By Sungula Nkabinde, Project Consultant Monique Rankine, Property Co-ordinator Chantel Spence, Photography Nic Baleta
The owners of this home wanted to create a French country-style family home – one designed around an open, family lifestyle, where one could be in the kitchen and still have a full view of the surrounding rooms and garden. The idea of a French country home was an idyllic one.
Although inspired by the French, the house has a South African twist, say the owners, who bought a large stand many years ago on an estate that at the time was the first of its kind.
“The security was a great factor as well. We have young children and we wanted them to experience the joy of making friends in the neighbourhood and playing in the streets as we did when we were younger.” The building began in 2011 and, within ten months, these residents were already living in their dream home. The beauty of this home can be attributed to the mother of the home, also known as the “head lady in charge”. She says she had kept an idea book that she created for the home, from the exterior to the interior design, whereby most of the rooms had their own page with ideas of what she wanted to create. With the help of Cocoa Bean Interiors, her ideas and picture concepts were turned into a reality.
“I wanted comfort and durability yet style at the same time. The main pieces are bulky but the soft furnishings complete the home and make it one that can be lived in and enjoyed,” she says. Her favourite space is the patio, mostly because it is so spacious.
She loves that you can lounge around or entertain guests, all the while being able to watch the children in the garden.
Offering advice to other women looking to have their dream home, the head lady in charge of this home recommends that they should not waste time pondering and rather take small steps to realise the dream. “Make an idea book of all the aspects you have ever wished for in a home and, depending on the budget, make it happen.” She also highlights the importance of enlisting the services of a chosen builder before the architect draws any plans, as most often builders have many great and practical ideas that architects do not factor in.
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