on the patio; the legs had rotted but the top was still in good shape.” It now forms the backdrop to the headboard and hides the clothing storage area behind.
And instead of buying a new bath, Deidre repurposed one that was discarded when the bathroom in the main house was renovated. “The window above it wasn’t particularly attractive, so for privacy I hung a canvas with an image of a sail boat over it. I love the effect of the light shining through.”
A fan of weathered wood, she commissioned a craftsman in Richmond, Jo’burg to make the vanities in the bedroom and powder room. “We insisted that he only use salvaged materials, from the wood to the fittings.” Adding a slick contrast to both are modern basins.
While treasured items, old and new, contribute to the warmth and personality of the garden studio, plants add a touch of greenery. They’re everywhere, spilling out of pots, standing proudly in baskets and trailing from handblown glass containers. “Indoor plants bring a home to life,” says Deidre. “And I find that caring for them brings as much joy and satisfaction as tending a garden.”