Innholdsfortegnelse for Modern Living 2020 i Modern Living

Hands up who of you has spent more time at home this year than any other time in recent memory? Yep, us too. You can put your hands down now. Between our hard lockdown and the ongoing work from home scenario (hard to believe that in 2019, I barely recognised the acronym WFH), we’ve never been more ready to ensure our houses are both functional and beautiful… Functional because they’ve had to operate as a home, an office, a school room and a space that accommodates different people with various needs throughout a day in relative calm and privacy. Beautiful and comfortable because, heck, if you can’t go anywhere else, you may as well make your space the happiest it can be. And then there’s the blow-up of local –…

We can all dream of a beach house, falling asleep to the sound of the waves crashing, pouring a glass as the sun liquifies on the horizon, but for most of us it remains just that: a dream. Gaining the feel of a beach house, however, is entirely possible. Just steal the style tips from these pages - bleached woods, whitewashed walls, an unfussy energy, loads of comfortable seating that takes advantage of our great weather and doors that can be completely opened to create an uninhibited indoors-outdoors living space.…

Situated a short distance from the centre of the charming village of Deià on Mallorca, this recently renovated house is jointly owned by several members of a large Nordic family. They use it on a regular basis as a holiday home, and when it was renovated for them, the team “had to make sure the house could accommodate multiple needs with people coming and going, while creating an intelligent, yet simple and beautiful space,” says designer Manuel Villanueva. Villanueva explains that the group of buildings that includes the house dates back to the 13th century, when Cistercian monks established a monastery in the area. As the monastic complex evolved, a watchtower was erected and additions were made until early in the 20th century, when two houses – including this one…

After years spent decorating beach resorts in dreamscapes such as Seychelles, Mozambique and Tanzania with her interior design company, Carla de Fondaumiere finally had the opportunity to work on a very personal project: creating a beach home for her family in a location close to her heart. “I used to holiday on the Langebaan lagoon as a child,’ says Carla of South Africa’s West Coast village where her new family holiday home lies. A perfect match for the family’s sport-filled lifestyle, their house allows direct access to the beach and lagoon from its back yard. “The weather dictates our activities here. There are no typical days in this home, which is exactly what one wants when on holiday… a break from routine.” She adds, however, that one thing common to…

SEATING Having a green space, he affirms, is about a yearning for nature, so in his mind seating in a garden is essential. And you don’t need space to make it happen – he suggests built-in benches with a cushion or a day bed. Somewhere you can sit in nature or lie back and read a book and somewhere that’s comfortable to sit. If space is limited, there’s always the option for pieces that offer flip-up storage – smart! PLANTING Take a layered approach to planting, so if your space is small, don’t just look at the ground space, he says: think about incorporating a vertical green wall and hanging gardens. Hanging baskets are easy to plant, and mossballs are also easily accessible. These can even start indoors and lead…

My projects tell a story, says homeowner and interior designer Simone Hirsch. She’s sitting on the spacious veranda of the house she recently renovated for her family in Bishopscourt, Cape Town. The story of the home has unfolded over several years following the young family’s move and their renovation of this house, in which they had lived for two years before starting the remodelling project. Like many other homes in the verdant suburb, this one has a name rather than just a street number: it’s called Summer Planes, in tribute to the numerous plane trees that grace the property’s large garden. Stories abound at Summer Planes and the most recent chapter of its long history is a very happy one. Together with Johannesburg-based architect Peter Cohen, Simone has brought the…

Neutral palettes create a calm nursery space, and work as a useful anything-is-possiblecanvas for the switch to ‘big boy or girl’ bedroom. PEEL AND STICK WALLPAPER by Hertex is the perfect way to add a personality punch to walls or furniture when the moment arrives. It’s just as easy to pull down and update as it is to install, which is also a win if you have sibling room swops!…

LAYERING If you are a layering addict – and frankly why wouldn’t you be?! – then this additional add-on is for you: The blanket or throw that adds more colour, texture or pattern to the look. And you can layer two of these, too. The blanket across the bottom of the bed should be long enough to fall over both sides of the bed and be structured and folded. The second throw can be an organic shape, but again, long enough to fall over the sides. BEDDING Again, the lovely Emily Henderson has a formula (of course she does) and it’s this simple: one fluffy + one flat is how she approaches making a bed. So, the flat component can be something like the flat sheet, while the fluffy is…

