By Daniela Sperotto, Project Consultant Candice Bailey, Photography Nic Baleta

Originally built in the early 1960s, this home is a classic family home that has been redesigned for easy living. “We wanted it to be timeless, as well as kid-friendly. We also wanted to be able to accommodate casual entertaining,” says the home owner.

With this in mind, the exteriors of the home emit a traditional cottage look and feel, with classic white walls and slate finishes.

“We love the cottage pane windows and quality finishes,” adds the owner, “and we feel it retains an authentic value to the final look and feel”.

Traffic congestion is minimal, and this area is renowned for large, well-established gardens, wide pavements and well-maintained parks,” explains the owner.

Fitting in with the area, the home represents a “dream dwelling”, with five en suite bedrooms and plenty of space. Created for a family, the children’s bedrooms lead into a playroom and communal bathroom. The family-style living room is an open-plan space that leads into the kitchen, dining room, bar and large entertainer’s patio. Upstairs is the master bedroom with a spacious study and pyjama lounge, with a walk-in dressing room.

“We made use of an excellent interior design company that assisted us with the tiling and bathroom layouts. The company cleverly made use of the marble finishes to accentuate spaces. An interior decorator was consulted for the selection of furnishings and fabrics. The principle feel of the house was based on both our personal preferences. For budget reasons we opted to take our time on the furniture and final finishes, and decorate our family home as we go along.”

When it came to construction challenges, the home owners say that “getting the right flow to work between the living spaces and the entertainment areas was somewhat tricky. The house, being originally built in the early 1960s, still had architectural elements that were popular during that time period including steep roofs and raking ceilings that tended to invade space. To this end, widening the envelope in some areas and raising the roof plate in others assisted the flow of the home. Doing this, however, necessitated major demolition and strengthening to accommodate the authentic or ‘traditionally laid’ slate roof.”When it came to revamping the interior of the home, in keeping with the eco-movement, the home was designed with energy efficient lighting, solar heating, air-conditioning and underfloor heating – systems that all help to keep the home cool in summer, and warm in winter. Having completed their home, the couple admit that “there’s a great sense of achievement and relief. We had set out to create our ‘dream home’ and we feel we have come close to achieving this”.

I was recently introduced to the concept of the “smart TV”, otherwise known as a “hybrid TV” - which is a very clever little thing. I say little; because some of them are so slim you can barely see them when look at them from the side! Such is the dynamic nature of technology.

But the big selling point is the ability to connect to the internet via your home’s wireless solution – and from there you can connect to skype and talk to family or friends across the world. You can also tweet and Facebook while watching your favourite programme. From your TV!

Further benefits include streaming online entertainment, like that missed episode of Grey’s Anatomy; or watching the SA Home Owner vodcast in HD directly on YouTube. As if those weren’t enough, what would you say to flicking a switch and turning your HD into 3D (with the 3D glasses to prove it!)? Now THAT’S what I call entertainment!

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Zoo Biscuits have long been one of South Africa’s favourite treats! And now Kristen Morkel has taken the iconic pattern of the biscuit and made unique Zoo Biscuit wallpaper for Design Kist.

Born and bred in Cape Town, Design Kist is a textile & surface design studio specialising in South African flavoured wallpapers, fabrics and custom seamless digital patterns.

Their wallpaper is a high quality self-adhesive matte paper with a backing that can be peeled off and then DIY applied; and later removed off walls without the hassle and commitment of paste. Each sheet is custom printed using UV digital printing on high quality matte wallpaper with a self-adhesive backing. The wallpaper can be DIY applied and is removable and repositionable, with no sticky residue. Their premium fabrics are all locally printed 100% cottons suitable for upholstery and home furnishings.

Design Kist collaborates with a specially hand-picked collection of South African designers, photographers and artists, whose works translate beautifully onto fabric and wallpaper. Every design tells a story, and resonates with the personality of the artist.

VISIT:

www.designkist.com

Our excitement over the bond approval was short lived, as we are no further in starting the build than we were a month ago when I started my diary! We have had some admin issues, so let me explain a few of our pitfalls, and hopefully help others to prevent the same problems.

