A bit of this and a bit of that

Published Dec 19, 2014

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Durban - Sentiment, comfort and colour are the elements of design that Caron Mitchell has used in her cosy Forest Hills home of 15 years.

On top of her Christmas tree is a fairy knitted by her mother, adorning the walls of one of her guest bedrooms are artists’ palettes that belonged to her father-in-law, and proudly on display in her kitchen are ceramics she has made over the years and that have given her the greatest pleasure.

So while Mitchell flies across Africa creating canvases of practical, neutral spaces for commercial clients, she experiments at home.

She has no trouble turning a family heirloom turquoise, mixing and matching Sanderson linen and leather or, for that matter, framing ink drawings she bought from a homeless man and placing a sculpture by an esteemed artist, such as Anton Smit, in her pool.

Contrast is not the key, though Mitchell simply does what she likes and looks right to her trained eye.

The result is an eclectic mix of memories.

In the master bedroom, Indian-inspired wallpaper covers one half of the walls and large glass panes – overlooking the pool – the others.

The bed is not up against a wall, but rather is anchored by a headboard that doubles up as shelving at the back.

Another feature is a free-standing tub surrounded by glass so you can “soak” up the view of the garden as well.

In the darker of the guest bedrooms, Mitchell used a huge mirror near a window to maximise the light coming into the south- facing room. For this purpose, she also incorporated high bedside lamps.

In the sunnier room, she used weathered-wood wallpaper from Hertex for a rustic feel, pallets instead of a bed base and a crochet bedspread.

There is a story behind just about everything you see and a philosophy that a house filled with memories is what makes a home.

Omeshnie Naidoo, The Mercury

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