“l personally believe wine is a universal language.” You’ll find Munashe in Franschhoek. Yes, he was born and raised in Zimbabwe but came down south in 2014, chasing an electrical engineering dream. Wine, he says, found him and he eventually formalised the relationship by enrolling in the Cape Wine Academy before shifting gears and is now a certified sommelier of South Africa. He has also been a member of BLACC (Black Cellar Club) since 2016, which he credits as a great influence that has opened the doors to the wine world to many black sommeliers and wine enthusiasts. Since then, he has ventured into his other passion: cooking. On weekends, you will find him serving all the good stuff from his food truck in the Franschhoek Market. DEMORGENZON CHENIN BLANC…

Vinyl Revival Yip, you read it right. Vinyl is officially back. Create textures, faux weaves (we love!), bamboo prints or even mirage effects with this handy, hardwearing wall covering.…

Whether it’s a handcrafted bass guitar, a vintage projector or a handed-down antique, Maurice Paliaga has an affinity for items with provenance. “I’m a collector of stories, says the architect, musician and all-round creative, whose loft is lined with instruments, books, art and artefacts that narrate his personal journey, from successful bassist for a lineage of influential South African indie bands to professional designer. While Maurice’s career as an architect and retail designer has seen him tackling diverse projects, from sprawling suburban houses to storefronts and restaurants, in his own space he’s allowed his style to unfold over time. “The apartment has evolved quite a bit, he explains.” A few years ago it was monotone, with very little in it. My journey is now about striking a balance between old…

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If staying home, spending hours in virtual meetings, had you rediscovering the simple joys of putting pen to paper, you are not alone. Globally, there’s been a resurgence in good old-fashioned cards, notebooks… pretty much all the beautiful stationery that allows one to communicate, old-school style, with a flourish.…

Observing the sun-kissed, easy-going couple Rob and Gina McClelland at their holiday home in Grotto Bay Estate, you would be forgiven for thinking this couple leads a life of leisure. But Rob and Gina, both former models, traded life in front of the lens for one behind the camera as owners of 2 Productions, a video and photographic production company that handles shoots from around the globe. Yet they manage to effortlessly balance the demands of the production world with spending quality time with their two daughters, enjoying an active, outdoorsy lifestyle. Because the industry is so seasonal, driven by the search for sunshine and blue skies, the couple is busiest in summer, with winter affording them extended escapes to their beachside farm further up the West Coast in the…

There are not many places in the world where you are guaranteed to see dolphins and whales swimming in the water that flanks your house every day. But the icy, deep waters of Britannia Bay, an unspoilt cove with five kilometres of whitewashed beaches, make this the ideal playground for these charming mammals. It’s this view that couple Caroline and Manie Maritz chose to prioritise when building their remote holiday home. When they discovered the plot over a decade ago, Caroline’s vision for the house was so immediate she says she sketched the basic design for it on a scrap of paper while driving back to town after putting in the offer. “I wanted a u-shaped courtyard house, with a pool in the middle. The West coast is known for…

One of the great joys of South African suburbia is its gardens. So, here’s the thing: yes, of course, a pool, a koi pond, an endless expanse of emerald green lawn and a generous stretch of covered patio would be ideal, but you can bring Mother Nature into your suburban spaces no matter the size. And with styling cues taken from these four upcoming homes, you’ll also notice that by sticking to monochromatic colour palettes – with an eye to comfort and liveability – you can create magic in your space, too. So much so, that even if you are stuck at home, it will feel like a retreat!…

When Charlene and Ruan Oberholzer set about renovating and expanding their tin-roofed bungalow in Pretoria, they wanted to find a balance between modernising it and preserving its heritage. Although now firmly ensconced in suburbia, when the couple consulted architect Nadine Engelbrecht, they discovered that when it was originally built in 1949, their house would have been surround by open fields rather than streets and houses. Nadine’s colleague even tracked down and met its original owners, an elderly couple who showed her photographs of the house dating back half a century, depicting how it overlooked open farmland on the edge of town. When they bought the house, Charlene and Ruan had been charmed by the garden and its big trees. Nadine pointed out, however, that the house had tiny windows and…

