Eclectic Charm

A well-travelled reader proves it’s possible to combine a variety of styles with great success.

- Beatrice Moore-Nöthnagel

Although Jane Bergset, a travel agent, loves her job and has visited more than 98 countries, it’s here in Durban North that she loves to kick off her well-travelled shoes and take a much-deserved breather. But the influences of the world around her have truly made their mark; her home is a reflection of all that is special to her and it’s filled with many fond memories: a gramophone she lugged all the way back from Amman in Jordan, a traditional wooden figurine from Ghana, antique French linen from the United Kingdom, an old cupboard she bought in India when she and her husband, Sean, were backpacking through the country...

Yet there are no “sacred cows” in their home – it’s also a comfortable space for their teenage sons, Nicholas and Matthew, and four dogs: pugs Sushi and Simba, Yorkshire Terrier Squidgy and Smartie the Labrador.

The perfect blend

Not many people manage to tastefully combine different décor styles but it comes easily to Jane. She believes in having a blank canvas as a basis, so the wooden floors throughout are painted white, as are most of the wooden door- and window frames – with the exception of a few rooms that still boast the original timber detail.