Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2018 i South African Home Owner

A palette of light, bright materials and contrasting textures helped transform a dreary Tuscan double-storey into a home that warmly welcomes friends and family. It took vision to imagine the once-fusty house – all dark wood and terracotta – as the sun-filled space it is today; but, since the home owners both work in creative fields, vision is fortunately something they have in droves. The first step in the home’s metamorphosis entailed stripping it of its former dark colours and painting it entirely white, creating a blank canvas to which the owners could add new shades and textures. From here, they say, it was easy to see where a touch of off-white would add a bit of interest, or where suede paint could create tactile appeal. The home’s structure was…

Maximise your bathroom space with light reflected off tiles. Madagascar is a range of wall tiles in a matte finish that incorporates light shading to give a rustic stone finish. It’s available in blanco, beige and natural colours. Perfect for a small bathroom. www.lifestyleceramics.co.za Black is big, so why not introduce it in the form of a door handle? These pieces will complement any bathroom decor style. www.handlesinc.co.za Light up your small bathroom with a modern wall light fitting, like this one in black. It also comes in chrome. www.bellabathrooms.co.za Sleek and copper ... this modern take on a freestanding soap dish is easy to clean and creates an unfussy point of interest. www.boardmans.co.za Straight from European fashion runways, these ice cream pastel coloured tiles are new to the South…

Following on from last year’s successful Ardmore Zambezi fabric collection launch, Ardmore has created a range of luxurious tablecloths, napkins and runners to elevate every setting. www.ardmore-design.com Add colour and interest simultaneously with St Leger & Viney’s new range of wall coverings from Thibaut. Modern and refined, Surface Resource offers a unique selection of colourways to explore. www.stleger.co.za Available to shop via CRÉMA, the sculptural Tom Dixon Bump vase is beautiful on its own or adorned in seasonal blooms. That’s right, consider flowers an optional extra. www.cremadesign.co.za No detail is too small when it comes to creating the perfect space – including door handles. These polished chrome handles embellished with Swarovski crystals from Italian brand Oro & Oro make for a great finishing touch. www.handlesinc.co.za Handcrafted from solid hardwood timber,…

Smart-home technology has been evolving for the best part of two decades. In fact, the X10 protocol for controlling domestic devices from washing machines to curtain rails over a network dates back to the late 1970s. If we’re honest, though, the promise of living in a Jetsons-like house where everything is smart has only really become practical and mainstream in the past three or four years. But as more people become interested in smart-home tech, its development accelerates exponentially. Take voice control around the home. Last year, Amazon’s Alexa proved that this was a technology whose time had come, and it proved very popular overseas. Alexa can control your lights, music, deliver weather reports and internet search results, and even buy stuff from the retail giant when you ask it…

Securing your home is often a checklist of the usual suspects. Is the gate secured? Check. Are there beams in the garden? Check. Do we have bars on the windows and the doors? Check. Thing is, we often forget to check areas that we don’t notice or take for granted, and these are the nooks and crannies that you need to focus on if you want to create a really comprehensive security solution. “When you’re walking around inside your home, look at those areas that are high risk such as the study with the safe or a dressing room with jewellery,” says Nick Caripis, BNC Technology. “Also look at areas that have collectibles on display. These are the most likely to be targeted if someone breaks in.” The same thought…

A CELEBRATION WORTH THE WAIT If you’re looking for top-quality fabrics, be sure to visit Mungo, which celebrated the official opening of its new Mill, a culmination of many years of planning and work. Already it seems to have become a new landmark in Plettenberg Bay, towering proudly over the landscape at Old Nick Village. The Mill has not only become a new and thriving hub of production, but also the embodiment of Mungo’s commitment to transparency in what it makes and does. This working weaving museum is open to the public in order to showcase the age-old art of weaving, from pre-Industrial Revolution to present day. www.mungo.co.za/blog/the-new-mungo-mill/ TALKING SHOP Beetroot Inc. has two fairly new stores in Cape Town, one in Table Bay and another in Tyger Valley Centre,…

