Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2015 i South African Home Owner

TECH - SPEC’D Our October issue has me in my element, as it’s all about technology – from home automation, to cool gadgets, to smart devices that make your home feel like your personal PA! Imagine a home automation system that “senses” when you’re on your way home from work, then fills your bath with a preselected aromatherapy oil; sets the aircon to your ideal temperature; starts your favourite music playlist, and switches on a few lights to welcome you home. Or get a notification from your fridge, telling you to stop for milk, bread and eggs on your way home. Sounds like my kind of home! Read on to see what the hottest home tech trends and ideas are.…

An award-winning creator of designer silk trees, plants and pots, Distinctive Designs offers the natural beauty of plant life without the hassle that comes with taking care of the real thing – providing the perfect solution for your home, office or holiday pad. These designer silk plants do not require constant maintenance, but instead offer the advantage of adding beauty and understated harmony. The benefits of using silk plants is that they can be custom-made to suit any specifications and are guaranteed to be aesthetically pleasing all year round. In addition, they eliminate many of the common problems associated with live plants, such as insect infestation, water consumption and constant upholding. From fine-quality and realistic silk products, to a complete range of preserved palms accessories and a magnificent container range,…

A white rose-sprinkled garden surrounds the stone-coloured walls of this Cape home. But the French theme doesn’t end there – the couple who own this home have also incorporated French-style decor, colours and furniture throughout the interior. A stone water feature stands sentry at the sandblasted glass front doors, a forecast of the peaceful, light feeling that greets you inside the home. The open-plan kitchen features a large engineered island, illuminated by suspended silver lamps. The kitchen overlooks a casually decorated lounge area – tan-and-white furniture and cushions create the ideal environment where you can unwind in front of the television, and not feel isolated from the rest of the home. Boasting two dining areas, one alongside an indoor braai and the other opening onto the kitchen, this is certainly…

Remember the kitchen enjoyed by the Jetsons in the popular animated TV show? Food prepared by the fridge at the touch of a button, in seconds, and cupboards that order the groceries for you when you’re running low. Whether or not you would want your house to do all of the cooking for you, we aren’t quite there yet. On the high end of the scale these days are interactive kitchen surfaces that connect to the Internet and scales that tell you the nutritional values of the food they’re measuring. However, for everyday life, and at affordable prices, there are amazing innovations taking place to make our lives realistically simpler, while improving our health and making food taste just that much better. Cooking appliances have also progressed to make cooking…

For a versatile shower option, the freestanding Jee-O collection from DADObaths can be used both inside and outdoors. Dadobaths.co.za As a multifunctional bathroom item, the sensor switch mirror illuminates automatically after it detects movement. Lightingwarehouse.co.za Made with certified organic ingredients, Oh-Lief Natural Grapefruit and Sweet Orange Body Wash has a fresh citrus scent. Ohlief.com The Hansgrohe ShowerSelect control is easy to operate, and has a concealed thermostat for a sleek look. Hansgrohe.co.za Operating with the lightest pressure, the Geberit Sigma70 flush plate has a rimless design for a seamless addition to the bathroom. Geberit.co.za…

PRODUCTS INCLUDE: • ONE KITCHENAID ARTISAN STAND MIXER, WORTH R7 990 • 11 FOUR - PIECE KITCHENAID CERAMIC NESTING SETS, WORTH R2 000 EACH Providing trendy products to baking fans, KitchenAid is the perfect partner to help you impress your guests with delicious dishes, whether you’re whipping up some ice cream or making home-made pasta. One of KitchenAid’s popular products, the Artisan Stand Mixer, is the ultimate kitchen accessory. It comes with a 4,8L stainless-steel bowl, and boasts full metal construction. Available in a range of delicious colours, from Candy Apple to Grape and Yellow Pepper, KitchenAid turns the mundane into mesmerising with the world of colour. If you enjoy baking, then KitchenAid’s four-piece Ceramic Nesting set is durable, and will ensure many baking and cooking memories with family and…

JANINE WAIT Our senior designer loves seeing her designs in print. Like most designers, Janine has a secret addiction to Pinterest. THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU: Creative, homebody, animal-lover. MY HOME IS... my happy place, filled with the things that I love. OCTOBER IS OUR CONNECTED HOME ISSUE. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE HOME APPLIANCE? My Nespresso coffee machine. The coffee flavours are the best and the milk frother makes the perfect foam. WHAT’S YOUR DECOR STYLE? At the moment my home is a mix of different styles, but I love Scandinavian and art deco styles. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ROOM IN YOUR HOME? Our braai room. It’s the perfect spot for entertaining and we can use it in summer or winter. A QUOTE I LIVE BY... If you work really hard and…

