DAVID MUIRHEAD | THE TIMES THURSDAY 3 JULY 2014

STYLIN’ ITThursday July 3 | 2014The Times 15

ON THE INTERIOR

Putting on

the ritz

David Muirhead creates his heaven in the
heart of Sandton, writes Jenny Andrew

ACCLAIMED interior designer sourced in South Africa. He is
David Muirhead has finally currently working on a local
realised his long-held dream of owning a retail outlet.range of organic room fragrances, soaps and lotions.
As a seven-year-old he played He has found people who want
shopkeeper at a little store his interesting pieces in their homes
parents built for him at the don’t always want to hire an
entrance to their Drakensberg farm, and now he has opened the interior designer and often enjoy shopping themselves. The new
sophisticated Fine Living showroom allows them to make
showroom in Parkmore.individual choices.
The renovation has taken more than a year on a site that used to Muirhead started his career assisting Stephen Falke before
be a Portuguese restaurant and opening a small design studio in
other stores. After gutting the Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. An
interior, Muirhead added north- facing windows to flood the space interior he did for a game lodge caught the attention of Trisha
with light, and commissioned Jan Wilson of Wilson & Associates,
Blok from Blok Landscaping to and Muirhead relocated to
create a garden.Apart from the showroom, the Johannesburg to join her, spending five years there.
David Muirhead & Associates David Muirhead & Associates’
design studio is on the premises, hospitality projects include 54 on
as well as a bespoke function offering. A ballroom leading on to Bath, and they are involved with the link between the hotel and
an open terrace, an intimate The Mall of Rosebank, where
boardroom and a chic champagne Muirhead has envisioned the
bar are all available to hire.corridor as an exhibition area for
Muirhead says he “loves sourcing and developing new up-and-coming artists. The firm recently revamped The Palazzo
product”, and although he finds Hotel at Montecasino, bringing
travel inspiring, he doesn’t buy the rooms up to date and adding
internationally; everything in Fine Living is produced orantiques and art to passageways. ý www.davidmuirhead.com

CHECK: David Muirhead’s mix of modern and antique is shown off against Cole & Son’s Vivienne Westwood
Tartan wallpaper Pictures: VANESSA LEWIS

HOW TO WEAR Germany’s ubiquitous contribution to fashion after hanging up your heels

PENELOPE MASHEGOcan be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion, but chinos and a simple T-shirt. If the menswear look is not forwhen less is more. They can be worn with short dresses or shorts Olsen, Alexa Chung and Anne Hathaway have been spotted out
THE Birkenstock sandal trend is casual is definitely the best way you, then a maxi dress with or and shirts as the weather heats up.with their feet ensconced in
back, and it might have many to wear them.without a denim jacket makes the If in doubt, rock them with your Birkenstock heaven.
women relegating their stiletto heels to the backs of their closets.The classic two-strap Birkenstocks work best with the look come together well. A floppy hat ties up the look nicely.jeans for a disaster-proof fashion look.‘‘I am loving Birkenstocks with socks, especially the platform
The popularity of the androgynous look. They can be The thong-style Birkenstocks Celebrities including Kelly ones,” Osbourne recently told
orthopaedic sandal died down in worn with a tailored jacket,are perfect for casual comfortOsbourne, Mary-Kate and AshleyPerezhilton.com.
recent years, but it is making a comeback with top designers
such as Celine incorporating the
shoes into their runway shows.
Store manager at the Birkenstock branch in Cape
Town, Lauren Williams, said the
shoes have been very popular in
recent months.
“We’ve run out of stock because they have become so popular. The
classic two straps are the most
popular sellers,” she said.
Williams said about 30 pairs of the classic and thong-style
sandals have been sailing of out
the doors each week.
The ultra-comfortable shoesGROUNDED: Birkenstocks can be sexy in a surprising sort of way and can be dressed up or down as you like — with the added benefit of real comfort