When we first started house hunting, we had pre-approval for a 100% bond. We then decided rather to build, and happily put in an offer on a property, only to be told that the bank would only finance 50% of a property value. If the property had already approved plans, the bank would finance 80% of the property and building cost. The reason for this is that there is not yet an asset, thus the risk for the bank is greater than on an existing house (i.e. fixed asset).

Our next lesson was in banking processes. We thought we could happily go ahead with our build once the bond had been approved. Unfortunately that is only step one of the process. The second step is bond registration which happens at the deeds office, and takes 6-8 weeks.

Our third lesson was in administrative headaches (we are now well stocked up on Panado). We are still waiting for municipal approval of our plans, something we anticipated would have happened a month ago! We cannot register the building bond until we have approved plans!

Hence, we are at a building standstill at present, and I still don’t have pictures of mounds of soil!

The point of this long explanation is to give direction to others, so hopefully you understand the process better than us. Also to let you know that I am going to suspend my diary for a while (hopefully 8 weeks at the absolute latest) until I have some decent progress to share with you.

Just a note that these are admin issues, and have nothing to do with the Light Steel Frame (LSF ) house. In the mean-time, we are constantly learning more and more about going ‘green’ and I have some interesting news to share with you about double glazing vs safety glass, but that will have to wait until the windows are going in…

So long, catch you again in a few weeks time!

By Hasmita Amtha

Being the heart of your home, having a kitchen that represents who you are is essential.

Previously, kitchens tended to be a basic space that came with white tiles and wooden cabinetry. However, over the past few years there has been a dramatic movement towards more colour, whether it’s the bold use of colour or subtly accessorising with different hues. Colour is definitely in.

When it comes to the latest trends, Sergio Polita, the kitchen designer at Snaidero Cucine Johannesburg, brings to our attention that “some kitchen companies in South Africa are going crazy with shades of green and red”. Sergio believes that if you choose to “go crazy with colour, you are going to end up very tired and bored with your kitchen very easily”.

Eyaaz Waja, a design consultant at Siematic South Africa, adds that “the neutral spectrum is making a comeback. Black and white are being re-interpreted on new elements that offer striking aesthetics to your kitchen, coupled with muted grey that alters constantly, or enhances the way your kitchen feels”.

Philip Richards from blu_line, agrees with the above as he mentions the need to create a kitchen that is timeless. “Colours that range from black, warm charcoals to stone, mocha and lattes, with a white finish are in,” advises Philip. “These colours are used to create a neutral and timeless canvas for the space that when combined with other textures like glass cladding, rich yet graded timbers and worktops, will enhance the overall look of the space,” he adds.

One of many ways to bring colour into a kitchen is by creating a feature wall, either by using wallpaper or with paint. Claire Bond from the Plascon Spaces Showroom says: “I am seeing the bold use of colour in kitchens more often than not. Acid chartreuse creates a contemporary look against darker seaweed walls. Darker colours on walls are also an option. Clients are having fun with colour, but my advice is to make sure there is a lot of light in the space.”

Claire adds that modern homes with a lot of glass and light show off the new bright colours well, and advises that “awkward kitchen recesses can be made functional by adding shelves and painting both the shelves and the wall behind it in bold bright colours”. She also explains that stainless steel shelves and hooks can also update an old kitchen.

Dulux’s colour expert, Sonica Bucksteg, suggests that you draw your inspiration from what is around you and look at sprucing up what you already have.

“The trends for 2011/2012 are friendly on the pocket as they encourage experimental play with the familiar – it’s about using what you have and exploring the opportunities of combining different objects, materials and colours in a new, unsuspecting and satisfying way,” adds Sonica.

You can achieve this by taking your old white cabinets and splashing a colour that pops on the inside of the cabinet. If you are not one for bold colours, Sonica suggests elegant, timeless shades that are subtle and understated, such as neutral colours including greys and other muted shades. For example, Sonica explains that “the warmth of wooden cabinetry contrasts well with cool, elegant neutrals or muted greys on the wall. Complete the look with accents of warm camels, blushing coral and copper items such as cooking utensils, vases and bowls”.

