Portrait Of A Designer At Home

How honesty contributed to interior designer Dylan Thomaz’s picture-perfect idea of home

- Piet Smedy

I think we are looking for new kinds of connection through design, not in the monolithic sense but rather with individuals.’ And just like that, interior designer Dylan Thomaz encapsulates not only the theme of this issue but the unmissable zeitgeist in the industry right now.

It is this kind of realness, and more so, self-awareness, that translates from Dylan’s broader views to his personal space. ‘I’ve been living here for four years,’ says the designer of his Hout Bay home. ‘I go through periods where I feel things need to be updated and renovated, and this was one of them. I wanted to change it to be a space that feels safe and also just, you know, reflects who I am now, which is a constant evolution.’

That meant introducing panelling throughout, as well as updating the furniture pieces. Dylan’s home, which he shares with Emerson, his orange Roan Cocker Spaniel; Bella, his Golden Retriever; and his cat August, an Applehead Siamese, is strongly geared towards entertaining, so we also considered this.