Little jewel box

TEXT JULIA FREEMANTLE

Designer John Jacob’s 360 degrees turnaround of a compact Fresnaye apartment yielded the ultimate boudoir space finished with gemstone tones and luxe textures.

For a designer, a project without a brief is an open-ended invitation to push the envelope just that little bit further than they might usually have done. This was certainly true for designer John Jacob in a renovation of an apartment in an Art Deco block in Fresnaye, Cape Town.

With no client (the aim of the project was resale), it was an opportunity for John to forge ahead in a new direction and experiment a bit.

‘Not having any restrictions on what the end result had to be made it possible to be lighter about the whole process and have more fun with it,’ he explains.

The apartment was chosen for its capacity for architectural redefinition, but that said, there were limitations on what was allowed – the facade of the building was not to be altered, for example, so John started by looking at ways in which he could work around the features he couldn’t change and maximise improvement where it was possible.

Economies of scale

The relatively compact was not being helped by its layout and the lack of space was compounded by mean rooms and inelegant finishes. The designer’s first port of call was, as always, to strip it and start from scratch, getting the basics right. He then asked himself: ‘What would make this space one I’d be happy to live in?’

His approach centred on opening up the spaces to make fewer, large rooms which- counterintuitive though it may seem – created a sense of luxury, not unlike that of a sophisticated hotel suite. The kitchen is consequently dressed as a living space with art and carpeting. In the master bedroom John removed the wall separating it from the living area and instead added shutters.

‘I wanted the room to have the benefit of the living space as well, but also be able to be closed off and private,’ he says.

For fittings and finishes, he employed the principle of proportion (something of a calling card for the designer) and made the most of the existing high ceilings by accentuating the vertical proportions – with floor to ceiling cupboards and curtains, and large scale artworks – the end result a tailored, buttoned up sense of resolve. Windows that couldn’t be removed were masked by tail shoji screens, a masterful solution that adds to the boudoir feel of the space.

From the curtaining to the carpets, every detail was painstakingly selected – in terms of size and style – down to custom furniture John had designed. And although some of the pieces are new, they have the solidity and integrity of the period they were inspired by. Others were sourced from galleries and mid-century specialists – a new experience for John who usually trawls antique shops.

Looking back

A champion in symmetry and an expert in putting together a neoclassical look, this jewel box of a space is a bit of a departure for John, and one that drew on an entirely new source of inspiration.

The departure points to a desire to experiment with elements of the mid-century and Art Deco eras, you can see their low-strung and stylised, streamlined shapes in the furniture, while contrast between high-gloss surfaces and plush fabrics – velvet upholstered chairs offsetting a black lacquered dining table – offer up some of the 1930s sense of theatre.

The palette too, inspired by Linnware vessel, is a nod to both periods – strong but subdued, with few but striking colours. Black and charcoal set a dramatic tone, with emerald green, rich garnet and saffron offering era-appropriate richness.

‘Initially, the scheme was going to be monochromatic, but as I went further into the project I realised it felt unfriendly, so I improvised,’ says John of his uncharacteristic use of colour. A bold course for a bold space, which proves that sophistication need never be static.

Read more John Jacob Interiors Magazine features here…