Question: In spite of all our freedom
 these days, people are still being
  evaluated by their LIFESTYLE, is that
not so? How would you define style?

Ferdi: Yes, I'm afraid lifestyle is still too inhuman a matter in society, and often used to judge others by. Doing that however, is ever more seen as bad style. And hopefully soon, we will all see what bad style it is to let our fellow humans and animals go hungry. To answer your other question - I think style is impossible to define, in essence. It is such an abstract and personal thing. It is like calling certain people "stylish". What unique quality do they have? I don't know - but I certainly notice and enjoy it.

Better would be, to use style as a tool - a useful technology - instead of making a personal value issue of it. Investigate existing styles to find out what appeals to you. This will already zoom in more on what is right for you. Then combine these styles in a new way, to create fresh perspectives. The mind and heart have to work together. Choose styles that suit your way of living: a lifestyle that reveals

something about the truth of yourself, as opposed to a show-off that comes straight from some international glossy magazine - but that might not suit your personality, or that is just not comfortable to actually live in. That would be essentially creating an illusion, whereas if you asked yourself what you truly like, it could result in a more appropriate interior - or wardrobe, car, music collection and so forth.

Question: So one should mix and match freely?

Ferdi: Yes and no. There is nothing wrong with choosing a specific style and doing it well. The Tuscan style is very popular at the moment, and as a style it is well established, with many clues that can be followed. But it must be kept in mind that the Tuscan style itself (to use it as an example) developed over hundreds of years, through exposure to other cultures that made contact with that region of Italy. The Romans already traded extensively with India and Africa. So the Tuscan style is already a rich fusion of influences that grew into the distinct style that we know today.

I would suggest the use of tongue-in-cheek contrasts and unusual combinations to create something unique and individual, but to maintain a profound sense of harmony. All the parts should work together to create a seamless whole. This is where the input of

interior specialists can be very useful: to give clients the freedom to be bold enough, combining styles in an exciting way but to still achieve that harmony. Let us be honest: if you are not careful with the mixture of styles the result can look garish and fragmented. On the other hand, blindly following an existing style can result in a stagnant look - leaving little room for creativity. The key here is balance.

Question: Describe your own style.

Ferdi: It is well put by an Arabian proverb, "When the dwelling is finished, there death enters." A house must always remain unfinished. Change is essential, in keeping with the owners' changing tastes and lifestyle. Otherwise death enters: that is to say, people's lives easily stagnate when their environment is not "alive". There are several factors that influence the way a home is designed. One's family first grows, then later the children leave the house, one might start working from home, the scale on which one entertains might change, etc. Taste also develops. Styles that would never have been considered at one stage, could later become appealing.

I have a chameleon-like approach to decoration, always seeking new input. It is important for me to work in new styles, because that is one sure way to grow artistically. Light and transparency are other key elements. I like glass and mirrors: the ways mirrors reflect light and glass absorbs it, turning almost opaque. Interiors should be inspired by nature. My ideal interior is an open loft-like space that contains all the public functions: kitchen, dining room, living room and study. This space should have huge windows and/or doors that open up onto the garden. The interior then becomes almost secondary in importance to the exterior. One can be inside while still being able to appreciate the constant changes taking place in nature: the sound of the wind in the leaves, the birds in the trees, the changing light quality etc. The presence of water is also important. The sound is calming and it creates a cooling effect in

warm weather. Other people also see it like this - with a result that the boundaries between house and garden are becoming blurred.

Question: You often seem to be on a social mission - with lifestyle, of all things?

Ferdi: For sure. I travelled widely in Africa and Europe, absorbing different cultures and ways of doing things. I am now helping people, as my respectable job, to apply here in South Africa the clever ideas I have seen and learnt there. After all, they learn from us too. Our designers even get work there - not to mention: winning their greatest prizes.

Back home we today have the world's most progressive Constitution and (of all the countries) the fewest foreign enemies. We have the best weather, no serious earthquakes or hurricanes - you name it. What we still need to do is to be more grateful for this wonderful South Africa and accept it as our home, to become citizens, to renovate and move in. Some think they have achieved this, as they display much wealth. You then have to look after it, but does it also look after you? - that is the lifestyle question.

So, let us start at home; it can be made good for your heart, mind, and soul. Why remain without it? Any home is valuable, and should be optimised for best use, so that it can do the most for us. Government is doing well, but can't be expected also to develop our lifestyles - let alone change our hearts. Those who know how to do such things are but few, and should not neglect their duty. This country can become one that is good for lovers, idealists, inventors, artists, and even a refuge for the broken hearted - a truly civilised country.

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