Exploring four South African homes for your inspiration

Leigh Leigh
House F, Margaret Berichon Design Margaret Berichon Design Classic style dining room Glass
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Ballito-based interior design & decor professionals, Margaret Berichon Design, are experts when it comes to interiors that are classic, modern and comfortable.

With a distinct South African flavour, the projects that these designers have worked on are worth exploring in-depth. We will present you with four of the top homes and show you just how they've managed to achieve that perfect balance between functionality and trend.

There is nothing like some local design for inspiration!

1. The elegant integration of neutral colours

In the first project by these wonderful designers, we come across the living room of a 500 square metre home in the Simbithi Eco Estate.

In this image, we can see how they've integrated wooden cladding with grey and white tones, creating a very modern and elegant look and feel. The great thing about a color palette like this is that it works with a variety of decor accessories and designs.

Even the large, flat-screen television looks at home among these sophisticated tones and materials.

1. The bigger picture

If we zoom out, we can see how the look and feel comes together completely! The grey and white walls are mirrored by grey and white furniture, which brings a cozy element to the room. 

Lighting is also key in this living room, enhancing the different details and decor accessories throughout.

Don't you love the animal print rug, which brings that South African flavour to the space?

2. The open plan creation

House F, in Athlone Park, features a wonderful open plan design, showing us just how beneficial this style is.

This recently renovated home appears to be that much bigger because of the open plan nature of the design. The kitchen flows into the dining room, while the dining room flows into the living room. The rooms are subtly separated by a kitchen island between the kitchen and the dining room and a set of sliding doors between the dining room and the living room. This allows for privacy if need be.

Have a look at these: Tips for separating your dining room and kitchen.

2. A closer look at the living room

In the previous home, we saw how well a neutral colour palette works for a living room, but we just wanted to take you into the living room of this house to show you how you can add a splash of colour and charm here or there in the form of bright cushions or family photographs.

Remember that your home is an extension of who you are, so it should feature items that reflect your personality. Choose artwork that you love or a chandelier that reminds you of your childhood, for example.

3. The stairs

In this project, we come back to Simbithi Eco Estate, where the designers have used every element featured in this space to create a luxurious and entrancing home—including the functional items!

In this image, we we can see how the floating staircase completely enhances the living area, while connecting the ground floor to the second floor. 

Floating staircases are also wonderful choices in that they take up less space than chunky, solid staircases and they look beautiful too.

Have a look at the 10 most fabulous staircases for inspiration for your own home!

3. A kid's bedroom

We also want to take you into the kid's bedroom in this gorgeous home, to show you how much creativity and fun you can have in a space like this.

As you can see in the image, you can really afford to play with colours, patterns, themes and textures. You'll notice however, that the foundation of the room is neutral. The colours, patterns, themes and textures are introduced in the form of the linen and artwork. 

This is a great design tip! It means that when your child grows up, you simply need to swap out these elements rather than repainting the whole space or buying new furniture for the entire room.

4. Speaking of bedroom designs

Lastly, we take you into a boutique hotel designed by Margaret Berichon Design, which shows just how classic yet stylish a bedroom can be.

In this bedroom, the designers have featured a contemporary canopy with clean lines and a minimalist look and feel. This frames the beautiful white linen and cushy bed, which is enhanced by the touches of olive green that have been included.

Remember that you want to invest in lamps or lanterns in your bedroom, which will provide the space with a soft glow for a wonderful ambiance.

4. Darker shades

Don't be afraid to add darker tones to your bedroom, it can make for a very stylish and dramatic look and feel.

In this bedroom, we can see how white and black work together wonderfully. This is a great colour scheme to go for if you have lots of natural light flowing into the room.

Remember to also invest in bedside cabinets where books, phone chargers and other items can be stored neatly away. This will keep the room looking sleek, minimalist and organised.

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