In the early seventies Freya started picture framing with her mother (internationally renowned botanical artist Thalia Lincoln) for the Everard Reed Gallery in Johannesburg. At the time of the Soweto Riots, when few people were having their pictures framed, she approached the David Hicks shop in Johannesburg and started producing, paint finishing and gilding interior accessories for them. This was the beginning of Freya’s career in the interior decorating industry. From there she worked on various commissions in South Africa, England and America, painting among other things a Welsh dragon mural on the bottom of a swimming pool in London with artist Clarence Wilson. Eventually she settled in Cape Town and became interested in Cape Dutch houses and the paint finishes and colours that they were originally painted in.
Since then Freya has created and perfected many paint effects and finishes, both modern and historical. She has researched, discovered and recreated paint decorations in numerous Cape Dutch Homesteads (Boschendal, Verglelegen, Schoongezight, Vergenoed, Morgenster and others). Freya has also worked on commercial projects (Orient Express Hotels internationally, Dolphin Beach, Marcus Brewster Publicity, Cape Royal, Roodenburg House, L’Ormarins and more) as well as projects in private homes. She is associated with highly respected interior decorators and architects across the country and routinely collaborates with them on projects. She has gilded, designed, created colours and paint effects for walls, furniture, curtain rods and various other items. In 1993 Calvin Pearce joined Freya and has remained a valuable part of the team since.