PLAN A SPACE THAT INSPIRES YOU. “For me, when I feel inspired and energised in a space I get more work done, the quality of my work is better and ultimately I want to spend more time in said space,” says Misha. “Use Pinterest to inspire you and plot the space of your dreams, even if it’s tiny. Having a vision is important in helping you manifest your project.” CREATING AN ARRESTING HOME OFFICE DOESN’T NEED TO COST THE EARTH. “I recently reimagined my home office and studio and wanted to do it cost-effectively because I knew if the budget was too high I’d never follow through,” says Misha. “Instead, I got thrifty and made use of Builders’ Warehouse’s flexible shelving bracket system, which is super well priced but can…

With remote working now being a legitimate possibility as the future of work looks set to change forever, the idea of packing up and moving to the country no longer seems quite so far-fetched. These four families have already done just that – and they continue to keep the work-home balance alive through irregular commutes and brilliant WiFi. Perhaps 2021 will be the year that moving to a small town and growing your own veggie garden out back moves from daydream to bona fide plan of action……

Architect Gillian Holl and her husband Ivan surprised even themselves when they made an offer on a piece of land on a farm that was being developed as a rural residential estate outside Johannesburg. They’d visited Monaghan Farm mainly to humour some friends of theirs who were convinced they’d love its idea of modern farm living. The estate will develop just three percent of its rambling 1 300 acres of grassland and riverside terrain and will do so along ecological lines – insisting on single-storey homes, rainwater harvesting and solar power. “I think the mountains were the big draw for us,” says Gillian. The spot they chose had vast views of the nearby Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy and the Magaliesberg mountains beyond. We used recycled window frames as handles for the…

After spending a number of years searching for the right property in the ideal location, the new owners of this characterful home in Cobham, Surrey, asked London-based interior designer Kim Stephen to assist them with its renovation. They wanted “a house that had a contemporary feel, but that was still homely and comfortable,” says Stephen. After eight months of work, the update was complete, with the result being interiors that encapsulate the understated elegance that constitutes a very contemporary take on country living. The house is home to a family of five who moved to the United Kingdom from South Africa, and is situated within walking distance of the heart of the village of Cobham. Very much in accord with the location of the house are its readily recognisable Tudor…

For big city buzz, there is nothing quite like being holed up in an inner-city apartment, perched above the colour, sights and sounds. And the apartment buildings of today are often incredibly reconfigured spaces that offer - yes, views! - but also amenities and shared lifestyle spaces more suited to a five-star luxury hotel. So, you can achieve your dream of New York loft-style living, but have the convience (ahem) of a concierge desk, an outdoor lounge space, a pool, gym and cocktail bar, despite the smaller size of your actual private living space.…

If you’ve yet to come across Pete – or his cocktails – know this: Pete hails from Jozi, but now finds himself in Cape Town. He found his passion for tending bar while touring the States and now works his inimitable charm on libations, working as a flavour profile specialist. Pete has also paired up with Sip Exclusive – a crew of cocktail lovers who offer pop-up bar and beverage services. So, it’s an obvious question, but before we started, we had to ask Pete his drink of choice. And Pete being the classy cat that he is, it’s a classic gin martini. Looking ahead at drinks trends, he says: “What we see is a big movement towards low ABV drinks. People seem to be after that sociable side to…

Mid-Century Modern Design BY DOMINIC BRADBURY A must-have reference book for fans and followers of modern design, this source book includes the work of iconic designers like Charles and Ray Eames, Saul Bass and Oscar Niemeyer. Packed mainly with illustrations, it checks off furniture, lighting, glass, ceramics, textiles, product and industrial design, graphics, posters and architecture. Summer To Summer: Houses By The Sea BY JENNIFER ANN RUDICK Lie back and relax as you tour the East Coast of America’s most stylish summer homes… Explore interiors from Nantucket to Maine and Martha’s Vineyard and step inside abodes from the tres traditional to the ultra-mod. Also, can we have Jennifer’s job, please? Kabinett & Kammer BY SEAN SCHERER Sean’s Upstate New York store of the same name is described as a contemporary…

If you’ve heard the words ‘urban jungle’ bandied about of late, you’re stepping into a speedily growing trend for indoor plants that has been brewing for the last five years. It started as most things do nowadays – over on social media – when Euro-loving lifestyle bloggers started sharing pics of their homes filled with very Instagrammable plants. Yes, as Andreas Keller of Plantify says, “there had been a trend for house plants in the 70s, but young people hadn’t seen some species before, such as the Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, with its outsized leaves.” Insta kicked off a search for quirky, cool plants, and a trend for nesting with them in our homes, at a time when the global ecological crisis became common knowledge. 1 FIRST TIME PLANT BUYER,…

