Flamingo Palace
Brixton, Johannesburg
The Flamingo Palace is a joyful reaction to bland home renovations and painting buildings black and grey.
“It’s a little wild, but also pragmatic and disciplined.”
Thorsten
The Flamingo Palace is the new home of writer and photographer Heather Mason and architect Thorsten Deckler. When Heather arrived with a box of old Lieberman tiles for their new bathroom, the project became all about thrifting, and they set off to source salvaged doors, plumbing fittings, and lights from all over Johannesburg, but also reused existing timber and burglar bars from the site. The result is a home that feels intimately theirs, built from pieces of the old house and the wider city.
Even though Thorsten has been an architect for 25+ years, they used the Mindful Design Approach to determine project priorities and budget before building.
“It was fun to use our own process, and it helped us stay on budget!”
Thorsten
Project team: Thorsten Deckler, Gabriella Shukor, Farzeen Wookey
Photographed by Heather Mason
“The first time I took a shower in this bathroom was amazing”
Heather
“Adding a second bathroom was our main priority. But we also tackled a couple of issues that made the house odd. Now the house feels almost more original than before.”
Heather
