studioSALT is a Cape Town and Los Angeles-based architecture and interior design consultancy.
We believe that everyone deserves great design.
We think the key to a wonderful home is that it not only looks beautiful, but it also functions intuitively, feels wonderful, and is completely customized to your needs.
That’s why we consider ourselves consultants: we work with tricky buildings and awkward sites, we make the most of limited budgets, and we design with logic and intelligence rather than attention-seeking gestures.
Architecture
Interior Design
Strategy

After decades designing everything from airports and executive offices to high-end condos and tech campuses, we decided to leave city stress behind and move to a tiny surfing/fishing village in Cape Town. Our mission is simple: to work with nice people on interesting projects. That’s it.
We bring a pragmatic approach to a profession often associated with excess. The ultimate luxury, to us, is not a matter of size or expense, it’s about effortless comfort. It means creating a space especially for YOU. Instead of employing a signature style (i.e., repeating the same cookie cutter moves over and over), we devise completely customized, site-specific designs that reflect our clients’ tastes and lifestyles, not ours. Sustainability is non-negotiable these days, so our spaces are always energy efficient and easy to maintain, and they make the most of local materials and building techniques. And beauty is a must, of course, but it’s always underpinned by performance and rationality.
One more thing: we enjoy working with adventurous clients with a sense of humor, who can articulate their likes and dislikes and who will trust our judgment. If this sounds like you, then let’s talk!
About Us
Selected Projects
Eco-Efficient Beach House & Cottage
· New build
· 370 m2
· Kommetjie, Cape Town, SA
This new build project took advantage of natural daylighting and multiple sustainable design principles to create a comfortable, energy efficient home. Clever space planning yielded an ample garden as well as a rental cottage on the narrow plot, and both structures made use of many local salvaged materials.
Quiet Luxury Mountain Retreat
· Complete remodel
· 470 m2
· White Salmon, Oregon, US
A dated 1970’s home with a spectacular view was transformed into a spacious weekend respite ready to welcome large family get togethers. Two gracious suites, a home office, and a new kitchen/pantry were created on the ground floor, while the basement now features a game room, kitchenette, and home gym.
Relaxed Beach Home Built for Entertaining
· Complete remodel
· 540 m2
· Kommetjie, Cape Town, SA
A modest house with a killer view was transformed to make the most of beachfront living and accommodate the clients' huge family and frequent guests.
Modern Rental Studio
· New build
· 60 m2
· Bergvliet, Cape Town, SA
A 2-car garage set amidst fully grown yellowwood trees afforded the opportunity for a private rental flat above. By making the most of the allowable height, a loft space suitable for sleeping, storage or a small desk was created above the sleeping area, and modern appliances and plentiful storage make the studio a sought-after space.
Midcentury Home for Artists
· Renovation/addition
· 60 m2
· Fish Hoek, Cape Town, SA
A creative couple with a lifelong collection of artwork found a dark mid-century home with a breathtaking view of two oceans. By adding a second storey containing a large master suite, two of the existing ground floor bedrooms could be used as his-and-her home offices, and a new art studio with its own entrance was added.
Attic Office Transformation
· Renovation
· 25 m2
· Observatory, Cape Town, SA
A small, shabby and unused attic became a light-filled home office that now steps out onto a roof deck. A custom timber paddle stairway with a childproof door creates access despite the tiny footprint.
Stylish Fashion Atelier
· Tenant fit-out
· 500 m2
· Santa Monica, California, US
The CEO of an LA fashion house demanded a fast turnaround, low budget space that celebrated the brand’s edgy, informal but high-end designs. Making the use of readily available materials, the project features a few bold moves such as a 50-foot-long worktable that doubles as a runway.
Garage conversion to rental flat (60 m2)
Mid-century oceanfront apartment modernization (200 m2)
Live-in art gallery meets heritage cottage (45 m2 cottage + 175 m2 addition)
Multigenerational live/work retreat (140 m2 cottage + 175 m2 addition)
Eco-sensitive family home (340 m2 ground up)
Yoga studio conversion & addition (40 m2 studio + 40 m2 addition)
Current Projects
Profile
Charrisse Johnston
FASID, WELL AP, LEED AP, ASSOC. AIA
The current Chair of the South African Institute of Interior Design Professions (IID) and a former Chair of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Charrisse led the interiors practice at an international architecture & design firm based in LA before co-founding studioSALT. She uses her behavioural biology diploma and her MBA to create spaces that not only support mental and physical health but are also completed on time and within budget. Her expertise lies in interior architecture/design, project management and design strategy. Her happy place is knitting, streaming Nordic Noir TV shows, walking the dogs on the beach before dawn, and enjoying Ian’s cooking.
Ian Macduff
PR. ARCH. SACAP
Ian's 40-year, award-winning architectural career has taken him all over the world, with projects in Sydney, Hong Kong, the UK, Bulgaria, the US, and now South Africa. He has worked on such projects as the Hong Kong International Airport and NVDIA's Silicon Valley corporate headquarters to a private residence in West Hollywood. Ian is studioSALT's architectural planning and construction expert. He has a particular interest in marrying local vernacular with modern day building materials and techniques, and he is an active community leader on issues of building and development. When he’s not surfing, drawing or planning what’s for dinner, he’s shooing the cat out of his office and practicing Stevie Ray Vaughn licks on one of his many guitars.
Contact
South Africa
+27 (0) 79 181 9686
United States
+1 (310) 991-9207
Email
info@studioSALT.co.za