Known for creating detailed spaces that appear effortlessly composed, Gregory Mellor’s work ranges from Manhattan apartments to Southern African game lodges and Cape Winelands wellness retreats. Just under two years after receiving the Andrew Martin International Interior Designer of the Year Award (in 2023) — only the second African ever to receive this honour – Gregory speaks with the simple authority of someone who has spent two decades refining his craft across continents.

ON COMFORT

Comfort. It is critical. It is the most important factor — an uncomfortable interior is a failure. Not just physical comfort, but visual comfort too.

ON LUXURY

Is it about the materials, the craftsmanship, or something intangible?

Yes, it is all of those things. I think real integrity is luxurious, as is the ability to really make use of the space for its intended purpose. If the most luxe materials are used in a space without real purpose, the space will not function properly — for me, that is the opposite of luxury.

ON TIMELESSNESS

Your spaces seem to exist in a perpetual golden hour, untethered from many design calendars. How? 

I think a sense of authenticity and timelessness comes from a few things — honest answers to architectural issues and making sure that architectural interventions are believable; building a strong relationship between the building and its context; between the décor and the building; and, most importantly, using items that are real (real antiques, real textiles) over imitation, and as much that reflects the human hand as possible… and I think there should always be an element of fantasy.

ON NOSTALGIA

Nostalgia comes from provenance and from the way people make use of the space. We (my team and I) encourage and celebrate old-fashioned lifestyles — home cooking, gardening, dogs, candles, flower-filled vases. In other words, the practical elements in such a lifestyle add a huge amount to the design and décor of a space — without the need for superfluous décor for the sake of décor… and perhaps this is what makes a space feel nostalgic?

ON PERSONAL COLLECTION

A hazard of the work that I do is that my ‘collection’ is ever-evolving — as my tastes and ideas continually evolve and become more informed. There are lots of items that I am fond of, but I think having children has put the importance of ‘things’ into perspective for me. If I had to choose one thing, it would be a painting of a family dog that was very close to our hearts and is very special.

ON CREATING SOUL

New construction often feels like bodies without souls. What is your approach?

A previous home I owned in Cape Town had inherent soul. We replaced poorly added, incongruous modern windows and doors with ones that were truer to the house. Some were reclaimed, and some were made to match others — I think creating that sort of consistency helped amplify the ‘soul’ of the home. We restored, rather than modernised. I have a horror of creating modern interventions for the sake of trying to be clever, or creating ‘juxtaposition’ (even that word freaks me out)… unless it is undertaken by the cleverest of architects, I have generally found it can be a soul killer and usually puts an immediate time stamp on a building.