Sibuya: from ideas to reality

Some projects are memorable for the finished result. Others are memorable for the journey. Sibuya has definitely been both.

From the first ideas and concepts to getting the camps ready, the timelines were incredibly tight. There was a lot to design, source, make and organise, and somehow all the pieces had to come together at exactly the right time.

And then there was the setting... probably one of the best places in the world to go to work!

Driving through the game reserve to get to the camps never quite felt like a normal commute. There was always that feeling of “I actually get to do this for a living?” It made even the long days pretty special.

The real excitement came from seeing the ideas gradually become reality. Handmade lights and lamps, cushions, furniture, fabrics, a new bar and kitchen, and all those smaller details that don’t necessarily shout for attention but are what make a space feel cohesive and considered.

Then came the logistics!

Getting everything to the second camp meant travelling down the river by boat, surrounded by lamps, cushions and boxes and boxes of décor. We had to make sure we’d thought of absolutely everything, because there wasn’t exactly a quick trip to the shops if something was missing!

There was very little room for mistakes. Every piece had to be carefully planned, packed and transported, with its own place and purpose.

And then there is that wonderful moment when you stand back and it all starts coming together, the colours, textures, furniture and lighting working just as you imagined.

Camp 2 is still a work in progress, but it’s already incredibly rewarding to see the transformation taking shape.

It has been busy, challenging, sometimes slightly chaotic and a whole lot of fun. But more than anything, it has been a privilege to design in such an extraordinary place, and to take a space from an idea on paper to somewhere people will get to enjoy.

And yes... I would happily take that game-drive-to-work commute any day!