Marianne has worked in the design & décor industry for more than two decades, across both residential and commercial projects. From renovation and staging to art direction, her speciality lies in the beautification of spaces and products.
About
Marianne
Marianne’s passion for interiors was shaped by her Dutch mother, who instilled in her a love for art, culture, and the transformative power of design. Initially working as a stylist in film, she remained in the beauty industry for more than two decades, lending her art direction and writing skills to numerous publications and brands, including Femina, Woolworths, Oprah, Destiny, Sh'Zen and Aloe Unique.Later, she trained with a Cape Town-based interior designer, and has since bought, renovated, and sold multiple homes since. She finds beauty in restoration and the unique patina that time bestows upon well-sourced pieces, with her speciality lying in the beautification of spaces and products.
Design & Décor
Born into a creative family and long appreciative of all things design and décor related, Marianne has immersed herself in the industry for more than 30 years. From cosy home nooks to large commercial spaces and events, she takes pleasure in the realising the potential of any space, having designed, styled & curated a broad spectrum of work.
Design + Concept
Concept development & mood boards
Space planning & layout design
Material & finishes specification
3D Visualisations & renderings
Sourcing + Development
Furniture, lighting & décor selection
Custom design elements (bespoke furniture, textiles, joinery, etc.)
Procurement & supplier coordination
Budget planning & cost control
Implementation + Styling
Project management & site coordination
Installation oversight
Final styling & décor placement
River House
A river runs through it! A comprehensive renovation of a mid-century home in Timour Hall.
Mountain View
Creative direction and staging of a mostly cosmetic update of a Tokai home.
Glenugie
A southern suburbs home that underwent a major update, with styling and staging ahead of listing for sale.
Strathmore
A large Camps Bay home make-over with a little creative finesse.
Arcadia
Light renovation and staging assistance for a Fresnaye property that predominantly caters to short term rentals.
Green Point
I worked with Kundra Bowley to add a little Soul to this Green Point residence.
Woodbridge Island
A collaborative project in Woodbridge Island, we renovated a holiday apartment for its predominantly London based owner with emphasis on 'coastal calm'.
Dolphin Beach
Kundra Bowley and I created a rustic, beach themed result for a European client's formerly dark and cluttered holiday apartment in Dolphin Beach.
Zwaanswyk
A new build in Zwaanswyk, I provided creative direction and staging services ahead of the property's listing for sale.
Fountain Road
In support of a quick sale, a budget & time conscious light renovation of a mid-century Bergvliet home.
Renovation + Staging
River House
This mid-century suburban home in Timour Hall offered a quite unique renovation opportunity, ticking some important boxes for me. Good bones and potential for improvement; great natural light to work with; a beautiful garden nook within a lush setting... and a river running through the plot!
Such a special place- who can resist starting and ending a day with a river flowing beneath your feet! My task was to frame it all beautifully whilst ensuring improved usability. Good energy abounds...
Before + After
Built in 1957, the house hadn't seen much change over the years. Inside, some of the enhancement included:
- Removal of a small entrance hall, with a new front door location and subsequent opened up living area.
- Removal of a wall formerly dividing the living space and original two adjacent bedrooms.
- Repositioned new kitchen with center island. This helped create the new second bedroom and office nook areas.
- New family bathroom.
- Single garage converted to third bedroom, whilst maintaining a covered car-port and open secondary area in front of the home.
Before + After
The master bedroom retained its original dimensions, while it's en-suite bathroom was totally remodelled. Bigger windows let light in - and views out - toward the garden, a treat while ensconced within. Outside, one walks onto the newly raised entertainment area, leading to a wooden deck.
Before + After
Outside, the home shines, with a serene and lush natural setting. The river runs beneath a newly expanded deck that expands the (raised and levelled) entertainment area and provides access to the opposite garden. A concrete bench and patio was built into its corner, with a small 'bar' area overlooking the river on the opposing side. Maximum relaxation.
Renovation + Staging
Mountainview
I assisted my partner on the renovation and staging of his suburban home, using a combination of our own items as well as new fittings and treatments.
Before + After
A clean and largely white palette - paired with minimalist yet warm tones - took inspiration from the Hamptons, while also embracing the north facing property's abundant light. This also helped enhance the 3 bedroom home's fairly small footprint.
The completed residence below shows how relatively understated changes can transform a property that retains most of its existing floor plan and structure. Enhancing the liveability and making maximum use of the beautiful natural light was a key goal.
Renovation + Staging
Glenugie
A fairly significant Tokai home renovation. As well as substantial opening up of the lounge space and kitchen area, the home was expanded up into the ample roof space, adding a second level. This area has since been utilised as a new master bedroom.
Outside is a new pergola framed patio, with french doors opening out from two of the bedrooms. Finally, a 7 x 3m pool was incorporated into the front garden area.
Spending some time living in the home during renovation, I got to experience the glorious light that poured into almost every room. A new pool in the front garden area completed the picture.
Before + After
The home had remained unmodified for decades, with a very compartmentalised interior layout. I opened the living space up, maximising the abundant natural light offered by the north facing orientation. Every bedroom would later have French doors opening out onto the garden/ pool area.
Design + Décor
Strathmore
A luxurious home along Cape Town's beautiful Camps Bay coastline, its owners sought to update the design and décor for most of the holiday residence. Clean, structured architectural volumes were softened with a subdued palette and warm, relaxing décor elements. The curated homeware complemented this approach, also incorporating a number of African aspects.