Thembi Matroshe Art Curator “I am a Johannesburg-based independent art curator, art advisor and art project co-ordinator who is passionate about uplifting and empowering marginalised groups in society; particularly black, queer, femme and gender non-binary individuals. I was born in Mthatha, and pursued my tertiary studies at the University of Cape Town – a BA English Literature and Art History Honours Curatorship. I am currently a Masters candidate in Heritage and Public Culture at the University of the Witswatersrand. “I have always had a keen interest in the arts. From a young age I enjoyed drawing, painting and sculpting. I took visual art as a subject in high school and was encouraged by my high school teacher to take Art History in university. It was only later in my university…

Roasted butternut salad SERVES 4 TO 6 This hearty veggie salad is so moreish thanks to the deliciously sweet roasted red onion and chunky slices of butternut. 1 small butternut, sliced into wedges (skin on) 1 large red onion, cut into eighths Olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp paprika FOR THE SALAD: Handful rocket Handful water cress ½ cup mixed pepper relish ¼ cup each mint leaves, basil, coriander, flat-leaf parsley ¼ cup toasted, chopped macadamia nuts 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds ½ avo, sliced 10 to 12 mange tout, sliced Red wine vinegar 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2 Place the butternut wedges and red onion in a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking and season…

When Dicey and Tom du Toit swapped their Bauhaus home in Paarl for a 1970s house on the southern coast of the country in Port Elizabeth, it came with some celebration for Dicey. The self-taught designer and decorator was relieved that she could finally allow her own interior style to flourish. When Tom opened a company just outside Port Elizabeth, it came as a welcome opportunity to relocate and start playing house again – this time in a style more attuned to Dicey’s Japanese-like approach to interior design and architecture. The three-bedroom home on the edge of the Baakens Valley nature reserve provided the natural setting that welcomed her Eastern sensibility for stimulating sensory experiences. Dicey’s work as an architectural heritage specialist helped her to instantly recognise the opportunities abounding…

This is a real morning-into-evening home, explains product and fashion designer and former stylist Anna-Tina Schaal while her business consultant husband Andreas makes us coffee. “We really tend to move with the light,” she says. “Mornings we’re all over this upstairs living area: either at the kitchen table, out on the balcony deck or sprawled out on the floor mat with something to read and snack on. Midday and into the afternoon we usually retreat downstairs … then back upstairs in the evening for sunsets and dinner.” Though not native Capetonians, the couple’s space reflects an easy-living philosophy and high-low eclecticism that is so characteristic of this city’s aesthetic: a home that is as much about enjoyment as it is the finishes, details and the things that decorate it. While…

This pink thatched weekend retreat couldn’t be further from the “minimalistic, white shoebox” that Dan Carter lives in during the week, but that’s exactly what he was looking for when searching for a weekend bolt-hole. “I’d been looking for a holiday home for years. I needed somewhere I could get to in a couple of hours or so, and stay for a couple of days, if that’s all the time I had. When I came to view the forge, I walked to the end of the field and looked back at the cottage. It was like a fairy tale house; I just fell in love with it. The thought of the meadow growing and kids running around in it felt quite magical. So, the land inadvertently became quite important. On…

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This couple had been living a fast-paced life in Johannesburg and moving to a quieter, more remote and rural part of South Africa meant they could breathe out a little. “When we first met,” explains Clare, “James always said one day he’d move to Cape Town and since he’s crazy about the sea and riding his bike on the hilly mountainside roads, it made sense.” Clare and James are something of an anomaly. They loved their build from start to finish, even managing to celebrate their wedding during the year-long process. “We are so lucky, we worked with so many incredible people to make our home happen. I’m in awe of the professionals and craftsmen we worked with,” says Clare. An important part of their brief to architect WP Bosch…

I’d always wanted to own a rooftop, says Nicholas Garrett, owner of Penthouse on Burg, a loft apartment in the heart of Cape Town’s city centre. What he got was so much more than an aerial position from which to view the city’s happenings. Here, stepped terraces occupying two levels of a four-level dwelling present a calm oasis amidst the downtown hustle and bustle. What Nicholas calls “a paradise for entertainment” is where friends gather for his now-iconic birthday parties, with live bands and DJs, or where they cosy up for rooftop cinema nights. It was Cape Town where he wished to set up home, having stayed in the South African city on and off for 10 years. With the only criteria being a rooftop, and Nicholas’ affinity for inner-city…