00:00Across Africa, incredible homes are raising the bar of modern design.
00:04This series gives you a front row seat to unapologetically stylish spaces.
00:10The kind you can't help but save, screenshot and dream about.
00:17This is not just a house with history.
00:20This is a house that's found its personality.
00:28Set in the southern suburbs of Cape Town, this character home has been completely reworked with colour, confidence and a
00:35fearless but super fun mix of old and new.
00:38And the designer behind this bold reimagining, Lisa Marie Theopoulos.
00:44Where do we find ourselves today and what was your role within putting this together?
00:48We're in a beautiful old nana house, one of the first homes in the area, dating back to about 1893.
00:56And what was so fun about this project is that I was given a blank canvas.
01:01And I mean, who doesn't want to work with such beautiful architectural details?
01:04I mean, look at those curved bay windows.
01:07And yes, it was just so fun to work in a space that isn't open plan.
01:13It's got cute little nooks for me to sort of create cozy spaces and I've loved every moment.
01:20What was your role here?
01:22There wasn't much renovating work to do in this home because we were just very keen to honour the beauty
01:28of the original home.
01:29We didn't knock down any walls or anything like that.
01:32We worked within the space.
01:33The client gave me a very exciting brief.
01:36She was happy for me to go wild with colour, which is a very nice change from the muted tones
01:43and the greys that have been very, very popular in the past.
01:47I could fill it with lots of quirk, which I loved.
01:50They've both got an amazing sense of humour.
01:53So they loved all of those little touches.
01:56And I was able to extend that approach throughout the home.
01:59There's three levels to this home.
02:01So it was quite a big job and lots of beautiful rooms for me to work with.
02:06Walking into the space, what a warm and inviting welcome.
02:09What was your design approach here?
02:11So as you step in to this beautiful big space, we wanted to define the two areas so that we
02:18could create a cozy seating area here.
02:20But in order to divide the two spaces, I added a table there with a lot of beautiful decor items
02:27that have come from all over the world.
02:29The decor here feels like a travel diary.
02:32There are pieces collected from the owners from all over the world.
02:35You kind of want to pick everything up and hear the story behind it.
02:39Seems to be intentionality when it comes to the colour scheme within this first room.
02:43The colour palette in mind, I think I just intuitively went for like a deeper, more saturated colour palette.
02:51When we first started on the project, everything was white.
02:54And it just felt like you almost needed the room to hug you a little bit so that you don't
02:59feel that the scale of the room is uncomfortable.
03:03And you really do feel it.
03:06The space wraps around you.
03:09It still feels inviting and it still feels cozy.
03:13And it feels like you can sit and have a chat with a friend or a glass of wine at
03:17the fireplace in winter.
03:19It's really set the expectation for the rest of the home.
03:22Well, it's a lovely first introduction and I can't wait to see the rest of the space.
03:26Shall we see the other space?
03:27Let's go.
03:37Pally, the next space we're looking at is the more informal sort of TV lounge.
03:42That's why I did an L shape so that you could lie there and just really cozy up and watch
03:47some TV.
03:48I mean, how's the natural light in this room?
03:50It's a feature in itself.
03:52I've also noticed that there are no curtains and we've got such grand windows.
03:57So in this part of the home, the downstairs section, I didn't have to add curtains because we had the
04:02beautiful old shutters, the original shutters to work with.
04:05I mean, how amazing is that?
04:07Well, I can feel us making our way to the kitchen, which is my favorite room of the house.
04:12Let's go.
04:20I love the proportion of this kitchen.
04:22What was your design approach here?
04:24Well, this was actually a very dark space.
04:26The cupboards, we didn't change the cupboards, but we did paint them because they were very, very dark brown.
04:32So I opted to go white there.
04:34And this is the first room in the home where I changed the color on the walls.
04:38Went for a beautiful, soft, calm green here.
04:41Client loves green, as do I.
04:43So I never have an issue with saying yes to green.
04:54At Sapali, now we find ourselves in the dining room, which is actually my favorite part of the house.
04:59It's got its original wooden flooring.
05:01So I used a big rug to fill the space to make it feel very inviting and luxurious.
05:09We've got the original chandelier, which I thought was such a beautiful statement piece.
05:14And speaking of lighting, this space feels quite grand, but also gives me an old school kind of feel.
05:21And I love those three chandeliers.
05:23Absolutely.
05:24So this was really just an ode to the architecture of the home.
05:32Lisa, we are in the main bedroom and good luck getting me out of here.
05:36It's gorgeous.
05:37It's very, very spectacular, isn't it?
05:39And also very romantic, don't you think?
05:42The soft, dusty pink with the black, I think that just works so beautifully.
05:47And I also really love the sleigh bed.
05:51I mean, how is that bed?
05:52It's lush.
05:53That's what it is.
05:54That's the word.
05:55That's the word.
05:55Being in an older kind of home, a manor-style home, I didn't think I would enjoy it as much
06:01as I have this one.
06:02What was your standout features with putting this home together?
06:06Palli, I think what has really stood out for me is that things don't have to be perfect to be
06:13beautiful.
06:13It's an older home.
06:15There's a few quirks here and there, but it's just stunning.
06:19Older homes totally have that kind of magic.
06:22They weren't designed for Instagram, but somehow everywhere you look is an Insta moment.
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