For the owner of the popular Melkbos to Morocco boutique in Melkbosstrand style is a personal thing, and not something to get pedantic about. Melkbos.net quizzed Wayne Forsberg about coastal lifestyle and how it is reflected in our homes.

Melkbos.net: Does living on the coast influence the way we decorate our homes?
Forsberg: Very much so. It reflects in the houses. It’s all about texture and fabric and colour. A lot of people touch things (like the oh so soft Turkish towels on sale in the shop), and if it feels beautiful to the touch they choose it. The colours can range from white to soft pink to accents of deep turquoise and deep blue and red. A red accent door can really bring things together.

Melkbos.net: Describe your personal décor style.
Forsberg: We’ve used a very pure palette for our Melkbosstrand home. It ranges from white to sand with accents of duck egg blue.

Textures are important and range from very soft to coarse. I like contemporary furnishings and mixing it with old pieces. We have travelled extensively in the Mediterranean and bought pieces overseas. Every piece is a memory. It is the way that you place it and pair it…

Melkbos.net: Does your personal style reflect in the shop?
Forsberg: I like to surround myself with beautiful things. I like to come to work and have beautiful surrounds. I’m not a mall person. People are always looking for things they can’t find in the bigger stores. I’m trying to bring things to people that you can’t find there. Melkbos to Morocco is a concept. I tried to create a space where everybody can find something. Prices range from R35 to R3500 for an amethyst bracelet, which the owner would be lucky to have.

Melkbos.net: Is less more?
Forsberg: This is a bit of a loaded question! It’s all about personal taste. In some spaces over the top is right. Our chandeliers are beautiful individually. When paired they become a feature.

Melkbos.net: Did you decorate your houses on Atlantic Beach Estate and in Yzerfontein in a similar way?
Forsberg: Our home on the Atlantic Beach Estate is more travel oriented. My favourite piece was bought in Santorini from Santorini Art Glass; a beautiful little shop on top of a hill. It is a sculpture of a seahorse. It was made from bronze and crystal and driftwood. Marguerite, the owner, shipped it to us. It arrived here after about two and a half months.
The palette of the house at Yzerfontein has more of a seaside feel. An artist from Newlands created the ‘Visman’ sculpture for the garden. It is 1.8 m tall and was made from cement (and a structure of wood and chicken wire).

Melkbos.net: Does style have to do with self-confidence?
Forsberg: A lot of people are afraid to mix old and new contemporary pieces. They think they can’t get it right.

Melkbos.net: Current trends that you are celebrating?
Forsberg: People are mostly looking for a raw, organic DIY vibe. You’d take an older piece that is ornate and mix it with something contemporary. It’s all about texture and fabric, soft furnishings. Organic cottons and bamboo are very trendy. (From Melkbos to Morocco stocks hand loom woven organic bamboo and cotton towels.) Over the top pieces have become a massive trend in jewellery.

Melkbos to Morocco, Belzac Centre,
6th Avenue.