DESIGNING for dualities

Combining structure with inventive, slightly gritty elements, this Bishopscourt home reconciles two differing design approaches into a seamless whole

- text SHAI RAMA photographs MICKEY HOYLE

Embracing the distinctive architectural vernacular of Cape Town’s southern suburbs, this family home blends Cape Dutch revival, Victorian and contemporary elements to create a synthesis of past and present. Though newly built, the home honours the heritage of the area — offering a refreshing contrast to the ultramodern aesthetic found along the Atlantic Seaboard, a shift that Abi Brodie of Head Interiors relished. ‘The brief was to create a home that reflected two distinct, and at times contrasting, personalities and styles – without the result feeling conflicted,’ says Abi. ‘On one side, there’s a love for classic order and meticulous detail. On the other side, a more artistic and offbeat sensibility. The challenge was to make those worlds meet and to make sense in one cohesive space.’

Abi is a firm believer in bespoke design and allowing every element to fit perfectly in both proportion and personality, although a home made up solely of custom pieces can start to feel overly curated, almost sterile. The antidote is imperfection: a few vintage finds, collected over time, that ‘don’t quite match’. These unconventional pieces ground a space and give it soul. ‘It’s like meeting someone charmingly eccentric – their quirks make them instantly likeable. A room should feel the same way,’ Abi adds.