Modern meets vintage in this Joburg collector’s home

A contained cluster home in Melrose beautifully blends vintage goodies, modern style and its owner’s idiosyncratic tastes.

"I love the double volume, clean lines and open-plan nature,” says diamond jewellery wholesaler and designer Ruth Shapiro-Lewis of her Melrose, Johannesburg, cluster house. “We moved here in 2010 when I was pregnant and in a nesting phase – it was our first big home, ” she says. Artworks, antiques and the casual homeliness of family life enrich the living space, which Ruth shares with her two small sons, Camden and Mason.

It’s instantly apparent that Ruth has a sharp eye for design: there ’s a jet-black Gregor Jenkin table to greet you in the entrance hall, a custom-made Tonic TV cabinet and Dokter and Misses modular shelving in the colorful playroom.

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“I rarely buy things specifically for the house,” she says. “I buy what I love and then find a place for it afterwards.” The result is a harmonious mix of contemporary South African design with a bit of retro cool and a touch of classic style.

Ruth’s fondness for vintage gems is most certainly inherited from her father, whom she describes as a “crazy auction trawler”. He gave her many of the treasures in her house, including the lovely wooden Victorian display cabinet that is filled with colourful cut glass and crystal.

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Ruth has a penchant for collecting art deco and period vases, antique scales and old clocks. “I like the old-world charm and beauty of objects that aren’t really used any more,” she explains. A few pieces are valuable, such as an interesting bronze of Moses at the burning bush purchased (yes, by Ruth’s dad) on auction. And a favourite is the Victorian corner unit in the dining area, which is used as a drinks cabinet and was found after Ruth had spotted a similar one in Cape Town. “If there’s something I really want, I’ll try and find it,” she says.

In the living room, a peaceful atmosphere is engendered by a gentle all-white Peter Eastman artwork. “I commissioned something neutral,” says Ruth. The house is also peppered with friend and fine artist Gina Waldman’s artworks. The set of circular tapestries were a wedding present; another was created with needlepoint-embroidered napkins from Ruth’s mother.

Works by well-known ceramicist Shirley Fintz, a relative, also features: white doves take flight on the wall facing the front door and a statue of Ganesha perches in the playroom. The richly hued guest bathroom pays homage to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo: “I love her story,” says Ruth.

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Upstairs, Ruth enlisted Gina’s talents to create Camden’s magical montage wall, which includes a woodcut of an owl, a Bad Boy number plate and paintings by Peter Eastman. An Elvis light by Brett Murray adds a humorous touch.

In Mason’s mint-toned bedroom, Ruth is especially fond of a tiny, offbeat ink drawing found in Cape Town. An old wooden rocking horse from grandpa sits on the floor and vintage cars overflow from a transparent vase. “I saw that display idea in a magazine once, ” says Ruth.

Deep aqua permeates Ruth’s home office, lending it a sense of calm, and the desk from Block & Chisel is matched to tapestry chairs by Gina. The walls behind it are lined with feminine floral prints and printer’s trays from Uncle Tim’s Centre in Benoni - a true collector’s paradise.

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In the main bedroom, a fabulous Heath Nash metal hook hangs heavy with necklaces and beads. The minimalist black mobile was a gift, as were the Tretchikoff prints. The showstopper here, however, is a gorgeous vintage shop cabinet filled with much treasured items ranging from Sootcookie ceramic rabbits to vintage beaded bags, brushes and mirrors.

This house gleams with memories, photos and wedding gifts. “I thought that I might want to move after my husband passed away last year,” says Ruth. “But I’m happy here. Being in this house gives us all a sense of continuity.” Her home epitomises the wisdom that an innate sense of style comes not from adhering to trends or being concerned with commercial value, but from being oneself.

Ruth often rearranges things. “My environment is in flux, never static. I like to change things up,” she says. “Decor is a work in progress, just like life.”