Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2019 i House and Leisure

was working my way through the seasonal crowd at the V&A Waterfront the other evening, and after fighting through the masses getting their shopping done, I decided to walk over and take in the beauteous Zeitz MOCAA. What a great structure it is – standing so tall and proud, with those large, faceted windows bubbling light outwards from within and illuminating the entire surrounding area at night. And while I know I have mentioned my admiration for the design of the building before, isn’t it also a great example of a modern renovation? On an obviously much smaller scale, I think many homeowners end up doing something very similar for our own homes as was done for those neglected grain silos. We all try and breathe some light into our…

At first glance, it might not have looked like anything special. It was the ‘typical late ’60s, early 1970s ranch-style abode that was almost ubiquitous in the suburbs of Joburg at that time, says architect Georg van Gass of his renovated home, which is beautifully positioned down a cul-de-sac in Johannesburg’s Victory Park, overlooking the Braamfontein Spruit. ‘The general bones of the house were great,’ he says – but, more than that, he saw the potential to enact some of his architectural ideals. One of the things Georg and his wife Rhoné liked most about the property was what he calls ‘the interaction with the spruit’. From the house, there’s a field across the road that slopes down to the stream, along which runs Joburg’s most popular mountain-biking track. People…

When interior designer Etienne Hanekom was tasked with the overhaul of a small Victorian semi-detached house in Green Point, Cape Town, he was both thrilled and somewhat daunted. ‘The privilege of having discerning clients open to a contemporary update was not lost on me,’ he says with a smile. ‘However, the creative challenge of transforming a small semidetached space into a family home while meeting an exacting brief was a big ask.’ The brief called for a hard-working and functional yet elegant, contemporary home with ample storage, generous flow and a calm simplicity of space. And he needn’t have worried, because his metamorphosis of the former dark and dank house is nothing short of miraculous. But then Hanekom is known for the creative flair of his interiors and his ability…

1. Always consult a structural engineer when renovating an old building, especially if it’s a clay-brick structure from the Victorian era. 2. Upgrade things such as drainage and electrical systems, as both have improved in leaps and bounds in the past century. As drainage had always been a problem in this house, we installed a new water-drainage system that moves water from the back away from the walls. We also rewired the entire house, redoing all electrical installations and switching to LED lights. 3. Keep energy efficiency in mind. We added solar geysers and chose kitchen appliances that are highly rated in terms of power usage. We also installed an environmentally friendly pellet stove for heating and used double glazing on the majority of the windows. 4. As this is…

1. Plan properly. Know your professional team and be sure about what you want. 2. Get a reliable structural engineer involved from the beginning of the project. 3. Make sure you have all your various approvals – municipal, neighbour and so on – in place before you commence renovation work. 4. Hold back sufficient funds to keep all contractors interested. Retain a substantial amount as final payment until everything has been completed to your satisfaction. 5. Expect your budget to have gone up by the completion of the project, and factor that in before you start. Include your garden in your budget because this is usually overlooked and the garden can really make the whole space.…

1. Make bold but simple architectural choices that serve as a base around which to build your interiors. 2. Engage openly with your architect and interior designer about how you live, and incorporate unique design elements that enhance your way of living, such as a large kitchen island or an unusual piece of furniture that creates a focal point. 3. Keep interiors clean and fuss-free by using materials that are all in a defined and similar palette of colours. Then allow accent pieces or design elements to ‘pop’ against the muted backgrounds. 4. Use furniture and homeware to complement the architecture. The trick is to incorporate decor items that either express a similar language to the architecture or offer a bold contrast to it. 5. Renovations can be daunting. The…

