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4 INSPIRING HOMES IN JOHANNESBURG FRANSCHHOEK LONDON & MALLORCA

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NAVIGATE GHANA'S COOL COASTAL CAPITAL ACCRA 5 FRESH WAYS TO DRESS UP YOUR BEDROOM

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TRENDS issue OUR DEFINITIVE FORECAST FOR

2017

Purity. Sensuality. Intelligence.

This open-plan interior in Berlin offers ample space for cooking and socializing. It combines a wall-mounted b3 system with a bulthaup monoblock.

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CONTENTS

90 VIEW 16 CURATE Modern materials, vibrant colours and traditional pieces blend seamlessly to create a fresh aesthetic 22 PERSPECTIVE Journalist and stylist Dimeji Alara reminisces about a classic Parisian hotel that has been reinvented

36 DESIGN (U VKL [V Ä UL ^PUL HUK Z\WLYI KLZPNU H[ Normandie Est. 1693’s Franschhoek farm

24 DESIGN Three perfumers, one goal – to create outstanding scents that are unique and captivating

38 ART PROFILE Learn about the beautiful life of prominent <: HY[ JVSSLJ[VY 7HTLSH 1V`ULY

28 BODY OF WORK Artist, baker and all-round creator, Alice Toich shares her inspiration and goals

41 TREND REPORT ;OL KLÄ UP[P]L N\PKL [V ^OH[ ^PSS THRL waves in 2017 – from art and design to fashion and food

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HOUSE

LEISURE

56

BOXING CLEVER From the structured outside of this Essex house near London, you’d never guess what lies within

GARDEN Blooming beautiful Å VYHS HYYHUNLTLU[Z to dress up your dining table

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FOUR SEASONS Foliage abounds in this Stellenbosch homestead created by the talented owners of Okasie

72

FOLLOW THE SUN Summertime, and the living is easy in this Spanish holiday home

80

INSIDE OUT Art marries innovation in this modern Hyde Park house

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30 NEWS What’s hot right now; Atang ;ZOPRHYL»Z º3L°IVUL Lebone (They Saw the Light)’; a closer look at the Levante, Maserati’s Ä YZ[ MVYH` PU[V [OL :<= THYRL[

HOUSE AND LEISURE | J A N UA R Y / F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 7

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FOOD NEWS New Cape Town restaurants, a delicious sparkling Sauvignon Blanc and juicing made easy

98

FOOD A convivial gathering of gastronomes – all you need to know about the foodie gettogether that is Convivium

104

TRAVEL A round-up of the best things to see and do in Ghana’s coastal capital, Accra

For current print subscription offers, email subscribe@assocmedia.co.za or call 087-740-1070. To download the digital edition of House and Leisure visit houseandleisure.co.za.

FOCUS 110

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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HouseAndLeisure

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PHOTOGRAPH: TRAVYS OWEN. GROOMING: DIANA ASHERSON

J

ust as I started at House and Leisure, I was invited to an intimate presentation by international trend forecaster Li Edelkoort, where she shared her take on future trends. All the big retailers were there, furiously taking notes and secretly screen-grabbing some of her amazing visuals to take back to their teams to assist them with tweaking their tired formulas.

I got it – the pressure was on!

She opened her presentation last year with a bold statement, announcing, ‘Fashion is dead! In a rut! Going nowhere slowly! [It’s] the end of creativity!’

I have to be honest; I freaked out a little. Firstly, I was annoyed that she was right about the fashion industry’s rut (but at least she had the balls to say so); secondly, that she demanded a change to fashion’s creative system. It made me think about my role as an editor – a curator of sorts – and I questioned if we are doing the right thing by trying to keep up with our own content revolution – the internet – or if we should, like Edelkoort, grow a pair and demand a systematic change and formulate a new set of rules.

Spotting new directions and tracking consumer insights has become a huge industry, and it continues to be a major commodity for corporates. To be able to identify the new colour of the year is not nearly as important as understanding why this colour is surfacing, what political or economic situation is causing the effect, what the social triggers for this are, and so forth. Will Trump’s new vote of confidence by the United States of America introduce new colours like ignorant chalky white or blowhard blue? Is the world tired of religious wars and will this force us to give up black as a uniform or camouflage as a pattern?