Arguably the most anticipated horticultural event of the year, the Johannesburg Garden Club’s Annual Plant Sale promises to be blooming marvelous!

Last year the club raised more than R330 000 for Johannesburg Child Welfare with the Annual Plant Sale accounting for the largest portion of their annual fundraising efforts.

Reminiscent of a bygone country fair the event has grown over the years, now incorporating a tea garden, a lunch garden and a popular smoked salmon and champagne bar.

The club’s members sell a gigantic selection of plants from the most foreseeable to the surprisingly rare, with each year featuring one particular hard-to-find plant as the star attraction. This year sees the Acer palmatum (or Japanese Maple) taking center stage.

In addition to the rareness and beauty of the plants on offer, visitors now also delight in a ‘Portobello Road’ antiques market with stalls also offering various collectables and vintage items for sale.

The Johannebsurg Garden Club’s Annual Plant Sale promises to be another exciting event for gardening enthusiasts or those just wanting a fun day out.

Date: 15 September

Where: 9 Bryanston Drive, Bryanston

Contact: www.johannesburggardenclub.co.za

Photography enthusiasts will be thrilled to hear that Caroline Gibello, whose photographs are inspired by her explorations of exotic locations and cultures in Africa, India, China and the deepest reaches of the Amazon Jungle, recently launched her Johannesburg-based gallery at Design Quarter in Fourways.

Gibello, whose work is currently exhibited at the National Geographic flagship store in Knightsbridge, London, has captured iconic images throughout her career. De-saturated and over-exposed tones and hues are her signature palette. A baby elephant sheltering under the belly of its mother, a monumental baobab stretching into a cloudless sky and portraits of Indian gypsies, constitute a part of Caroline’s portfolio.

An adventurer at heart, this South African-born photographer has produced three African portfolios Heaven and Earth, Water and Dust and her latest Eden which have been exhibited globally from India to Italy and from Singapore to South Africa. Gibello’s work forms part of the SAB private art collection and appears in many top South African hotels and game reserves.

The opening of the Design Quarter gallery follows on from the success of Galleria Gibello, which opened in De Waterkant, Cape Town in 2009.

“I am very excited at the prospect of sharing my photographic passion for Africa’s wild places with Johannesburg, where people are even closer to the heart of our wildlife heritage,” said Gibello. “Hopefully, as my work reaches more people across Southern Africa, I will contribute to instilling within people’s awareness a deep reverence and respect for the beauty of our continent.”

“With our eyes we see and with our hearts we feel. To photograph, is perhaps to align these senses in order to capture a fleeting moment of reality, a moment that evokes an immediate response to the mystery that pervades our senses,” Gibello says of her work.

CONTACT:

(011) 465 5760 or visit www.galleriagibello.com

This home was born in celebration of its beautiful surroundings and the close-knit family living within its walls.

Designed around the clients’ brief to achieve elegant, gracious, old-world charm, planning was the key to success, and Edmonds and Erasmus Design Consultancy dedicated significant time to analysing the clients’ lifestyle before slowly building up the plans for the home, from sketch flow plans to final construction.

The home owners wished for a home that would radiate warmth and intimacy without being pretentious, and had very specific requirements for safety, indoor and outdoor entertainment, thermal insulation, kitchen functionality and elegant bathrooms. The home had to accommodate the extraordinary lifestyle of family togetherness, delivering a “manor house” appeal that, at the same time, fits in with the estate’s building regulations. A lot for the appointed suppliers to consider.

Good planning and professional execution were key in the creation of this home.

From a site perspective, the ideal north orientation, beautifully contoured golf course and breathtaking vista created a superb backdrop for the construction of this home. Balancing these aspects with estate architectural guidelines including height restrictions, a 45° boundary envelope to allow for open sky space between homes, and a number of prescribed architectural finishes, the home took shape from the outside in.

The interior layouts, fittings and finishes were guided by the multi-disciplinary Edmonds and Erasmus Design Consultancy, with the result being an ideal marriage between architecture and interior design flowing over into the garden design. Beneath the stone facade and traditional grandeur of the slate roof, lie some very practical and sensible applications to make the home more comfortable and liveable. The use of double-glazed windows and folding doors, cavity walls with polystyrene insulation, and wall heating combined with gas vent-free fireplaces (central and double-sided to extend the warmth across two rooms), makes this home a dream house in which to live, in both summer and winter.