It’s no surprise that fresh foods manager and former chef Wendy le Roux spends much of her time ensconced in her kitchen in her home in Rondebosch, Cape Town. Now overhauled to create what Wendy describes as a ‘chef’s dream’, the space was one that ‘didn’t flow very well as you walked directly into our kitchen from the passage,’ she says. The room had a dog-leg off it with an office area and then a separate laundry. It was also decked out in dated beechwood cupboards, with part of the floor wood and part tiles. As Hollywood Kitchens + Furniture had been responsible for the Le Roux family’s previous kitchen renovations, Wendy turned to them once more. ‘We showed [Hollywood Kitchens + Furniture founder] Vince Muir the space and asked…

How do you succeed in structurally altering a hotel’s public spaces without disturbing its current guests? This was the challenge facing SourceIBA’s creative director Mardre Meyer during the three months he and his team recently spent on refurbishments of 15 on Orange Hotel, Autograph Collection in Cape Town. The revamp of this city centre landmark was major. Changes involved breaking through concrete slabs with jackhammers, demolishing walls and building new stairways. ‘We phased the project to allow the hotel to serve guests in a series of temporary venues,’ says Meyer. ‘To avoid noise, certain works were done during the course of the day when guests were out, and we blocked off work areas with black velvet curtains. The biggest challenge was time. Here the strategy was for the team to…

HOMES House van Gass Aluminium: Alumac (JHB), 011-615-0340, alumac.co.za Architect: GASS Architecture Studios (JHB), 011-482-2045, gass.co.za Electrician: MA Electrical Contractors (JHB), 083-226-7928 Floors: Oggie Hardwood Flooring (JHB), 011-262-3117, oggie.co.za Irrigation: NiemandLand (JHB), 071-976-8044, niemandland.com Joinery: Green Desert Design (JHB), 082-534-9055, greendesert.co.za Landscaping: Terra Bella Landscaping (JHB), 082-804-2790, Lighting supply: Darkroom (JHB), 083-410-550, dark-room.co.za Main contractor: Vision 5 Projects (PTA), 012-940-9300, 082-788-2583, vision5.co.za Plumbers: Geezers Plumbing (JHB), 081-533-6267, geezers.co.za Sanitary ware: Waterways (JHB), 011-794-4828, waterways.co.za Security: CC Repairs & Maintenance (JHB), Chris de Wit, 072-084-9983 House Fischer & Redelinghuys Appliances: A&A Furnishers (CT), Janneke Cillie, 021-424-6150, janneke@aafurnishers.co.za, aafurnishers.co.za Flooring: BestWood Flooring (CT), Barry Solomon, barry@bestwood.co.za, bestwood.co.za Interior architect: Etienne Hanekom (CT), 082-444-1642, studio@etiennehanekom.com, etiennehanekom.com Joinery: Spotlight Kitchens (CT), 021-762-9253, info@spotlightjoinery.co.za,spotlightjoinery.co.za Sanitary ware: Lavo Bathroom Concepts (CT), Sherry Pearce, sherry@lavo.co.za, lavo.co.za House…

1 VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE RENOVATION AND WIN VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE ROOM AND HOME RENOVATION ON HOUSEANDLEISURE.CO.ZA  AND STAND A CHANCE TO WIN EXCITING PRIZES: TURN TO PAGE 14 TO DISCOVER THEM ALL, AND SIMPLY SCAN THE CODE ON THE LEFT TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE VOTING PAGE. 2 VIDEO: FROM GOOD TO GREAT Cape Town’s 15 on Orange Hotel, Autograph Collection recently underwent a thoughtful refurbishment. Watch as we reveal the makeover that has made its public spaces more approachable and contemporary. 3 SEE IT. SCAN IT. SHOP IT . Taking inspiration from the Before & After issue, shop our online roundups of all the items you need for instant updates to your space. Simply scan the code above to go directly to the House…

ENGAGE THE STREET The most simple and radical aspect of this house is its relationship with the street in front. Without any significant loss of privacy, having big windows directly overlooking the road helps to maintain the safety of the street and park outside. It’s almost like doing a bit of community policing and, Georg points out, it makes the neighbourhood seem more sociable. When architecture is about more than just the building – and also about the spaces between structures – it can make a difference to a whole suburb. ‘It’s a lot friendlier to people coming past,’ he says.…

