Smart material choices that transform ordinary rooms into extraordinary spaces
Tips from Julia Finnis-Bedford of Habitat by Amazing Spaces on what materials to use that will transform your home into an extraordinary space, one fit for Hollywood movies.
15/12/2025
Julia Finnis-Bedford, founder of Habitat by Amazing Spaces, knows what makes spaces memorable. For 25 years, her film locations agency based in Cape Town, has connected international film crews shooting major blockbusters with South Africa's most stunning properties. Now, through her new property development division, she's applying those insights to residential design. Her debut project, Sillery Oaks in Constantia, demonstrates how thoughtful material selection elevates spaces from merely attractive to genuinely memorable. Here's how to make smarter material choices in your own home.
Choose engineered over solid for high-humidity areas
Engineered oak flooring maintains authentic grain and character whilst resisting humidity challenges. Unlike solid wood, which warps and gaps in fluctuating conditions, engineered options provide dimensional stability without sacrificing aesthetics. At Sillery Oaks, engineered oak flooring from Lalegno runs throughout, chosen for its dimensional stability and rich, honeyed tones. Look for rich, honeyed tones that create warmth. The investment pays off in longevity and reduced maintenance anxiety.
Create visual tension through material contrast
Contemporary steel frames paired with traditional roof cladding creates the kind of tension that gives buildings presence. This deliberate contrast between modern structure and heritage finish works because it's intentional.
Turn security features into sculptural elements
Timber security panels function as art, casting ever-changing shadows whilst serving their protective purpose. Security doesn't have to mean ugly bars or heavy gates. Gates and balustrades should add character without severity. Materials matter here, wood, powder-coated steel and bronze all age beautifully whilst providing protection.
Use colour as a material
Painting an entire room black including all joinery creates a cocooned retreat where outdoor views become more vivid by contrast. The dark envelope doesn't need to feel oppressive, but it rather makes the world outside feel more alive. If full commitment feels too bold, try painting one wall and all trim in the same deep colour. This works particularly well in rooms with good natural light or strong garden views.
Layer texture floor to ceiling
Textured wallpaper wrapped floor to ceiling transforms spaces into studies in contrast. In the guest bathroom at Sillery Oaks, the space is wrapped floor to ceiling in textured wallpaper by Cara Saven Wall Design, all nature-influenced, vintage-leaning, with Green Tag Certification. "The textured finish creates an almost organic feel. Paired with a floating oak counter and matte black basin, the room becomes a study in contrasts," highlights Finnis-Bedford. Nature-influenced patterns with Green Tag Certification prove sustainability doesn't mean sacrificing aesthetic ambition.
Float heavy elements
Downstairs at Sillery Oaks, a floating white cement shelf anchors the living room, topped with a wood burner. Industrial materials can feel warm when proportioned correctly, and floating them creates visual lightness even when using heavy materials. It can also make the room feel more spacious whilst adding contemporary edge.
Work with specialists who understand material relationships
Specialist partnerships ensure materials work together rather than competing. At Sillery Oaks, Creative Designs provided gates and balustrades that add security without severity, Dexter Projects delivered precision joinery craftsmanship, and Lavender Thyme handled landscaping that feels like an extension of the architecture itself.
Edit ruthlessly
The most successful material palettes are edited. Each material should serve a purpose and relate to the others. Too many different surfaces, finishes and textures create visual chaos rather than interest. Choose three to five main materials and stick with them throughout your space. Engineered oak flooring, black matte finishes, textured natural wallcoverings, white cement and warm timber might form your palette. Introduce new materials only when they genuinely add something essential.
Conclusion
The homes that feel genuinely distinctive rather than just expensive are those where material choices work as coordinated wholes. Where steel relates to oak, where black joinery anticipates matte fixtures, where textured surfaces echo organic landscaping. This requires more thought at the planning stage but delivers spaces with genuine character.
For more go to www.amazingspaces.co.za