– Collaborative project with Kundra Bowley
We sought out the play of light on softly textured walls ~ adding subtle dynamism without distracting from the beautiful views.
Originally designed as a minimalist contemporary home, the new owners were keen to introduce a more relaxed Ibiza feel. A neutral palette that had to incorporate a few of the owners’ own pieces set us into sourcing soft woods, neutral fabrics and typical African grasses to create a calming atmosphere, with contrasting texture and tactile sensations throughout.
Aged Indian doors and the odd tree fern added an almost spiritual space at the back of the home, while carefully selected furnishings and lined up Mokoros added to the feel.Below, a gallery showing a few more shots of the property.
Renovation + Staging
Arcadia
I oversaw the renovation & staging of this sea facing Fresnaye property within a tight year-end window. It's new owners sought a cleaner canvas from which to further personalise their home, while allowing part time AirBnB use.With the house having been built in the year 2000, and essentially not touched since, extensive work was done before any cosmetic touches could be considered.
Finally, the home was staged with a mixture of new and existing furniture for its intended rental requirements.
Design + Décor
GreenPoint
This client desired an uncluttered, honest aesthetic for his contemporary home, with a few detail colour and textural elements being added as the project progressed. The images here are not the final product but provide insight into the look and feel created.
– Collaborative project with Kundra Bowley
Design + Décor
Woodbridge Island
Inspiration for this sea-side apartment came from the surrounding beauty outdoors. A contemporary and uncluttered aesthetic with a relaxing ambiance defined our project goals.
The home is used only occasionally, with furnishings kept relatively minimalist (while retaining a sense of warmth) and yet still offering a low maintenance, lock up & go lifestyle.
– Collaborative project with Kundra Bowley
The interior uses a natural palette and materials, with shells and other beach sourced elements maintaining a holiday feel.
Design + Décor
Dolphin Beach
Another sea-side project for an Austrian client. A keen windsurfer, he wanted his apartment converted into a space that evoked a beach shack in look and feel, while introducing a strong retro twist. Original pieces were sourced along with unusual items such as Argentinian tiles and a carved slate butler’s sink in the kitchen- all indicative of the eclectic mix of organic, retro and new. The project took four months to complete.
– Collaborative project with Kundra Bowley
Before + After
The unrenovated apartment was dark and rather gloomy- we added pale tones and maximized light as far as possible, lending to the beach house theme. The kitchen was opened up, improving usability and flow through the space.
Design + Décor
Zwaanswyk
I oversaw the build of this 3 bedroom home, selecting fittings, hard and soft furnishings, materials and finishes. Originally a garden cottage, it's been expanded into a second dwelling on a 970m2 plot.
Together with the owners, we aimed for a relatively minimalist final result, whilst still retaining a sense of warmth and tried making optimum use of the leafy Zwaanswyk surroundings.
Development
Completed residence
Renovation + Staging
Fountain Road
With an owner in need of a quick sale, this staging project required fairly extensive neatening up (let's say mini-renovation) of a beautiful mid-century suburban home. It hadn't had much upkeep, with most rooms, fittings and decor being unchanged for decades. With limited budget and time constraints, we focussed on areas that played to the home's fundamental strengths.
The Bergvliet home opened up onto a large outdoor entertainment area, also receiving a bit of TLC. Finally, I staged the place within what was possible ahead of the first viewings...
Before + After
I spent six weeks on the project, and am pleased to say the home sold on the first day of being on the market, and for a price well above its initial pre-reno valuation.
Creative Direction
Marianne’s work in creative direction has grown naturally from her experience in the beauty and editorial world. From early concept ideation through to styling and art direction on set, she enjoys the process of elevating a brand or product through thoughtful visual storytelling. Whether working on campaigns, product shoots or events, she has a strong instinct for bringing the right elements together to create imagery that feels considered, cohesive and beautifully resolved.
Concept + Visual language
Creative direction & concept development
Mood boards & visual references
Casting & talent direction
Styling + Production
Set design & scene styling
Wardrobe, props & jewellery curation
Creative team direction
Shoot direction + delivery
Production planning & shoot management
On-set art direction
Post-production oversight
Campaign rollout
Creative Direction
Mo&co
Mo&Co is a newly reestablished brand umbrella for a wonderful skincare product I've used for years -Mo's hand & body cream.
It's made from a decades-old family formula of ingredients, passed down across generations, and resulting in a soothing, subtly fragrant and refreshing aqueous cream. Having worked in the beauty industry for many years, and having been so impressed with the product, I became involved in rebranding and product shoots.
We updated Mo&Co's branding, beginning with a new logo and label for the existing cream vessels, before adding a little polish to the new website and social aesthetic establishing a tonal consistency for them to run with.
Creative Direction
Aloe Unique
I worked with natural skincare specialists Aloe Unique for a period of time, styling their beautiful products together with Jade Scully.
We primarily focussed on content creation with the aim of enhancing their social media presence, as well as overseeing the development of their website and related media liason.These are just a few sample shots from this period.
Creative Direction
Sh'Zen
For close to a decade, I worked with Sh'Zen, art directing product and model shoots that showcased their expansive product range as beautifully as possible.
I also designed and co-ordinated many company events, sourcing décor elements, styling and establishing an appropriate ambiance in line with the brand.
Below are a small selection of images showing some of the work undertaken.
A beautiful you, naturally.
Sh'Zen's products are comprised of all natural ingredients, a core element of the brand's appeal and success across several decades, with many of my working themes taking influence.