Use Womag’s Moroccan-inspired range of porcelain tiles to create unique patterned walls and floors. The heritage range comes in four eyecatching colourways. Womag.co.za Create juices filled with goodness with the NutriBullet. It’s easy to use and clean, and will turn normal food into superfood. Nutribullet.co.za The Shift dining chair from Moooi is foldable, but still comfortable, as it has a padded seat and a soft, knitted backrest. The chair can be shifted into any compact space. Moooi.com These pelmet rods from Finishing Touches come with matching tiebacks and are available in elegant colours, perfectly finished with an aluminium trim. Finishingtouchessa.co.za The Micuna Ovo highchair, available through Clever Little Monkey, can be adapted over time to suit the needs of children from six months to six years old. Cleverlittlemonkey.co.za The new…

There’s nothing quite as enjoyable as entertaining outdoors in summer; it also happens to be something Jamie Oliver enjoys. And, it comes as no surprise that he has a new range of fantastic braais to suit any occasion – whether it’s a quick cook-up with just the family, or a big party with friends from the neighbourhood. Designed to make braais quick, easy and delicious, this range includes gas and charcoal braais with braai tools. The braais have been built with heavy-duty cast-iron grills, making them a great choice for frequent use. The range of charcoal braais includes curved grill trays that stop food from falling through the grills, and adjustable ventilation allows for perfect airflow. The range includes brushed, stainless-steel tools with chunky acacia wood handles. For more information…

Having older children means you have the luxury of building the home of your dreams without worrying about keeping it small-child friendly. This was the case when this couple found themselves at a point in their lives where they wanted to make a fresh start in a home they could enjoy until they retired. Location is everything, and Waterfall Country Village offered a central location that is developing at a rapid rate, with promises of becoming just as appealing as the nearby northern suburbs. When meeting with the architects to design the look of their home, the home owners brought a pencil sketch outlining what they wanted for their new home: a U-shaped house that had access to plenty of sunshine. “We wanted a home that let the outside in.…

Nestled in the shadow of one of the Cape’s most majestic mountains, and not too far from the ocean, this house “at the sea, but not on the beach” is now home to a family of three who recently relocated from the Free State. Striking the perfect balance, the home owners have merged their farmhouse style with imaginings of a French country vineyard. The large garden has been used as a medium to effortlessly channel this style; trees and shrubbery line the walls and walkways, and an antique metal gazebo offers a tranquil hideaway. A patio is enclosed by frameless stacking doors that seamlessly open up onto the garden, alongside a pergola draped in grapevines. One of the home owners’ favourite features of the house is that each room offers…

With a light touch, Servo-drive lift systems and pull-outs open by themselves, and close softly and effortlessly. The fittings are still fully functional in the event of a power failure. Eclipsegroup.co.za The Eau de Vie water filtration system produces fresh filtered, still or sparkling drinking water on-demand directly from any local main supply. Eaudevie.com Exquisitely styled with technological sophistication, this advanced and environmentally savvy Defy refrigerator offers A-grade energy efficiency and an antibacterial gasket. Defy.co.za Durable and energy-efficient, the Franke Food Waste Disposer improves the hygiene of your kitchen, minimising waste and odours. Waste is effortlessly ground with water and flushed through the pipe system. Franke.co.za With an A+++ energy-efficiency rating, the Whirlpool PowerDry dishwasher power-cleans a full load of dishes in just an hour. Whirlpool.co.za…

“Contemporary decor” is a term that is used regularly in the world of interiors, but what does it really mean? With some expert help, we examine the definition of contemporary decor and how to implement it in your home. CONTEMPORARY VS MODERN “The contemporary decor style is defined by what is happening right now,” says Stephen Lasker of Edge Interiors for Moooi. It is constantly changing, and uses current trends to create a style. In comparison, “modern” usually refers to the mid-century modern design period in history, which was from the 1920s to 1950s, with fixed attributes. “The confusion comes in as many modern design elements and characteristics are popular right now, and so they feature within contemporary designs and decor schemes,” explains Stephen. “Contemporary furniture will continue to see…

CALIFORNIAN SUNWEAR The Banana Moon SS15 Collection puts an emphasis on exotic and adventurous prints. Bikinis and one-pieces are adorned with bright colours and vibrant patterns. Stand-out, energetic florals and graphics are pulled from ethnic inspirations, making sure this collection is rich in personality and freshness. 011 447 8238 EFFORTLESS STYLE The Superga X Gala Gonzalez capsule collection, created in collaboration with well-known Spanish fashion blogger Gala González, incorporates natural materials such as hand-embroidered raffia, in traditional Spanish tradition, with a wide selection of warm colours, reminiscent of the Galician landscapes, birthplace of González. Superga.co.za A CONSTANT COMPANION As any avid watch collector understands, choosing a watch is as much about one’s physical features as it is about the watch itself. For smaller wrists and hands, one should select a…

