The Rainbird founder, Alexis Wylie, bears no resemblance to ones’ preconceived idea of an interior designer; for starters she’s likely to arrive for an appointment in her trusty Land Rover - Mildred and unless you demand otherwise a fleet of terriers.
“Far from discouraging you to engage Alexis’s help from literally the ground up
I would implore you to snap her up - her creative talents are refreshingly original and she is not afraid of colour or quirky combinations.”
A bewitched client
Alexis bounced through school with an inexhaustible amount of energy and then moved to London sharing a minute 2 bed mews house with 3 friends. From early on she was devising spaces within spaces to accommodate a constant arrival of guests and remembers ‘someone’s brother lived in the top cupboards over the drawing room bookcase for a week!’. The novelty of London was exhilarating - she cycled everywhere and absorbed the beautiful residential crescents with their pretty window boxes, lusting after the grand interiors within. But after two years Alexis realised that bashing typewriters was not for her It was time for change.
Sowing the seed with a girlfriend one Sunday evening, they hatched a plan to don a rucksack and go exploring on a shoestring…. But where? ‘Bypass Europe & the States and your £s will go forever’ said her publishing paternal grandfather, and together they plotted a route on The Times Map of the World.
Starting in Egypt and travelling east via Petra to India, from The Annapurnas in Nepal by train to Beijing & Shanghai, through Asia to Oz & NZ, across the Pacific to Easter Island & Chile, to Brazil for Rio Carnival and onto the Amazon, their final destination was Mexico City & Chichen Itza.
They returned an incredible year later, full of tales and, for Alexis, inspiration and a mindful of colour and textile that would fuel her life going forward. London seemed ‘very grey’ on her return and within weeks she bid farewell and set off for pastures new in South Africa. ‘Pick up a pencil’ were her architect fathers parting words, Alexis returned 13 happy sun filled years later with the full colour set………
Alexis enrolled at Inscape College of Interior Design in Johannesburg for the first year, transferring to Cape Town for the 2nd year. Armed with a portfolio of projects she had a lucky break when she picked up some part time work with the brilliant Ronnie Wilkens Interiors.
She stayed full time for the next 8 years. ‘Veronica was my mentor, my idol and taught me everything. “We created beautiful spaces for banks, homes, game lodges, boutique hotels and overseas clients”. In 1996 Alexis broke away and The Rainbird was born. Her first project was a London banker relocating to JHB, her second a small hotel, her third a safari camp in the Okavango Delta. And her trademark style germinated and grew - perhaps a little Colonial, , maybe a bit African, but all inspired with the blending of colours and always relaxed and very lived in.
Since her return to the UK Alexis has worked on apartments and houses in London, full scale country house rehabilitation projects, holiday homes in Europe and chalets in the Alps. I can do the home counties Thing too if you like’ she smiles ‘but to me a home should be unique to you, welcoming and warm that says come in and sit down, pour yourself a drink.”
Alexis’ ability to translate what you want into a space unique for you is her passion. Along the way you’ll learn, you’ll laugh, you’ll have a lot of fun. And what is for sure, she will become a lifelong friend (as will her children and menagerie!). Alexis works from cloakrooms to drawing rooms, boutique style bedrooms to tack rooms, unfitted/full up bespoke kitchens to your ideal home office or personal retreat.