The refurbishment of the elegant, lagoon-facing King’s Pool lodge in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve acknowledges the history of the safari lodge while providing a showcase for a different legacy: the time-honoured craft of the Botswana basket. Its success lies in the balance between its bygone African safari style and a contemporary interpretation of the country’s woven arts. The thatched roof and canvas walls retain the feel of a traditional safari camp while parts of the old design have been repurposed and given new life: old decking was reclaimed to use as decorative screens and stained-timber wall cladding with copper detailing.
The Botswana basket has been considered in every detail: clusters of large woven pendant lights hang in the dining and lounge areas as conversation starters striking patterned shadows on the walls after dark. Interwoven rope detailing has been incorporated into the furniture pieces. What seems to be graphic wallpaper is a basket-inspired pattern hand-painted directly onto the canvas walls while illustrations of intricate baskets have been printed onto custom-made linen curtains which add warmth to the eight luxurious bedrooms. Large display cabinets on either side of the central fireplace exhibit a variety of baskets and craft pieces by local artisans. The overall design concept is an ode to the creative capacity of the Batswana.