Operating via rechargeable batteries, the Clizia Lamp by Slamp from Euro Nouveau is completely cordless, which means you’ll be able to adorn any setting you choose with this botanically inspired wonder. www.euronouveau.co.za A new, exciting online store and showroom for modern and contemporary rugs based in Kramerville, Joburg, SOHO RUGS offers a variety of textures, colours and sizes to complement all decor schemes. www.sohorugs.co.za Infusing the celebrated Belgian architect’s sensibilities into textile form, the Gert Voorjans for Jim Thompson collection is now available to purchase from T & Co Fabrics. Not surprisingly, it’s fun, fresh and full of vibrant colour. www.tandco.co.za A mix of metal and fabric, available in grey with rose gold or black with white, the Lumia pendant from Spazio makes for a brilliant, bold style statement. www.spazio.co.za…

ARTEK 4 ARCHITECTS 011 462 8830 Artek 4 Architects is a level 1 BEE company that has been in existence since 1989 and has extensive experience in retail, commercial, healthcare, education and residential projects. The brief received by the company was to create a bespoke residence with a very specific accommodation schedule in line with the estate, which had quite an extensive list of permitted materials with which to work. Artek 4 Architects carefully crafted the facades using a varied palette of colours and textures permitted by the estate. “The owners did the decorating themselves with a bit of help from SA Home Owner.” Upon entering this home, you are immediately struck by the incredible amount of space and sheer square metreage of the property. This family of four, originally…

CARNÉ INTERIOR DESIGN 012 348 0869  Carné Interior Design’s services hinge around interior design, which involves shaping the experience of the interior space through the manipulation of spatial volume and surface treatment. This differs from interior decoration because it draws on the principles of environmental psychology, architecture and product design. Establishing symmetrical balance was key to creating the peaceful atmosphere in this room. Carné Interiors honed in on small details like the colour theme of the furnishings and managing the balance between old and new. The company created focal points on opposite walls and strove for balance when placing furniture to bring about synergy in the overall design. “The most notable characteristic of these rooms is that they are tidy to the point of being clinical.” “The living area welcomes…

Just as any coffee devotee will tell you, few things are more enjoyable than that first sip of a perfectly made espresso. Thanks to De’Longhi’s range of fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee makers, you’re guaranteed the perfect brew at the touch of a button. Find the right bean There are many different varieties of coffee bean available, but when it comes to your daily cup, there are really only two that matter – Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans tend to have a sweeter, softer taste with undertones of sugar, fruit and berries. Their acidity is higher with a wine-like taste that characterises the coffee with a delicious acidity. Robusta has a stronger, harsher taste with a grain-like overtone and peanutty aftertaste. It contains twice as much caffeine as Arabica and is…

As urban living intensifies, the city landscape expands both outwards and upwards. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a touch of greenery on your doorstep. When space is at a premium, consider going vertical or bring the garden indoors. Be creative. Tiny gardens and high-rise patios can be spruced up with portable vertical planters or pots filled with herbs and other edibles. GROWING UP Vertical gardens help green your home from the top down. According to Jaco Bierman, creative director of Ecoscape Developments, “Living walls are suitable for indoor and outdoor spaces and can be installed in sunny or shady positions.” “Outdoors, they can be used to create more gardening space or privacy. When used indoors, vertical gardens make a strong decorative statement,” says Justin Sam of Rooftop…

Storage is fast becoming a decor feature worth celebrating. As the design experts at Roche Bobois explain, “There is no need to settle for dull storage solutions when they are among the items of furniture you interact most with in the home. This goes beyond colours and materials, moving towards different features and tastes that bring people together.” For Anna Weylandt, buyer and designer at Weylandts, putting the items you love most on display and keeping the rest out of sight or donated to the charity of your choice is the way forward. “Not only is the furniture becoming a main feature, but the items you display are also becoming an important part of interior spaces. I think you have to be quite restrained to not clutter it with things…

