Club Tropicana

Happy 2018 to all y’all! I’m very excited to kick off the new year with this bang-bang-banger of a house and a few pineapples thrown into the mix. The first time Lesley Sykes (an old university pal) invited me over to chat about some pieces for their new home it was still a complete building site, and it’s been mind blowing to see how it’s transformed into something truly magnificent.

When the couple headed back to South Africa from the UK they spotted a run-down Victorian in Sea Point and it was love at first sight. The convenient positioning was a huge pull for them and as Lesley says ‘we can go days without getting in our cars’. The space also reminded them of their home in London (which they loved) and it was obvious that the high ceilings and good bones would allow them to create something great. Together with property-developer husband Rupert, they have transformed this double story Victorian into an epic city home.

Photography by Cindy Taylor.

The entrance area has retained an original brick wall which blends beautifully with the fresh modern interior. The sofas are from a second-hand shop in Woodstock (which has subsequently closed) re-upholstered in Home Fabrics fabric. The coffee table is The Lark from Stokperd. Ps – see how many pineapples you can count throughout the house : )

The kitchen fit-out was done by Spotlight Kitchens and barstools are Mr Blondes from Stokperd.

The kitchen faces onto a vertical garden created by SavScapes.

The dining room is all black magic and voodoo-esque. The dining room table is a solid oak Twiggy from Stokperd and the chandelier is a Willow. Framed photographic prints by Krisjan Rossouw.

Drinks trolley from Stokperd

Two things that really struck me about this home is that I didn’t see a single wire anywhere (my absolute dream come true) and the use of storage is pure genius. Being a propery developer, Rupert is an old hand at demolishing spaces to create new ones and with the help of architects Diana and Clinton Grobler he has completely outdone himself here.

If had my way I would lock myself inside this guest bathroom and never leave. All the fittings were sourced through Sandy sandy@sanware.co.za . The tiles are from Quadrata and the mirror set is an antique find.

The pink paint is Plascon “beautiful pink” and towels are from Mungo.

William’s playroom below, the vintage posters from The Palms Centre, the rug is from Hertex and beanbag by Lula.

Les says their biggest renovation tip is making sure you have a guru to lay your moroccan tiles, they had a nightmare with these. Follow me upstairs!

The main bedroom below, see how many pineapples you can count.. Les explains: ‘Our love affair with pineapples is certainly a tad out of control! Ha ha. We just both love them. We first used the window frosting design on a house in London that Rupert renovated and people kept knocking on our door asking us for the details. Ru says it’s because he sometimes prickly on the outside but always sweet on the inside.’