This issue's winner: Rebia Bandlow

“Despite the many colours in my house, it’s as if the different textures and the overall atmosphere bring a sense of calm to my home. When I walk in here, a feeling of peace comes over me. And I think it is so important for someone to put their own stamp on their home.”

Rebia Bandlow has brought a unique style to her Windhoek home over the years. In this issue, we look at her kitchen, living room and music room.


Rebia Bandlow

HouseFinder’s interior designer, Aléza Mays, defines this style as Retro and Fusion, with the use of floral designs and colours that pop together (yellow cushions, yellow curtains, a pink kitchen and green sofas with floral motifs). The Eclectic style is also present, with the mixing of different eras and textures.

Rebia, your home is absolutely colourful and personality-driven. When did you realize that you really love bringing colours into your home?

Ever since I was little, because I always said I would like to become an interior designer, but we didn’t have such fields of study in Namibia back then. I wanted to go to South Africa, but my father insisted that I study education. Which of course I did. But education was not for me at all. Then I decided that I would practice interior design in my own house – and here you see the result.

KITCHEN

Your kitchen reminds one of Farmhouse mixed with the Glam Interior Style, looking at the cabinets and the crystal-like doorknobs. Glam with a touch of pink. Tell us about the colourful plates in your kitchen? Open shelves can easily look messy, but that’s not the case here.

Every December I sort out my entire house. Then I see what I have and what I don’t have. So I’ve collected a lot of colourful plates over the years and then I add another tint that I don’t have.

At one stage I was without a kitchen for a year and a half, because I decided to wait for my long-wished-for design. A kitchen is not something you can change every now and then.

Atmosphere Kitchens made my dream come true. I explained to them exactly what I wanted. And this is the fantastic result!

DINING ROOM

And the paint techniques that can be seen everywhere in the house?

Every now and then I do the painting myself, like the green accent wall in the living room where I used the cloth technique – you just wipe the wall with a paint cloth and end up with a random texture.

The fabric for the curtains in the living rooms and the textiles for the sofas and chairs – where did you get them?

I bought the fabric from a business that was in the Old Power Station (it no longer exists) and my sister-in-law did the sewing for me.

The fabric for the sofas came from Hertex in the Cape and a local upholsterer redid them for me. I chose the fabrics according to the hue of each room.

LIVING ROOM