WATER-WISE PRODUCTS YOU MAY NOT HAVE COME ACROSS BEFORE 1 LifeStraw LifeStraw is a range of products that include portable and large-volume water purifiers that all work by using microfilters to remove microbes, viruses and particles in water. Originally developed for removing Guinea worm larvae, the LifeStraw is popular for camping holidays. It’s not a miracle water cleanser though – don’t expect it to remove salt from seawater or dangerous chemicals. www.lifestraw.com 2 SinkPositive Sadly not available in South Africa yet, the SinkPositive is a simple modification that can be fitted to an existing toilet and captures grey water from a hand basin right at the source by putting the sink on top of the cistern. As well as preventing waste, the tap is “touch-free” and because it runs when…

SONY A8F As if a 65-inch 4K television weren’t luxury enough, Sony is including support for both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa in its A8F range of TVs. The most impressive thing about the A8F from an audio point of view is not that it reacts to voice commands, mind. It’s that it doesn’t feature a traditional speaker but instead uses the surface of the screen as an acoustic board to create sound effects. www.sony.com JBL LINK VIEW Another smart screen due to go on sale later this year, the JBL Link View has an 8-inch display and hefty 10W speakers to make it a decent music machine as well. Both the Link View and the Smart Display can be used with Google Cast to control videos and music to…

THE INTEGRATED SMART LOCK SOLUTION So, we have taken a look at the cool features on the Yale Digital Door Lock, but BNC Technology did more than look at it, they decided to take it to the next, really intelligent level. They have integrated the lock with the Control 4 system so you can now manage your lock from any location both inside and outside the home. You can lift restrictions on the lock as required, schedule when it can be accessed, and you can control and view who enters your spaces using this fully integrated system. DIGITAL DOOR LOCK We searched high and low for something unusual, something different and something unobtrusive to secure your home, and we didn’t fail. The Yale Digital Door Lock is pretty much as…

With the cost of living – and real estate – continually on the rise, houses in general are getting smaller, and there is a move towards compact living or tiny houses as they have become known in the UK. People are staying single and starting families later than they have in previous generations, so the need for large housing begins a lot later and having cheaper alternatives will make it easier for this younger generation to get their foot into the housing market. These smaller abodes offer the necessary amenities but are far smaller than what we have seen in recent years and in many cases constructed in a variety of different ways. Turning containers into housing has proved that a lot can be done in a very small space…

EVA-LAST 010 593 9214 Eva-Last is a globally recognised and trusted brand that manufactures and distributes specialised bamboo-plastic composite products. These boards for this deck are comprised exclusively of recycled and sustainable materials with no harmful chemicals added. The company offers a higher-performing, ultra-low-maintenance alternative to timber, all while preserving the planet’s natural resources. INOVAR FLOOR, SANDTON 011 440 8664 Inovar Floor is a specialist in specifying, supplying and installations of flooring and decking. The home owners wanted timeless outdoor living areas that are an extension of the internal living areas and are ideal for entertaining family and friends. Eva-Last Summit arched Xavia Wyde composite decking was used to achieve the desired effect in this beautiful home. GARDENS & ROSES 021 510 0002 With the emphasis on quality and durability,…

SBE AFRICA EXCLUSIVE ARCHITECTURE 011 807 3442 SBE Africa Exclusive Architecture is responsible for the design of this modern contemporary home. After 32 years in the industry, co-founder Suzette Hammer takes pride in offering productive, interesting and fun-driven first-meeting experiences to sketch first drafts (usually with clients sipping cappuccinos) and brainstorm these life-changing ideas. SBE Africa is currently known as the busiest architectural firm in housing estates like Steyn City, Waterfall and Copperleaf, and also commutes between Johannesburg, Lusaka, Nelspruit and Plettenberg Bay. VERSUS PAINT 011 885 3136 With a strong focus on eco-friendly paint and environmental sustainability, Versus Paint is perfectly suited to provide the finishing touches to this home situated in a nature estate to the south of Johannesburg. The exterior exudes a luxurious finish without having any…

Whether you’re dealing with a small kitchen space or are blessed with room to move in the heart of the home, storage will always be one of, if not the most, important factors to consider when achieving a practical yet stylish kitchen space. DRAWERS OVER DOORS If you’re really going to make the most of your kitchen space, Schmidt South Africa advises incorporating a good layout design and made-to-measure kitchen units. And if space is at a premium, you can’t go wrong with deep kitchen drawers. “Deep drawers offer more potential [than wall-mounted kitchen cupboards], easy access and can bear up to 65kg weight for groceries. Deep drawers also offer the option of an internal drawer, which offers 33% more storage,” says Schmidt. GRASS Movement Systems’ sales director Juan Hugo…

