Amber Percheron, Cape Winelands

If there’s such a thing as the perfect client, Ruth is it. She gave me complete creative freedom—absolute carte blanche—and with that kind of trust, you can’t help but give more of yourself to the work. It brings out the best in me, and it was a true honour to create something so personal and layered for her.

The concept for Amber Percheron was born from a quiet, almost serendipitous moment: a collection of whiskey bottles sitting on the dining table, catching the afternoon light just right. The sunlight filtered through the glass, casting a rich, golden hue across the space—and in that instant, the palette for the home revealed itself.

That warm amber glow carries throughout the interiors: bronze-tinted mirrors, cascading amber glass chandeliers, softly textured wallpapers, and golden undertones woven into the curated fabrics and finishes. The living and dining areas are open and serene, grounded by natural light and a quiet sense of sophistication. One particularly satisfying moment in the project was “disappearing” a particularly awkward structural column by cladding it in tinted bronze mirror—transforming an obstacle into a subtle architectural feature.

A particularly meaningful layer in the space is a deep turquoise Persian rug, originally sourced for Ruth and Fred in a previous home. While the brief for Amber Percheron was fresh and contemporary, the rug carried deep sentimental value. We repurposed it here as a grounding anchor, threading its jewel-toned richness through subtle accents in the space. A beloved painting from Ruth’s collection was also reimagined—reworked to carry echoes of the same turquoise, unifying old memories with new intention.

The bathrooms shift in tone—deep greys, timber slatting, expressive stone vanities, and sculptural lighting create a moody, intimate elegance. Brass detailing brings warmth and cohesion, echoing the golden hues found in the main living spaces.

Over the years, Ruth has also built a collection of Lindsay’s paintings. As the final layer of this project, she commissioned a new work to celebrate the completion of the interiors. Her brief: a whimsical fynbos landscape. The result was Happy Valley Road, painted in 2024. When Lindsay presented the finished piece, Ruth described it as “the cherry on top”—a perfect ending to a project built on trust, light, and a shared love of beauty.