CLUTTER-FREE KITCHEN Before the renovation, the kitchen and dining room were on two levels, so the kitchen floor level was raised to the level of the dining room to improve the flow of the space. As the kitchen, dining and outdoor entertaining spaces are all open-plan, Liezl and Nicola wanted to keep the view of the kitchen as uncluttered as possible. To this end, a pocket-door system was introduced to hide the various prep stations and counters: when the doors are closed, a seamless, ‘clean’ feel is maintained, and when they are opened, a highly functional kitchen with two ovens, two dishwashers, a coffee station and an easily accessible grocery cupboard are revealed.…

The location is what first attracted Kenneth Collins to this property on Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard, and it’s the location that made renovating the existing structure on it fairly challenging. Set at the top of a slope, the house faces towards where the sun sets over the sea. ‘I have a “sunrise house” in Ballito looking over the Indian Ocean,’ says Kenneth, who comes from a four-generation Durban property-developer family, ‘and I wanted this to be my “sunset house” over the Atlantic.’ But with its dark tiled floors, cramped upper deck, smallish windows and doors, and a dated stairway, the house had a closed-in feel. To achieve the wide-open simplicity that Kenneth visualised, he had to gut the whole building. It was also necessary to raise the level of the…

Anlo Neethling and Pierre Smith, who are both in the business of design and reimagining spaces, quickly saw the potential in this three-bedroom, ground-floor townhouse in Oranjezicht, Cape Town. It might have appeared somewhat soulless, but they ‘could look past its flaws and see it with new eyes’, says Anlo, an interior designer who runs his own business. While the flaws were many, rectifying the main ones – a dark interior that had no logical flow, and an ugly backyard – were not insurmountable tasks. Fortunately Anlo, and Pierre, who is a creative director specialising in corporate branding, were able to spend a night or two in the 100m2 flat with their puppy Louis (a 16-month-old Boston terrier) before making an offer. This allowed them to get a feel for…

1. Try to make use of what you already have. Reusing certain elements in a house – whether those are furniture or design features – can save a lot of time and money, and adds a very personal touch to a space. 2. To make the home work for you, plan carefully and think very actively about how you are going to use the space. 3. Keep things simple. In terms of materials, palette and furnishings, establish a neutral base in one or two stronger colours (try black or darker grey for a masculine feel like this one) and then introduce texture to add depth. 4. Choose contractors wisely: hire someone you know well or who is recommended by someone you trust, and who is capable of handling the scale…

When Dean Macpherson briefed architect Bryce Henderson of TAG Design to transform a tired and forgotten 1930s Art Deco apartment in Fresnaye, Cape Town, into a space that was modern and comfortable, the task included ensuring that its historical heritage was acknowledged, too. ‘When I bought it, the apartment was very dark and felt disjointed,’ says Dean, and so he asked Bryce to create the feeling of a home – ‘and not a hotel room, which happens all too often in current renovations. ‘It needed to be a space that was inviting and aesthetically beautiful, but also a haven from the hustle and bustle of the city.’ A particular focus was the renovation of the bathroom: ‘I wanted something that was truly luxurious and felt grand and spacious,’ says Dean.…

1. Do some future-proofing basics. Photovoltaic panels haven’t been added to this house yet, but all the necessary piping and wiring has been done so that they can be installed in future without difficulty. And networking, charging stations for cellphones, smart plugs and switches, USB chargers and so on have all been added already, too. 2. When it comes to major finishes, don’t try to be fashionable – stick to only a few throughout the house. For example, here, just two floor finishes (terrazzo and an engineered wooden flooring) are used throughout. 3. Address energy consumption, which means paying attention to the natural ventilation, adding insulation to ceilings and surface beds under the floor and, if possible, double-glazing all the windows. This house is now much warmer in winter as…

