DesignInc: Laws of attraction

A Joburg apartment owes its verve to bursts of colour, local contemporary art and its young owners' eye for eclectic pieces. By Nastasya Tay.

Joburg-based lawyers Dawood and Lauren Petersen defy any preconceptions of what those in the legal profession should look like. They're both young and dapper, with nary a whiff of a corporate boardroom aesthetic. Plus, they have an eclectic sensibility that finds expression in their avant-garde home.

After meeting as students in Cape Town, the lure of Joburg proved stronger than any other city in the world. The couple settled in Killarney, in an apartment that pays homage to simplicity punctuated with sharp design and restrained bursts of colour. But it hasn't always been this way.

When they moved into the building, the 198-square-metre flat was filled with salmon-coloured carpets, even in the bathrooms. "There were pelmets everywhere, it was rough," says Dawood. Happily, a renovation revealed parquet floors under the carpets. The couple also painted most of the rooms a clean white - barring the kitchen, bathroom and study, where they opted for cement screed walls - and kept the windows in their original frames.

The apartment is now spotless, with occasional slicks of graphic colour - fire engine-red cupboards in the kitchen, apple green in the bathroom, a bright yellow wall in the entrance. "We like to keep it simple," Lauren says.

Yet they both have an obvious love for beautiful things, and choosing individual pieces for their space is an ongoing project. "I source items and Lauren approves them," Dawood laughs.

"Nothing bling," says Lauren, "I love things that are old and big in character."

"Pieces that can defend themselves without overpowering each other," adds Dawood.

The walls are a celebration of South African contemporary artists - many of whom the couple count as friends. "I can't buy art where I can't hang out with the artist," says Dawood, who is himself a talented artist. A painting by Zander Blom looks over at a set of prints by Lerato Shadi and a black-and-white urban canvas by Quentin Williams, a final-year art student at Wits.

Dawood says before moving to Joburg he was stuck on "'big-name designer furniture", but now the couple's aesthetic focuses more on the history of each individual piece. "It's the first time I've owned classical furniture," he says. "I wanted to mix it up."

Perhaps this need for a shake-up has a lot to do with entering a new stage of life in Joburg.

"There's an energy," says Lauren, "but it's about being responsible, grown up."

For more on this home, visit www.elledecoration.co.za