Beautiful solid wooden flooring, and the delicate craftsmanship of a classical, turned wooden balustrade, among other finishes, lend a consistent elegance to the interiors; while outside a hot tub pavilion overlooks a large, mosaic-clad swimming pool – a favourite escape area where intimate conversations and quality life away from the frantic day to day dramas allow for complete relaxation.

This home is a celebration not only of its surroundings and ensconced family, but of the talent, skill and sensitivity that went into creating it. It is a celebration of dreams come true.

Photography: Daniel Lurie

Malcolm Klûk  is one of South Africa’s most recognizable fashion designers. So it makes perfect sense that he has taken his exceptional design talent and created a Joburg home/showroom, filled to the brim with exotic finds. We chatted to him about all things décor related.

My bio in 30 words… Designer of exclusive, luxury fashion. Born in Durban, studied in London, apprenticed with John Galliano and uses that experience at home. Loves South Africa, mostly.

My Joburg showroom is unique because… We designed it to be our home in Joburg, with the intention of creating a unique shopping experience for customers. In our home/showroom we have bedrooms instead of changing rooms, a lounge and working kitchen and everything has been decorated in our personal style. The wall colour matches the mannequins and rails, as well as some of the furniture, and there is a mix of antique and vintage pieces and bold printed accessories.

Your home is  a personal space where you can do whatever you like without commercial restraints and we took a big risk by opening it up to our customers. We believe it is important to know what is stylish so that a leopard print bed works within a sage green room without it looking hideous and tacky. We love the 30s and brought that sense of desaturated colour and exotic artefact to the décor in our home.

My favourite décor pieces… are the brass coffee table made from an old chimney, amaryllis growing off a log that we bought at a nursery and our swan dining table.

My first treasured household item… books and magazines. I love books and when I couldn’t afford furniture they were multifunctional. My first purchase was an old-school woodwork bench, which I treasure – just like all my possessions.

I’m inspired by… everything.

My favourite interior designer is…Tony Douquette, Kelly Wearstler, David Collins, Andy Graff and Boyd Ferguson.

The five essential pieces for any home include… books, art, TV, plants and paint.

We have just forfeited one bottle of scotch and a thousand bucks – thanks to the municipality!  We are still awaiting municipal approval of our plans, and have been told that only one signature stands in our way, but we are beginning to suspect that someone is stalling for a bribe… hmmm. Anyway, the reason for our forfeiture is that in our great inexperience and enthusiasm, we were convinced that we would be moving in at the end of July, and some of our more level-headed friends were pretty sure that their booze and money would be safe despite the bet.

It is true that Light Steel Frame (LSF) building is quicker, particularly in winter on the highveld.  With our summer thunderstorms, every man holding a steel pole becomes a lightening conductor, so all steel frame construction is halted at the hint of a storm. If you are planning a build in summer, you should therefore add a couple of extra weeks to your planning! The faster construction time is owing to the forward planning required and the pre-assembled walls that arrive on site.

However, not all is lost ­– our site set-up has progressed! Specifically, we had the lawn mowed! Well most of it was mowed. Considering that the grass was as high as an elephant’s eye, the person mowing the lawn had difficulty finding the boundary markers and mowed a bit skew. Let’s hope he mowed enough to satisfy Tiaan when he sets up the foundation points tomorrow.

The positioning of the house is pretty important. Obviously one wants to maximise garden space as per the plans, but in the southern hemisphere, the optimal angle for sunshine is for the house to face just a few degrees west of north. We are looking forward to a warm, bright house so we want our position to be very precise.

On a sad note, the tree planted on the pavement is right in the middle of our proposed new driveway. We briefly considered moving the driveway, but the fleeting impulse evaporated as soon as we saw dollar signs, so the tree will have to go. Pity, as it was already giving a smudge of shade, but we have a vision of fever trees along the pavement, so it would have been lonely on it’s own anyway.

Until next week!