Sandy Geffen

Sandy Geffen - Executive Director
Sotheby’s International Realty, South Africa

Sandy Geffen is an Executive Director of Sotheby's International Realty South Africa, and has 30 years of real estate specialist skills with peerless experience in training and human relations. 

Sandy spearheads the implementation of a host of marketing and training tools designed to enhance her property consultants’ roles as leaders in property sales. She is a highly motivated speaker and is known throughout the network for her energising and focused presentations.

Sandy Geffen spends the remainder of her time as an ambassador for the brand dedicating her time to social responsibility. She is a trustee for Women and Men Against Child Abuse and is actively involved with the charity organisation, Operation Hunger. Sandy began her career in the travel industry and then moved on to become a media manager for Kenyon Wiles advertising agency. She joined her husband Lew at Lew Geffen Estates in Johannesburg in 1982, which soon received recognition as one of the leaders in property sales in Johannesburg.

Sandy Geffen

Sandy Geffen, executive director of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, says inspirational master bedrooms make for peaceful sleep, romance and a healthy disposition.

Your Move

Your bed is, of course, the largest and by far the most important item in this most personal of rooms, and you should treat it like a blank canvas. But first, having personally ‘interviewed’ many varieties of mattresses, I can say that every couple should thoroughly investigate design, size, balance, comfort and support so that they can find their own perfection and look forward to proper rest and full body bliss. Emission-free mattresses made from natural materials are best, and cotton is king. 

The next thing to consider is the headboard – perhaps a bespoke item in graphite grey or faux leather – and the night frill, which can be in the same material as the headboard or a washable material, the former being the more modern notion. Add decorative designer cushions and fabulous cotton or silky bed linens – sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers – that feel so luxurious that when you slide in, you won’t ever feel like getting out again. Ventilation around and under the bed is a necessity for inhalation and circulation purposes and to avoid any dust build up. Whether you install a ceiling fan or air conditioning or just leave windows open will depend on personal preference, but if you think about the room as a whole, it should be uncluttered. There is karma in using minimalistic furniture as well as in the direction you face while you sleep. You don’t want it to be a cold room either, so you should ensure that it is properly insulated. The charm and warmth of a fireplace will set a romantic mood for those chilly nights. Other items in the room might include a day bed in an alcove, or a linen kist at the base of the bed for storage as well as seating.

For flooring, your choice of tiles, carpeting or wood will be influenced by climate, area and antiallergic

preferences. Similarly, curtaining versus blinds and shutters are a consideration. There is nothing more pleasant for the early riser than to wake to a beautiful garden. Those who like sleeping in should consider heavy curtaining to block out the sun and heat. Pretty lampshades or spotlights may help the bedroom designer create a study effect over a small desk or coffee table, and dimmer switches are essential so you can quickly go from bright reading light to a dreamy atmosphere. Finally, you will need to decide if you would like a TV in the room, and if you don’t want it placed on the wall, find an unobtrusive stand or cabinet to place it in, keeping your style and the search for peaceful karma in mind. And so to sleep – the most beautiful experience in life, and the best meditation. 

Till next month, sleep well.

Sandy Geffen

Sandy Geffen