Beauty at The Beach – The Conchilla Project, Ballito

Dale and his team worked on an exciting project in trendy beach front town, Ballito. The area was in dire need of an upmarket addition to its restaurant and bar offering. Dale worked with the brief ‘Barefoot Luxury’ and created an upmarket space with a very approachable feel.

The owners Fabien and Diogo gave Groundfloor the brief and we ran with design concepts that would create an upmarket yet approachable space. Bearing in mind the coastal surroundings we used a very neutral base, with a pop of coastal colour in things such as the bar front tiling and booth seating – and the mural artist (Friso Van der Wal) also worked with the coastal colours from the design presentation. Pattern and texture were created from floor to the ceiling and there are many design points of interest throughout the space. The key was to have an interesting interior without going over the top and creating visual clutter.

In this Project Ground floor Interiors successfully interpreted an IT ‘theme’ conceptually into a contemporary space , which reflects the vision and mission of the Systems department .

Umhlanga based hair salon. We kept the design natural and simple.

Our Brief from Volvo:

Design a pod inspired by the Volvo S60 and Safety.

“Everyone knows that Volvos are safe. But how many people know Volvo created the first laminated glass windscreen or the 3-point safety belt that still secures drivers and passengers around the world and in every make of car?  The Volvo S60 embodies this proud tradition, earning the best rating in IIHS’s new “small offset’’ frontal crash test. Its city safety feature pays attention – even when you don’t – by monitoring traffic ahead and braking for you to avoid any collisions. And Pedestrian Detection technology keeps an eye out for any people who might cross your path. The Volvo S60 – a luxury car that’s smarter and stronger, in all the right places, for all the right reasons. A drivers’ car that moves like no Volvo before.”

Test driving the S60 and Volvos out of the box thinking pattern motivated our choice to design an office space which would more than likely be inhabited by a successful individual, rather than a traditional living area such as a lounge or a bedroom. 

We used Charcoal as a base colour inspired by a tar road, and black and yellow accents derived from the safety patch on a crash test dummy, we have included subtly inspiration from the windscreen and grill in a range of clear Perspex panels and the Volvo iron mark in this medium too.

In terms of the other finishes we were captivated by the classic elegance and class of the driving experience and actual interior of the car, with the use of matt silver in furniture accents, hard wood walnut floors and black leather. The classical elegance we incorporated in a fun way, by using 2 ball and claw visitors’ chairs that are duco sprayed yellow.

What makes beautiful design?

Beautiful design is created by using all the basic Elements and principles of design, which are Space, Line, Colour, Shape, Texture, Form, Value, Unity, Harmony, Contrast, Variety, focal point, Balance, Proportion and functionality.

In the stand we have incorporated all of these principles and elements to create an aesthetically pleasing environment that is functional and comfortable. 

The most challenging aspects of this unique project:

The most challenging aspect of the task was creating an environment that is functional, aesthetically and practically without using the word “SAFETY” too literally, causing a themed design.