Inviting softness – Serengeti House welcomes the plains in

It’s customary for us to update our spaces periodically, to make sure they’re reflective of our gradual evolution. But the character of these places always remains intact, the updates simply enhancing the spirit of what was already there. “We nudge our properties into a new chapter,” says Georgie Pennington, Group Creative Director.

The source of inspiration for the recent redesign of Serengeti House was quite simply the Serengeti itself. The scale and colours of the grassland – its softness and sense of movement – cued much of the direction the redesign took. The feeling of being grounded in and part of the setting, rather than above or removed from it. “We wanted the Serengeti to come into the house and almost claim it,” she says.

This setting inspired everything from the colour palette to the artwork – with the interiors being an extension of its scenes. So that a guest entering the house for the first time immediately feels at home.

With hardly anything synthetic used in this redesign, it’s an homage to natural textures and materials ­­– linen, cane, grass, clay, and timber. “Biomimicry, as always, plays a huge role – our design team has held this as a guiding principle from our inception,” says Georgie.

Not unlike the Serengeti itself, each element is an integral part of a bigger picture. “Nothing is demanding, nothing too contrasting, nothing is sitting alone – all the colours hold hands naturally with one another and create a very encompassing experience,” she says.

This all-embracing feeling comes down to the attention the design team has paid to detail. “We played with things like shadow – how it highlights things usually overlooked, such as reflections on the walls through the mosquito nets and how light shifts gently from day to night. You may notice it, you may not – again it plays on the little things. A small blade of grass in a sea of grasses… one making up the whole.”

While gentle in feeling, the redesign entailed a major overhaul of the space – with some architectural changes made to open up the sense of arrival and connect you immediately to the view. An enhanced kitchen forms the heart and nucleus of the home, and a rebuilt wellness area offers peace.

The interiors lean even more on nature than before – its drama and scale, of the sky and the space. But despite this, it’s approachable. “Anyone walking in will feel welcome – not simply because the spaces are incredibly comfortable, but because they feel like a continuation of the setting – there’s a flow,” says Georgie.

The feeling the team wanted to evoke is brought about by precisely this harmonious use of colour and texture, and the symbiosis between the interiors and the setting. “We wanted this to feel like a home – inviting and unassuming, a sanctuary if you will,” she says.

Soft and serene, its effect is deeply calming. “All of our lodges have a gentleness to them, but this feels like it could be the gentlest of them – a soft landing place for travellers,” explains Georgie.

With four suites, this property is uniquely intimate and yet has a boundless sense of space – two of the suites are cottages set apart from the main lodge, and a tennis court, generous decks, long swimming pool, and new wellness space all contribute to this feeling of softness and expansiveness.

One of the intentions for this home – aside from being a sanctuary – was for it to serve as a space to celebrate African artists. Our design team curated and populated the walls with beautiful pieces made and created in Africa to honour its creativity and skill. “It was very important that 90% was done within our continent’s borders – with only a handful of pieces coming from abroad,” says Georgie.

These all echo the setting beautifully. Woven murals by Womancraft, large-scale canvas and beadwork hangings inspired by aerial village views by Sidai Designs, and textural grasslike pieces by Chris Soal bring the walls to life. Lights designed in collaboration with Arkivio, timber joinery by Umdabu, and intricate woven cushions by Swaziland-based Coral Stephens give the spaces depth, and installations inspired by the moon phases made of recycled plastic by Tanzanian studio Dunia Design and clay sculptures by Jack Fillery elevate them further. Even custom mosquito nets were created – designed by Beagle & Basset to mirror the pattern of the slate walls.

Speak to our team about including the effortless tranquillity of Serengeti House in your future travel plans here.