A New York state of mind

PHOTOS Dook PRODUCTION Annemarie Meintjes WORDS Louis Boshoff

Accomplished interior-design consultant Reney Otto has brought cosmopolitan glamour to a Modernist house in Pretoria, reviving the architectural gem with tasteful refinement.

When a Seattle-born businessman decided to commit to an architectural wonder in one of Pretoria’s more established suburbs, he spared little thought for the home’s ruinous state or the refurbishment it would require. “I simply loved its Modernist spaces,” he says of the house that was designed by pioneering South African architect Wynand Smit in the late 1960s.

Happily, his good friend and grand dame of South African interiors Reney Otto was available to guide him through the restoration process. While the interior fittings and fixtures were badly in need of an upgrade, the structure itself needed little updating to bring it in line with its new owner’s high-speed lifestyle.

We didn’t have to sacrifice the integrity of the spaces as they are so flexible,” says Reney. “That’s the beauty of good design.”

She did, however, skilfully update the interiors and create a vision of cosmopolitan glamour with her hallmark attention to detail. “Everything was vrot – you should have seen the wooden beams!” she exclaims. “I couldn’t wait to see it fixed up.”

Reney, who has collaborated with some of South Africa’s top architectural teams on projects including FNB Bank City in Johannesburg, says she is ever-inspired by the energy of the late Estée Lauder, and another American icon, Carolina Herrera, has influenced her personal style. Her fashion sensibility is evident in much of her work. For example, she has developed a signature paint colour, dubbed Armani, in a neutral “greige” tone that imbues warmth in winter yet is cool in the abundant summer light.

Driven by her mantra, “Perfection is not impossible, merely improbable,” she confidently adapted herself to the architectural language of this house, marrying its original features with the owner’s idiosyncrasies to create a sophisticated, well-travelled look.

While Reney’s approach was far from conventional, she respected the architect’s original vision. For example, she kept the study as intended but added a library in one of the awkward adjoining spaces, thereby opening up the view to the swimming pool.

Preserving the significant architectural details of the house was a top priority and original wooden, stone and ceramic tile finishes were retained wherever possible, or complemented with similar materials. When the plumbing in a bathroom with original 1960s mosaic finishes had to be overhauled, the tiling was carefully removed and then neatly replaced, and the pattern of the new honed sandstone floor took its template from the existing wooden ceiling.

In the double-volume formal lounge, Reney had a custom-designed walnut unit installed on the long wall opposite the windows to house the owner’s growing collection of antique Asian collectables.

“I love clients with a passion for collecting art, antiques or even books,” she says. “If they don’t have a collection, I usually convince them to start one.” An enthusiastic collector herself, her globetrotting excursions are a large part of her design inspiration and she often picks out pieces for her clients on her travels.

Despite her considerable experience, Reney retains an energetic enthusiasm for all her projects. Her competence in working with modern and eclectic design doesn’t mean she eschews traditional values, though: “I should never have to ask where I can put my drink; the answer could be frightening.”

Reney Otto Interior Consultants 012 460 2116, reney-otto@mweb.co.za