Few of us have the luxury of space in our bathrooms, which often end up cluttered with stuff on shelves and counters, making the bathroom look even smaller. Storage, then, is key to optimising space in a tight bathroom layout. And with modern, wall-mounted sanitaryware, you can create the illusion of much more space than there actually is. STORAGE The truth is you can’t have too much storage in a small bathroom. “Although pedestal basins remain a great way of saving floor space, the problem is that they do not offer any useful storage. Rather opt for wall-hung, floating cabinetry that acts as a sink vanity with added storage,” suggests Johnny Lamprecht from Bathroom Bizarre. As for accessories, lose any loose-standing items, and opt for wall-mounted soap dispensers and towel…

MUST VISIT The gardens at Babylonstoren near Franschhoek are a refuge for city slickers looking to reconnect with nature. “We encourage visitors to pick and taste ripe fruits, hear the crunch of the peach pips as they walk in the stone fruit block, relax on the chamomile lawn, pull carrots to feed the donkey and collect eggs from the chickens,” says head gardener Liesl van der Walt. Who can resist such a feast for the senses? Book a garden visit at www.babylonstoren.co.za PLANT OF THE MONTH Peace-in-the-home A versatile indoor plant, peace-in-the-home (Soleirolia soleirolii) is ideally suited for terrariums and bell jars. They do well in kitchens and bathrooms. WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Place a compost bin, like the new trendy Kitchen Craft Living Nostalgia steel bin, in your kitchen…

Sunny days, rainy days … whatever the weather, you can let the outside in, thanks to the very diverse range of frameless or framed glass doors that stack or fold away. Whether you opt for the sheer veneer of frameless glass, or fold-aside doors in aluminium or wood, this type of fenestration has the ability to dramatically change the feel of a space, optimising your outdoor views and letting in tons of light. “One of the main appeals of these doors is they allow your home’s exterior space to function as an additional room that flows off the interior spaces. And they work just as well when they’re closed, thanks to their full height and width glazing,” says Cobus Lourens from Swartland. “Frameless door and window systems provide a simple,…

In the movie and gaming world, directors and writers often hide secret messages or jokes inside specific movie or video game franchises. Anyone who saw the Jumanji reboot will have seen a nod to Robin Williams’s epic performance hidden away in the forest. These little hidden gems are called Easter eggs and they are just as much fun for criminals when they’re looking at your garden and all the dark spots they can hide. It’s time to light up your garden so nobody can sneak in unannounced. “There are numerous types of lighting design and light you can use outside in your garden,” says Conrad Wagener, CEO, Illumina Project Lighting. “You can put lighting at the foot of a tree to create an interesting effect, others you can put in…

IT’S A STEAL Top decor ideas from the pages of SA Home Owner. FANTASTIC FOLIAGE Indoor plant trends that aren’t going away anytime soon. ASK THE EXPERTS 10 things you need to know before buying furniture. ON THE DARK SIDE Incorporate dark tones into your home to create striking and versatile living spaces. COMPETITION ENTER & WIN! Stand a chance to win a Native Décor hamper valued at just over R5 000. www.nativedecor.co.za GET IN TOUCH! @SAHomeOwner…

From luxury branded linen such as Polo and Linen House to fluffy hotel-quality towels, Linen & Lifestyle will help you achieve your home goals. Whether you’re revamping your bedroom or looking for decor for your lounge, by stepping into the Linen & Lifestyle store, you will be presented with an extensive offering that includes curtaining and blinds, bath essentials, rugs, home decor, lighting and kitchenware. Enjoy blissful shopping at Linen & Lifestyle where you will find a variety of products for every room in your home… all under one roof… you might be tempted to do a complete home makeover! In addition to its wide variety of products, Linen & Lifestyle provides a furniture design and manufacturing service that is all executed in its Sandton-based factory. It’s as easy as…