Designer spaces

A white-themed tea party in Anne’s garden. Adding festive flair to an uncluttered setting on her limewashed, weatherproofed table, Anne has suspended embellishments from the pergola above. The twig feature was designed by floral artist Helen Bellew. It is made up of a collection of long glass receptacles tied together, then filled with water and strands of jasmine. The fragrance of the jasmine and the glitter of the glass create a perfect ambience. The white chairs are woven from recycled fibre and can be left outdoors.

Two old school tables were given a second life with a coat of black paint and a solid slate top. Not a table to choose if you like changing your mind about where to entertain!

Inspired by something similar Anne saw in a garden in the Cotswolds in England, this wrought-iron bench was custom-designed to semi-encircle the tree. Behind the bench, a synthetic, maintenance-free fence with a willow-weave design screens off the neighbouring garden for additional privacy.

A pair of matching white daybeds in a synthetic weave, with cushions in strong shades of pink that echo the bougainvillea in the background.

Anne loves to create places of rest in different areas of her garden, particularly for picnics with her grandchildren.

A large garden in Edgerton in KwaZulu-Natal is where the talented and inspirational interior designer Anne York has chosen to reside. In spite of a busy professional life, Anne always finds time to enjoy the art of gardening and entertaining. Whether a big formal party, an intimate dinner or a casual family get-together, she pays as much attention to the setting as to the food.

Unlike designing a home or office, decorating tables gives her instant gratification. She puts it down to her theatrical background. ‘You choose your props, and away you go.’ The ‘props’, as she calls them, are many and varied. Anne is a collector and hoarder of beautiful and unusual tableware and decorative objets d’art that she combines and displays as the mood takes her. Her attention to detail and ‘setting the stage’ extends also to her garden.

A cast-iron lavabo is the focal point of a grouping of garden pieces in different metals, providing a change of texture.

‘“Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree …” I remember my father singing this to us as children. I have this in my mind as I garden.’

ANNE YORK