THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT MATTER IN LIFE:

Family, a passion for what you do and appreciating the finer moments. Our clients reminded us of this. They know what counts in a home; they know what matters to the heart and to a family, like we do. This project was unlike any other: unique to the times, and to the challenges it presented. We learnt what it meant to level up when the world was locking down and we learnt that when it comes to pulling out the stops, it’s the people you work with and service that remind you why you go the extra mile in the first place. This is the story of a media room with heart and soul, and memories to last a lifetime.

A SPACE FOR SPENDING TIME

The Family desired an intimate space to spend time together and to indulge in true Bollywood entertainment. This was their new Lusaka home, and a fully immersive premium experience was what they were after. We set out to create a media room that would cater to sophisticated entertainment and serve as a discreet space for recharging and connecting. Our job was to transform a small room into a sensory playground of sound, sight and emotion.

We said: Challenge accepted!

(We never knew how many challenges there would be…)

CHALLENGE ONE: IT WAS THE YEAR 2020…

Need we say more? The year 2020 is a year no-one will forget. Our global economy suffered the COVID-19 pandemic; the world grew ill, delays grew large, and service became an ongoing challenge. Borders were shutting, doors were closing, and timelines were being compromised. We knew we had our work cut out for us – but we also knew our passion for perfection would keep this house’s media room on track.

CHALLENGE 2: IT STARTED WITH THE CABINET.

When we went to collect the cabinet, our expectations were shattered. For the first time in our history of delivery our supplier was under pressure, and nothing was measuring up to standard.

We said: There’s no way we’re shipping anything less than A-Class quality to Zambia.

With the clock ticking, we had two choices: adjust or disappoint. We chose to adjust. And we chose to adjust without compromising quality.

We said: Do you have this in Spanish stone?

We clad the cabinet with Iron Corten Neolith- a warm shade of the stone that brought tantalising texture to the room.

CHALLENGE 3: THEN THERE WAS LOCKDOWN.

We were in South Africa. The family was in Zambia. Each country had their own rules, and their own restrictions. With SA in their second hard lockdown over the festive season, this messed with our plans. Our house in Zambia went on, and our work fell behind.

We said: It’s not good enough
They said: It’s not good enough
We said: We need five more weeks on the project
They said: you’ve got two.

HUSTLE: COMMENCE

And so, the hustle began. We pulled rabbits out of hats, airport lounges out of thin air, Covid tests out of nowhere, couches out of trucks and downed a whole lot of Red Bull to get the job done – and done well. With a prayer in our pockets and containers brimming with tricks and tech – we hitched a plane to Zambia, and we made magic happen.

WHEN HOME MEETS HUSTLERS

The family welcomed us with open arms – and a deadline to meet. The lounge area was our playground for 72 hours straight. A 20sqm room with a lot of doors and a lot of windows needed a lot of solutions. The seating would prove a challenge and the acoustics needed a meticulous strategy.

Nick said: Get me another Red Bull.
We’d come this far. We were not about to turn back.
They said: “Wow. Your finishing is impressive.”

EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE MATTERED

Here, there were no excuses. Here, there were no titles. Everyone in the BNC squad carried the load to make this an exceptional experience for the family. We carried couches up a 400m driveway; we had programmers installing hardware and project managers sewing curtains – and the boss cleaning too! Things were coming together. Our mission was to finish on time. Our purpose was to make our Zambian Family unforgettably happy.

THAT’S WHAT WE CALL: WORLD CLASS DELIVERY

We transformed the space with great attention to detail, into the deeply set hours of the morning. Luxury finishes, special nuances, tech at its best:

A 113” screen is the centrepiece of this media room, boosted by 5.1.4 surround sound made to transport the viewer like nonother.

Plush panelling lined the walls and chic upholstery tied our space together in an atmosphere fit for only a family that made things matter. We knew our signature starlight ceiling would pair perfectly with this entertainment cave. The Neolith-clad cabinet added an irresistible layer of texture that was practical and opulent.

We said: let’s hand over with pride.

72 HOURS (AND 25 RED BULLS LATER): THE HANDOVER

And there was that moment – the moment in our project journey that means the most to us. The Handover. It was a moment of emotion – and maybe a little bit of exhaustion – that will stay close to our hearts forever. Our client looked around, her eyes wide with love, and removed the mask from her face just so we could see her smile.

It was a smile that lit up our media room and affected our hearts. This was our reminder of all things good in the world, and of the blessings we find inside the homes of our clients.

Knowing that this family finally had a space to come together as a family was worth every long day, every extra mile and every hard knock one pandemic could throw at us.

Our BNC team completed this project no longer as a team, but as a family that learnt to stand together thanks to another family.