With summer now in full swing, entertainment areas become increasingly important. Fun times spent with family and friends are intrinsic to the sociable South African culture, where entertaining at home is a way of life. Audi Snÿman from Audi Snÿman Interior Design talks about the different areas we can entertain friends and family.
Specific areas of significance include children’s fun areas like swimming pools, paddling pools and outdoor jungle gyms and exercise areas. While outdoor swimming pools are popular, we have seen a rise in the popularity of indoor swimming pools. Outdoor swimming pool fountains are also in vogue, creating a romantic atmosphere in the evenings.
One of the latest trends are outdoor patio hanging couches and poolside champagne bars. Gyms and saunas are popular areas, as are jacuzzis or hot tubs. Other favourite pastimes include playing pool, or watching sport on TV, or just hanging out in the bar area – often poolside or indoors.
Quite in at the moment is a bar that’s located next to an elevated lounge area which provides easy access for drinks or adjacent to a patio or boma area. The traditional braai or barbecue area remains popular, where easy access to the kitchen and living areas is critical in the design and layout of the home.
Outdoor fireplaces have become a staple in modern contemporary homes, with bespoke fire pits or patio fireplaces located in a boma-style setting specially curated by the interior designer for home owners. Bomas can be sunken or on ground level.
Communal gathering areas with family and friends include home cinemas, which provide fabulous entertainment in the summer or winter months. Besides conventional cinema seating, a communal bed for close-knit families has seen an emergence. It has become trendy to have self-help refreshment counters on hand at the cinema entrance in typical movie theatre style. Large varieties of sweets in canisters are often displayed, while popcorn and slushy machines provide movie snacks.
The South African lifestyle lends itself to different areas or rooms that flow and integrate into one another smoothly, creating even larger areas to accommodate even more guests. Cosy areas like intimate bar areas or beautiful personal closets have become popular too. Self-help spaces, like refreshment areas outside a home cinema or a sauna or gym, have fast become conversation pieces in modern luxurious homes. After all, interior design is about creating a personal space that is elegant and unique, allowing you to live your best life.
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