BEAUTY SPOT

This bold Victorian home in Cape Town is a triumph of confidence in colour, peppered with nostalgic references

- LORI COHEN

'One of the reasons I decided to move was that I had run out of walls to put art on,' confesses Jocelyn Hellig. A new beginning deserved a new perspective.

So the busy doctor asked her friend, Interior Specialist and Founder of design firm Establishment, Dawid Augustyn, to help her transform the faded centenarian from its role as a practical guest house into a home that would highlight its heritage, while inviting in a sophisticated palette of energising colours and contemporary artwork.

'I just like stuff! Dawid knows how to put it all together and make it work,' Jocelyn confesses.

Dawid chose to treat the two floors of the semi-detached property differently. The ground floor has a moody aesthetic, characterised by jewel-toned rooms and dark-stained wood floors, while the upstairs is all about natural tones and nurturing textures.

Convincing Jocelyn to envelop the walls and ceilings in the same hues - a shamrock green in the case of the office and a deep rose for the foyer - wasn't difficult, says Dawid, because she was immediately sold on the idea of creating a dramatic entrance. Dawid compares the effect to that of treasure boxes coated in a singular shade and then filled with cherished pieces. 'Using only one shade to dominate the space also downplayed the pockets of art on the walls, so they didn't overshadow the room, Dawid explains.