ABOUT UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS
“Knock-knock, anybody home?”
For 20 years, Karina Marais and her partner have lived apart together in a shared residence - his bachelor pad upstairs, her retreat downstairs- connected by a staircase that links their spaces while preserving their independence. No unannounced visits, no dull routines, just passion, freedom, and a love story shaped on their terms.
In Upstairs Downstairs, Marais shows how they successfully manage a Living Apart Together (LAT) relationship where love, ambition, and independence coexist. But her memoir isn’t just about love, it’s also about passion and daring to dream. Some of her dreams took flight, others fell short, but she didn’t want to leave this world without chasing them. That drive makes her jump out of bed every morning, a trait many aspiring entrepreneurs share.
Through multisensory storytelling with words, lyric readings, music, and videos, she brings to life the emotions behind love, loss, and the pursuit of dreams.
EXTRACT:
PART 11: CONTENT, COMPLETE, IN EVERY WAY
Dream, Final Purple Cow & Action
As I neared the end of writing my memoir, I returned to Seth Godin’s idea of the ‘Purple Cow’, from his 2003 book, The Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable. Godin described driving through the French countryside, watching the endless fields dotted with black-and-white Holstein cows. At first, the sight was striking, but soon each cow blended into the landscape. But a purple cow would make anyone stop and stare. My book’s ending needed its own ‘Purple Cow’ to stand out.
I figured, if I want to inspire people through my book to start dreaming again—to chase their dreams, no matter how big or small—then maybe a Dare2Dream Dome restaurant can help fire up that spark. Why not let guests step into a fantasy land? A transparent-dome restaurant in the forest, reached by a fairy-tale walkway, crossing a bridge over a stream, before entering a dome surrounded by fairy lights and softly glowing colours that transform the trees into a magical evening landscape.
What would truly make this restaurant unique? What would be its Purple Cow—beyond a dome in a fantasy forest? And here my memoir becomes the inspiration. The answer lies in my chapters, my songs, my lyric readings, and my videos. The dinner becomes a multisensory experience in this enchanted setting as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch come together in an 11-course FUN dining and wine pairing menu—interwoven with the food from my memoir.
An outrageous dream? Absolutely. But that never stopped me before.
By now, you know that when I decide to do something, I do it quickly.
When I shared the vision with my husband, his eyes lit up. We started planning the Dare2Dream dome restaurant at Forum Homini Boutique Hotel in the Cradle of Humankind. How lucky am I to have a husband who dreams with me and helps me bring those dreams to life?
Acting so quickly took me back to the day I decided to start dating again. Things changed so fast once I made that choice. And now, here I was—with my dream man by my side, dreaming with me, taking action to bring something that once lived only in my imagination to life.
He encouraged me to share the vision with our hotel staff. I showed them a 25-minute video filled with ideas, scenes, songs, and dishes from my book. They embraced it with enthusiasm. The very next day, the clearing began—trees were trimmed, the space was opened, and plans for the Dare2Dream restaurant began to take shape.
At the time of writing, my husband and I are preparing to work side by side with the hotel team—not only to bring this restaurant to life, but also to shape evolving menus for the future of the Dare2Dream restaurant.
Waking up with real plans to make a dream come true—that’s what makes me jump out of bed every morning. It’s not just the finished restaurant that excites me, but the dreaming, the planning, the creating. The journey is just as magical as the destination.
What had once lived only in my imagination—and in the pages of my book—was now finding its place in the real world.
And that, dear reader, is the final Purple Cow of my memoir—dreamed, lived, and shared.
🎬 Watch the video of Dare2Dream dome restaurant:
Lyric Reading: Content, Complete in Every Way
🎵 Listen on Spotify:
At peace with my life at 65,
The dreams I chase keep my spirit alive.
Each step I take, each path I pave,
Gives me the strength to live the life I crave.
My one day is here, my moment is now,
Days unfold with joy as my guide.
At 65 I am at peace with my life
Content, complete in every way.
For those I hold dear, I’ve shared my flame,
A spark of hope to chase their dreams.
May they carry it forward in all they do,
A lasting reflection of love ever true.
I dared to love in a way that defied convention
I dared to dream and live fully
Not waiting for joy to knock at my door,
But creating it daily and so much more.
Finding my soulmate, a love so rare,
One in a million, my dream man.
Magical moments beyond compare,
My true love, my fairy tale man.
My story’s been told, my heart’s at peace,
A life fulfilled, a life truly blessed.
In the end, I will go with a smile,
In those I’ve touched, my joy will sustain.
I am content, I am complete in every way.
To perfectly capture the fairy tale ending of my memoir, I chose a Disney-style movie theme song.
Extract provided by Helen Holyoake (Helco Promotions)