EN SUITE PLAYROOM The third bedroom was converted to an ‘en suite playroom’ for the boys, with a custom-built pull-out bed for sleepovers and a seamless floor-to-ceiling wall unit in which to store clothes, toys, the entertainment system and books. This helped to clear space in the boys’ bedroom. The wallpaper was a way to add colour and an element of fun. Plus, doing away with the entrance into the third bedroom meant the saved space on the upstairs landing could be used to enlarge the second bathroom.…

LEVEL THE LAWN The front lawn used to slope sharply from the house down to the pool. ‘It made sense to bring the lawn into closer contact with the house by raising the level,’ says Kenneth, ‘but it was only after we raised it that we realised what a great view it now gives us of the mountain rising behind the house.’ Some tough decisions had to be made regarding which established plants to keep that were essential for screening and would also blend with the new look of the garden.…

1. Bear in mind the architectural integrity of the building and try to retain it. 2. Order any international items at least four months in advance. 3. Find a balance between your needs and tastes, and those of possible future owners, so that you don’t compromise your home’s resale value. 4. Research contractors and suppliers thoroughly before you start. Get references and inspect the quality of their workmanship on site. 5. Mistakes are expensive, so you’ll save time and money by appointing a designer or a project manager. You – or your project manager – need to be on site every day.…

As Jack explains, it was vital to discard any notion that the kitchen needed to be separate from the central, open-plan living area. ‘Our key concept was to make the kitchen island the central gathering point of what is really quite a small house, and to connect it to all the other spaces in our home, as well as the deck and garden outside,’ he says. By removing the internal walls, opening the northern facade to the garden with floor-to-ceiling glass doors and positioning the contemporary monolith of a kitchen island in the centre of the house, Jack and Ashley made their kitchen space the epicentre of their home.…

Architect Lisa Rorich had her work cut out for her with this brief: two small bathrooms, situated behind the main bedroom and divided by a built-in cupboard, needed to become one opened up, luxurious area – with the closet positioned at the back of the space instead. Fortuitous, then, that the Durban-based renovation in question was her own. Despite the big bathroom switch-up, the renovation process was positive one for her, reports Lisa. ‘It went well,’ she says. ‘We used a builder and reliable subcontractors that I have worked with before. I believe in supporting the smaller one-man-bands [who] are trying to start businesses but do excellent work at half the price, although this may take a little longer.’ Among the challenges Lisa lists was the present building’s shape as…

1. Boston ivy and Virginia creeper are vigorous growers, best suited to temperate areas. 2. Both are deciduous, but when new growth appears (spring to autumn) they create a complete wall of green, because foliage grows along the plant’s entire length. 3. Both are frost-hardy and thrive in cooler climates. Virginia creeper foliage turns scarlet in autumn, even in mild climates. Boston ivy is more temperature-sensitive but can turn purple or even bright red when mornings are consistently about 4°C. 4. Virginia creeper and Boston ivy both like full sun but can also tolerate shade. 5. These self-clinging climbers have disc-like suckers. To prevent them from leaving sucker marks on the wall, train them up a wire. 6. Controlled growth requires pruning three to four times a year. 7. Use…

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BATHROOM Both bathroom and kitchen were gutted. ‘The most expensive thing was fixing the plumbing and electrical components,’ says Anna. The bathroom had a tiny shower cubicle and a triangular vanity with far too many cupboards. ‘My ideal layout would have been a double vanity, but re-plumbing the whole bathroom was beyond our budget, so we had to work with existing points. Since the shower was quite narrow, we made it longer so it doesn’t feel tight,’ she explains. KITCHEN With the help of the Weylandts factory, Anna did the technical drawings, including those for new cabinets and counters. They also expanded the kitchen slightly by breaking down a wall and altering the position of the entrance to the bathroom. ‘The second-biggest job was installing the kitchen ourselves,’ she says.…