The saying ‘money can’t buy you happiness’ surely applies to this homeowner. Her last home, an enormous apartment, was in a luxury development where one walked in and was instantly wowed by the high-end luxe that oozed sleek sophistication. ‘But it never felt like home,’ she says.
The beginning of this year saw a ‘360-degree change’ in her life. She moved out of the luxury apartment and bought this two-floor duplex maisonette which she has spent the last few months decorating. It is a world away from her last space with bold wall treatments and distinctive furniture. ‘But this is a home that reflects me,’ she says. ‘It has the “Ah factor” rather than the “Wow factor”, and that is what I was after.’
She bought the apartment brand new, and liked it for its abundance of light and the countryside views from the . ‘But it’s less than half the size of what I used to live in, so I needed to be careful how I used colour so it didn’t look small,’ she says.
To give herself more space, she closed off the balcony that leads from the , effectively extending the living room and creating an area that’s now a beautifully bright place to relax, with a view of the sky above. ‘As I have the roof terrace, I knew I wouldn’t miss the balcony, and it has made a real difference to the interior,’ she says.
The stand-out feature of the apartment, however, is the that spans one wall. ‘I saw it in a magazine, and it just fascinated me, and I had to have it,’ she says. ‘Because of it, I had to change the colour scheme I had planned and the furniture I had ordered.’
But it was worth it, the large-scale pattern of tropical plants and flowers giving the apartment real personality and warmth. The greenery is picked up throughout the space with indoor plants for a verdant feel throughout.
‘To complement it, I have kept the rest of the decor with an earthy feel,’ says the homeowner. ‘The
carpets are a natural fibre and the coffee table, my favourite furniture piece, is made from the stump of a tree.’
It all comes together to create a wonderfully comfortable home, that’s especially cosy at Christmas.
‘This place reminds me of the home I grew up in,’ says the homeowner. ‘I really enjoy living here – unlike where I last lived, I use every space, and I always look forward to coming home.’
