My Den: Tyrone Arendse

Words: Dylan Muhlenberg | Photographs: Chisanga Mubanga

For the past ten years, Tyrone Arendse has lived in a generously sized apartment on the top floor of a block in Illovo, Johannesburg. 

According to him, he’s a man of simple tastes. “For a house to be a home, all that’s needed is a comfortable couch and an active UberEats account”, he quips. 

However, several clues give him away.

From a late 60s Sputnik-style chandelier in the kitchen, to a vandalized car bonnet by good friend and artist Frances Goodman in the bedroom, and then the custom-made shelves he’s had built for his cat to sit and survey her kingdom from, it’s clear that Tyrone’s home is a reflection of the very stylish man who inhabits it. 

“I think the worst thing is a home that looks like a page out of a furniture catalogue, completely bereft of personality. More than anything, my home is very comfortable, and I appreciate having a place that I can return to that is quiet, relaxing and calm.”

Tyrone’s home is unashamedly him. Along with it being a space to relax and recharge and a storage facility for his numerous collections, it’s also a base from which he’s able to traverse the vibrant neighbourhood by foot, either visiting the many great restaurants in the area, or the park that’s right on his doorstep.

“Eating and generally avoiding responsibility,” is how the man working in regulation and compliance likes to spend the majority of his time. So the next question is how someone who could be unimaginatively described as “a suit” ends up having such a command of aesthetics?

“One should be cautious about discounting corporate types, as some of the most creative and individualistic people I know work at corporates. I think one’s aesthetic and sense of style is deeply influenced by what you are exposed to. My work has given me the opportunity to travel extensively and to see such incredible design and architecture, that it would be impossible for it not to have an effect my personal style.”

A lock-up-and-go lifestyle is necessary for Tyrone to live his best life, however, when he’s home, the stacking doors are pushed aside to reveal a balcony with views as lush as Tyrone is dry. 

“I like having access to the outdoors, but not having to engage with nature directly.” 

And while the balcony is enough to satisfy all of Tyrone’s outdoor activities, he believes that true style is a reflection of self, “an embodiment of all that a person is and wants to be” focussing on surrounding himself with things that are beautiful and functional.

“If an item of furniture is ‘pretty’ but does not actually serve a purpose, it’s unlikely to make it into my home.”

A defined curatorial eye means that nothing has been outsourced, and everything in the house was either bought himself or designed with his involvement.  

And then as a great collector of things, whether it’s sneakers, watches, vintage cameras, lighters, or his massive physical music library (Tyrone keeps over 4000 CDs in storage), his space needs to house his many interests and collectables without ever feeling cluttered. 

Like his collections, Tyrone’s taste is broad, something that’s easily observed when looking at the choices he’s made in his home. Ultimately, this is a mix of pieces from various eras and periods of design thrown together in a way that is a reflection of the man, somehow still making sense and maintaining a sense of masculinity and refinement. 

The short answer to living such a stylish life? 

“No children in sight. No children in earshot.”