OCEAN COLOUR SCENE
Vibrant tones and bold pattern enhance the pure-white interior of this contemporary house perched on Cape Town’s shore
favourite room ‘The big open-plan kitchen-diner – it’s perfect for entertaining and hosting parties with our friends and neighbours’
For interior designer Ashley Maddox, buying a beach house in Cape Town was the fulfilment of a long-held dream. ‘I was living and working in Paris at the time, but had lived in South Africa as a Fulbright Scholar in my early twenties, and loved every second,’ she says. ‘I always dreamed of returning.’ In 2013, Ashley decided to make her dream a reality.
Ashley’s favourite area of Cape Town is Bakoven, a small community close to the shore. She decided to rent a holiday house there and embarked upon a property search. ‘I went to view an architect-designed 1980s home overlooking the ocean,’ she says. ‘I walked into the house, saw the views and boom! It was instantaneous.’
The house was structurally sound, but the interior left a lot to be desired. ‘The house had good bones – clean lines, well-placed windows and light oak floors,’ says Ashley. ‘But the walls were a dirty white and the garden was neglected.’ She decided to completely redecorate the interior and remodel the outdoor spaces.
Ashley runs her own Paris-based design studio, Studio Maddox (see more of her work on Instagram at @studio_maddox), so she was keen to focus on the decor. ‘The colour scheme of blues and greens was inspired by the sea, which changes colour over the course of a day,’ she says. ‘All the walls were painted in variants of ocean blue and vibrant fynbos green.’ Ashley also drew inspiration from the unique vegetation found on Table Mountain, which rises up behind the house.
Describing her decorating style as a mix of French savoir faire and American practicality, Californian-born Ashley has also introduced touches of African-inspired graphics. ‘The artwork and furniture are all things I’ve picked up along the way,’ she says. ‘I prefer sculptural pieces; I like Atelier Areti and I really admire Constance Guisset, who designed the chandelier in the living room and the chairs in the kitchen.’
Her choice of artwork and furniture is also eclectic. Pieces include an abstract painting by Paul Senyol and graphics from Sister Corita. ‘I try to include things made by hand,’ says Ashley. ‘The kitchen table was made by a local carpenter and the carpets are from Mali and Morocco.’
Finishing touches were added in colourful accents. ‘I fixed navy blue tiles to the exterior walls to help soften the Miami Vice-like boxy lines of the house,’ says Ashley.
Next, Ashley turned her attention to the garden and enlisted the help of landscape designer Franchesca Watson. ‘Franchesca added indigenous plants, a sandpit and a slide,’ says Ashley. ‘We also thinned a 100-year-old tree for our children Eloise, Daphne and Hugo to use as a tree house.’
With the work complete, the family can enjoy their revamped spaces and oceanside setting. ‘There are three small beaches for the kids to paddle in,’ says Ashley. ‘It’s perfect, as they can scramble on the boulders below our house just as the sun is setting.’