10 minute read
all about nostalgia A colourful and texture-rich
from Cxfgytrcc
Savouring the slow life
A soon-to-be retired couple created their own country sanctuary where tactile textures and vibrant colours speak of a happy home.
Advertisement
A lush star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) and potted heliotropes soften the north-northwest-facing brick façade. The homeowners used second-hand RainQueen planter boxes against the back wall; they are planted up with Mackaya bella.
reader home
WHO LIVES HERE? Sharon and Piers Harington with their three dogs and a cat. WHERE Stanford SIZE 420m 2 (includes a large garage and front veranda on a 976m 2 plot)
The lounge, where the décor is all about comfort, is Piers’ favourite spot in winter. “Feet up, all the dogs next to us on the big couches, books and a crackling fire” is a typical scene for the Haringtons.
Invincible Strand closed-combustion stove from FCS Distributors
Paint colour Dulux Ruby Fountain 1
We’re on the veranda from morning tea till sundowners –and for all the meals in-between! –Sharon
Ground floor
Outside toilet
Bath
Garage Pantry
Scullery Storeroom Kitchenette
Toilet Kitchen Dining area Sitting area
Wine store
Bath
Bedroom
Sitting area
Bath
reader home
When Capetonians Sharon and Piers Harington decided to retire in a small town, all roads kept leading back to Stanford. A mere 150km from the Mother City, the quiet, riverside Overberg village was ideal as Piers, an anaesthetist, can commute between their Rondebosch flat and Stanford, where he spends weekends with Sharon.
“The plan was to retire early so that we could make friends and enjoy our surroundings. I would start the ball rolling and Piers would commute for a while but three years on, his retirement is now referred to as the ‘R-word’,” says Sharon with a chuckle.
When they saw a plot for sale along a dirt road on the edge of town, with a view of open land bordered by huge gum trees and a small private nature reserve, their minds were made up. “It was a view we would never tire of. We could see a family of bontebok and their babies walking along the road in the reserve,” says Sharon.
The couple bought the plot in 2017 and sold their Rondebosch family home, where they brought up their three children: Amy (34) who lives in Australia, and Sebastian (30) and Holly (26) who both live in Cape Town.
“Building our own home has been a lifelong dream; bricks and mortar make me happy!” says Sharon. “We wanted a low-maintenance home, a huge veranda to remind me of my childhood in Zimbabwe, cement floors… A sort of farmhouse with an industrial feel.”
Sharon designed the house to scale on graph paper, while constantly bouncing ideas off Piers. “I made drawings with the dimensions of every piece of furniture from our Rondebosch home in mind. Windows were carefully positioned so that certain key pieces would fit comfortably.”
Construction work began in November 2017 with Eugene Theron as project manager and building contractor, and in May 2018 Sharon moved to a rental home in Stanford so she could keep an eye on the progress. >>
A generous 65m 2 , the size of the veranda was non-negotiable when Sharon designed the house, and the 4.2m-long teak table is the perfect spot for family gatherings. Most of the furniture was bought second-hand, except for the red armoire, which they brought back from Saudi Arabia where Piers worked for seven years. The same cement screed floor was laid throughout the house and sealed with a clear polyurethane sealant.
“It’s a real treat; it makes me feel so spoilt,” says Sharon of the scullery.
Wall tiles from Pudlo Tiles
Sharon’s love of colour is evident in the dining area, where six second-hand chairs sport upholstery in three different shades.
Aluminium windows made to order by GoGreen Design; pendant lamps from Livecopper
Building for easy living The Haringtons opted for exposed brick walls. Apart from being low-maintenance, they have a warm appearance in winter and are cool to the touch in summer.
“We took great care to choose a clay brick that would be neither too pink nor too yellow, and used the same bricks from Beukes Bricks in Caledon inside and outside.
“Dirt, dust and picture nails don’t show up,” Sharon elaborates. “But our art shows up well on these walls; even better than I imagined. Settlement cracks that one sees in plastered walls don’t occur.”
Initially keen on industrial-style steel-frame windows, Sharon opted for aluminium frames – another easy maintenance decision. While steel is stronger, aluminium is anti-corrosive and easier to clean, thanks to a smoother surface.
A grey cement screed floor was laid throughout the house. “Our floors are easy to clean and they hide dirt and dust well. Our rugs look beautiful on it too!” >>
reader home
In the kitchen, clerestory windows lighten the brick walls. “It’s my dream kitchen, and I love my Lofra stove. It has three ovens, which makes it very economical; I use the small one when it’s just Piers and I at home.” The steel cladding on the island unit brings back fond memories of old pressed-steel ceilings. Sharon spray-painted the bar stools red several years ago.
