About

When you find yourself marvelling at the curve of a jug, the effect of one colour on another, or the dynamic of a well-placed object, you realize that design is simply part of your make-up. My love for design started in the dark room of my father’s printing firm where a good eye and attention to detail would be revealed in neat piles of printed matter, ready for the final inspection and the acknowledgement of a job well done.

Majoring in art was eye opening and sound preparation for exploring architectural and interior design whilst post-grad psychology provided the subjective aspect and the realization of how much our external environments impact on our lifestyles.  Our family move from Johannesburg to the Midlands in 2004 seemed the perfect time to pursue a qualification in interior decorating and to begin working in earnest in the field.

Over the past 15 years I have had the privilege of working in several specialized areas: spa, restaurant, retail, educational and hospitality. Although the design criteria for each project is distinctive and unique and must compliment the lifestyle of the “dweller” – my goal is always to create an amazing space that delights as much as it is workable and functional.

Since our move to the Midlands, I have come to prize collaborating with design partner Amanda Jarvis who besides bringing her own experience to bear enjoys co-journeying where we bravely mix things up, explore new territory and find innovative solutions.

“I am going to make everything around me beautiful – that will be my life” Elsie de Wolfe

I should have realised earlier that the fact that I was hiding all the things that did not appeal to my aesthetic, that were not beautiful; and begging my mum for some 70s inspired geometrical designed curtains instead of the florals that she so liked, that design was in my DNA.  Introspecting now on what fills my soul, then yes it is that perfect blue, the beautifully proportioned Eames chair, the gloriously autumnal view from my office, I love to create the beautiful space.

Like Jen, my major was psychology and I found my calling in my mid-twenties when I started in the design and décor world; at first in the commercial world of offices and then with lodges and hotels.  I lived the beautiful life jetting off to wild African places:  But life is a funny thing, my path changed, marriage and the addition of three beautiful boys, a change of country, a change of focus, and we found ourselves here in the misty Midlands, cocooned in its gentle greenness, at home.  My tastes and influences have changed as have I – design now is a little more functional, everyday robust with boys; but I still strive for the beautiful.

Both Jen and I are passionate about good design, every choice is carefully considered, creating beauty and beautiful spaces is a life long journey… so our story continues.