The Ceder(berg) House Rules

Legendary interior designer Toni Tollman talks to House & Garden about her latest work at Bushmans Kloof ’s new villa, Cederberg House.

- Liz Morris

How has your vision of Cape country luxe developed from the work you did 10 years ago?

I think that one’s own personal style develops over time and I can see that evolution when I look back at the previous work I did for Bushmans Kloof. For this project it was about translating the environment into the interiors through colour. The villa was built on an existing structure that was on the land. This was a unique opportunity because I got a chance to start completely from scratch. I could build something from proportions that were there, but I could create new volume in the space.

But in many ways the villa still speaks true to your own style of interior design?

I love textures and I really got to play with them in this villa, whether it was with stone, leather or wood. Using the stark white walls as a starting point, I slowly introduced colour with art and various fabrics.

The space looks authentic without feeling overly bespoke, like it’s the home of real people that have decorated over a lifetime. What was your inspiration?