Rustenburg granite tops with an antique finish from Southern Granite; wallpaper custom printed by Smart Art; steel cladding on island unit from Pudlo Tiles; pendant lamps from Livecopper; Lofra stove from Electrical Industries; MDF cupboards manufactured by Your Style Cupboards and spray-painted in Dulux Rhine Castle; handmade green subway tiles from Akashic Tiles
reader home
[SHARON’S TIPS FOR BUILDING A NEW HOME ] • Enjoy the process! Be excited, but also patient. • Spend your money on finishes that you will enjoy every day but stick to your budget. If you desperately want something that’s over budget, search the internet; there is always a less expensive option. Or cut costs somewhere else. It can be done! • Hiring a project manager is money well spent; the challenges and frustrations were minimal and there were no disasters or major misunderstandings between us and the builders. Eugene Theron managed all the contractors and even put up with, and organised, me. Without him as our level-headed project manager and now friend, I don’t believe the build would have gone so smoothly. He made this project the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done.”
b unny beds i de lamp
from Journey
“Our bedroom is so peaceful; we wake up to birdsong every morning,” Sharon says. The Nepali kist was a gift from Piers on their 25 th wedding anniversary and the tasselled throw belonged to a friend’s mother. “When she passed away, no one wanted it. I pleaded and promised I would love it forever.” The kelim and curtain linen were bought second-hand from a Facebook Bric-a-Brac site.
Paint colour
Dulux Woodland Fern
Sharon is a big fan of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, whose work inspired the colourful palette of the upstairs guest
bedroom (above). The teak headboards in this room and another guest room downstairs (above right) used to form
part of the driveway and pedestrian gates at the family’s former Rondebosch home.
Sharon and Piers are fit and agile but built their double-storey retirement home with the future in mind. The levels are the same throughout the ground floor, where the main bedroom and guest bedrooms are located on opposite sides of the living areas.
Only the designated guest unit is double-storey with a separate entrance and patio, two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, and a kitchenette. It can be separated from the rest of the house by simply closing a pair of double doors that connects the lounge with the guest unit.
“Between visits from our children or friends, we rent this space out on Airbnb – but that doesn’t happen very often,” says Sharon. Apart from the potential rental income, this section of the house could also accommodate a carer should the need arise in future.
“The proportions worked out so well. We love the sense of space, high ceilings, cement floors and especially the veranda where we spend most of our time. To be honest, there is nothing we would change if we could go back in time.” >>
“When the ceiling shutter boards were removed during the building process, I was amazed at how the concrete adds an industrial element,” Sharon says. “We kept as much of
Throw from Bella Bella Interiors
All laid out for retirement
the ceiling area like that as possible.”
When Sharon spotted this pair of mirrors on a Facebook Bric-a-Brac site around the time when they bought this plot, she envisaged them in their future bathroom.
Rustenburg granite tops with an antique finish from Southern Granite
The dining room opens up onto this courtyard, where a water feature adds to the tranquil ambience; according to Sharon, Georgina the Schnauzer owns the property – and the family!
Two cement dogs from Peppino Cement that Sharon painted black are ‘on guard’ at the front entrance. The two-bedroom guest unit has its own entrance with the same red doors as the main house. Silver birch trees will eventually provide much-needed shade on the northnorthwest-facing veranda in summer.
Sharon’s décor style was influenced by the souks (traditional marketplaces) and cities of the Middle East and Asia. “While living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 1997 to 2003, I spent hours in the poky little souks laden with fascinating dusty bits and colourful pieces,” she says.
“Turkey was a favourite destination for its wonderful textiles and rugs. I adore jewel colours, especially deep red, and fabrics like velvet, silk and linen. I love colour, intricate patterns, carved wood, old or second-hand pieces, junk shops, online brica-brac sites and, of course, MRP Home. I could never be a minimalist; I’d be useless!
reader home
“I’ve collected my décor pieces over time, without consciously thinking about my style. I’m very lucky; Piers just lets me get on with it. He is the most patient, relaxed person and I know what he would really dislike.”
Having embraced country life, Sharon spends many hours a day pottering in her garden. “I do most of it myself but the talented Tommy Ngwenya and his team help out twice a month.
“There are countless varieties of birds that visit the garden every day. We wake up to birdsong and hear the blue cranes flying overhead around the time we go to bed. Late at night, we hear the owls calling. But best of all is the silence here.”
Wall tiles from Pudlo Tiles
In summer, the dogs enjoy lying on the top step of the 1.6m-deep pool. “The steps are a waterwise element but will also help us with getting in and out when we are aged,” Sharon explains. A Cuphea plant border defines the area.
Practical and stylish
KEEP COOL WITH ISOBOARD
IsoBoard offers an easy-to-install insulation solution to fit to new builds or retrofit to existing buildings.
This enables your home to manage external temperature fluctuations with ease, maintaining comfortable living and working spaces for the lifetime of your building.
Suitable for all the different areas in your home, this environmentally responsible thermal insulation solution is as versatile as it is effective.
You’ll keep your home’s temperature steady, which means using less electricity for heating or cooling.
energy-efficient IsoBoard.
IsoBoard is easy to install; watch the video at homemag.co.za.
Did you know?
1
2
3
4
5
IsoBoard can be treated with water-based paints and wood stains to suit your own colour scheme.
When replacing a ceiling, leave the existing ceiling as is and simply install IsoBoard directly underneath – a quick and permanent solution with minimal mess or fuss!
Adjacent boards interlock with tongue-andgroove edges, providing easy installation and a continuous layer of thermal insulation.
Use IsoBoard concealed fixing clips and an adhesive when installing your ceiling.
IsoBoard is available in thicknesses ranging from 25–80mm and lengths up to 8m to match your thermal insulation requirements.
For more tips, tricks and information, visit isoboard.com , like us on facebook.com/ isoboard and follow us on Twitter @isoboard.