BIGGER AND BETTER If you’re in the market for furniture and home decor, it will be worth your while to visit the new Coricraft Kramerville superstore. Twice the size of any Coricraft retail outlet in the country, the space has been designed with four in-store apartments, so shoppers can view products in a home setting. What’s more, you can customise any desired items using the leather and fabric library, or by bringing your own fabric to the store. Coricraft.co.za ON THE MENU Earlier this year, Hertex expanded its Pretoria showroom to include not only a separate shop for home decor essentials, but a café too. Customers can browse a range of accessories, which match the collection of fabrics in the store next door, and then enjoy a relaxing cup of…

There’s something so magical and grounding about the wilds of South Africa, where zebra and giraffe pass their time out in the open sun, silhouetted against the horizon as each day draws to a close. For the owner of this large, but unassuming, home, this was the dream: to build a home in the heart of African wildlife. With an abundance of game and some of the most unforgettable inland views, a father and his three sons enjoy paradise on a daily basis. Set on a 1 000ha KwaZulu-Natal game farm, this traditionally inspired farmhouse needed meticulous planning to ensure it did not impede on municipal and park restrictions. Overseeing and undertaking the work was a local construction firm. Alongside the owner, who was involved throughout the process, the construction…

Taking on a build is a challenging experience, and one that perhaps only a few brave people will undertake in their lifetime. But it is also one of the most rewarding, particularly when you manage to create your dream home, the place where you feel most yourself and which is a true reflection of who you are as an individual or family. The owners of this home managed to do just that by being involved in and driving every aspect of the design – from the architecture to the interiors. The result is a unique home that pulses with personality. If beauty is in the detail, this home is a masterpiece of fine-tuned curation. From the driveway paving and the small underfoot water feature creating a tranquil welcome, to the…

Make a statement with a one-of-a-kind coffee table that has a re-used propeller as its base and a contemporary glass top. Weylandts.co.za Inspired by retro computer games, the Kirkby Design Arcade collection is a textured weave in playful patterns and a contemporary colour palette. Romosouthafrica.com We love the Flasklight pendant, available in copper and black, by Tim Church. It’s local and on-trend design. Churchoriginalproducts.com Both decorative and cosy, the Hinterveld New York Day throw is a blend of linen and wool for a textured look. Linendrawer.co.za Use a geometric wreath to add a touch of nature to a coffee table, to a front door or floated above a dinner table. Elsje.co.za Create a natural look with the new XXXL Black Forest laminate collection, which has a 12mm-thick plank for stability…

OUTDOOR - MUST HAVE Add a bold and beautiful statement to your garden or outdoor living area with this bright egg hanging chair. Creative-living.co.za TOP GARDENING TIP: Did you know? It’s actually better to water your garden less frequently but for a longer time than to water every day for a short amount of time. This will allow the water to reach down to the roots, rather than evaporating quickly, preventing roots from coming to the surface to find water. Lush summer lawn Avoid dry or patchy lawn with a few simple tips from an expert. “Summer is known as the season of insects,” explains LawnCarePlus owner, Ian Leon. You may be tempted to remedy any pest problems you have by calling in pest control, but we recommend relying on…

The “smart home” is no longer a futuristic notion. As technology seeps into every aspect of our everyday life, an automated home is a reality. Here’s what you need to know before installing an automated system in your home. HOW DOES HOME AUTOMATION WORK? “In theory, any device that automatically does something can be considered home automation – for example, a day/night sensor for lighting,” says Warren Husband of Homemation. But generally, home automation is viewed as a system of electronic devices that are seamlessly integrated into the home, can “talk” to each other, and are controlled from a central source, such as a touch-screen panel and/or a smart device connected to the internet. “The central control system allows local and off-site control of all devices, as well as scheduled…

Many of us have been faced with the task of selling our homes, be it to upgrade for a growing family or to downsize for retirement. Pricing your home to sell may seem simple: you purchased the property for Rx; the value must have increased by a certain percentage; you’ve done X, Y and Z renovations; so the price is Ry. But pricing your home at the optimal price really is part science, part art. INFO - SAVVY The science of pricing your home to sell comes from knowing your property’s true worth, and acknowledging how savvy the buyer market is. Remember that buyers have access to a wealth of information; courtesy of the Internet, buyers can research historical purchase-price trends of your property, historical purchase-price trends of comparable properties…