We live in such a connected era that all these decisions are part of a greater movement. What 2017 holds for us, I don’t know. For me, at least, it’s the hope that the world will be a safer, calmer and friendlier place. That’s why I’ll be choosing gentler hues and ‘dirtier’ tones of familiar colours such as peach and moss green. I want furniture to be softer and more rounded – a chair that gently ‘hugs’ me every time I sit down will be a treat. I’ll be looking at opportunities to connect with nature and my family, so the return of terracotta as a directional material excites me. To hear that the bathroom is the new meeting room for family makes me happy – we basically spend every night connecting with our son over bath time while he splashes around, turning the space into a wet room.

In this issue, we bring you our 2017 trend list, highlighting all the things shaping the year that lies ahead. I hope while reading you’ll find it as inspirational as we did while producing it.

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CONTRIBUTORS MELISSA ATTRIDGE is House and Leisure’s managing editor.

A: Factory #2, 129, 9th Road, Kew T: +27 11 264 0053 I F: 086 569 5644 E: info@leonardodesign.co.za

www.leonardodesign.co.za

What do you hope 2017 holds in store? A less frenetic pace than 2016. More downtime, plenty of yoga and hopefully a bit of travel.

Any trend you think will be big in the coming year? ;OL Λ Z We’re talking crop tops, aerobics and movie remakes (as well as º Z PUZWPYLK» ZLYPLZ SPRL Stranger Things). Worst trend of 2016?

Making spaghetti out of every possible vegetable that can fit in a spiraliser. And New Year’s resolutions? Less is more. Last year I made a resolution to buy only the things I need, to declutter my space on a regular basis and give away everything I don’t use. I’m going to continue with that in 2017. Best thing about what you do?

Working with creative people and having the freedom to throw ideas around on a daily basis. I also love working with a tangible product – after years of working in magazines I still get a thrill when the first copies arrive from the printer.

BIANCA THÉRON is a Joburg-based photographer who shows her penchant for portraiture in our design feature on page 24.

What do you hope 2017 holds in store? Hopefully some new adventures and another exhibition.

Any trend you think will be big this year? Anything to do with simplicity and practicality. On your shopping list for 2017?

A set of Fabrica ceramic ‘Apotment’ planters. New Year’s resolutions? Expand my work internationally; maybe live in a different city for a while. Designers or artists you think will be big in the coming year? Kirsten Townsend of Fabrica – she creates these fabulous Ndebele burglar bars. How would you give your bedroom a makeover on an unlimited budget? I feel any space is predominantly affected by light, so I would start with that, and then make use of subtle shades of green and pieces that aren’t overpowering but retain their sense of individuality.

TUDOR CARADOC-DAVIES is a freelance writer and fishing enthusiast; he wrote this month’s Flavour Profile on page 98.

Shards Side Table with a Metal Top Size: 500mm dia x 600mm H Finish: Powdercoated Grey Ferrugrain

What do you hope 2017 holds in store? Travel, adventure and big fish, with plenty of interesting people and a side of downtime.

Worst trend of 2016? I don’t think it’s 2016-specific, but restaurants giving me a plank of wood with some wax paper in lieu of a plate is a pet hate of mine. You cut through your food and get a mouthful of paper. Don’t be lazy. Use plates. On your shopping list for 2017? A Scott Meridian fly rod, a pair of Katu Vellies, Falcon enamelware and a Finex cast-iron skillet.

Any New Year’s resolutions? To downsize my belongings and recycle anything that hasn’t been used in the past two years. Artists you think will be big in the coming year? Kirsten Sims – I love her work. Best thing about what you do? Every day is different and the subject matter is varied. Diving deep (or shallow) into research and fresh stories on food, travel, people and places.

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Cape Town: 021 510 2846 | Paarden Eiland Johannesburg: 011 262 3117 | Sandton Durban: 031 000 1000 | Umhlanga nick@oggie.co.za www.oggieflooring.com

EDITORIAL Editor Tiaan Nagel Acting Deputy Editor Lynette Botha Art Director Ian Martin Acting Senior Designer Karmen van Rensburg Managing Editor Melissa Attridge Senior Decor Editor Nicola Stevenson Features Editor Kholeka Kumalo Acting Copy Editors Mariola Fouché, Abigail Green, Jim Hislop Junior Decor Editor Chrizanda Botha Acting Online Editor Reneé Fortune Picture Editor Valentina Nicol Junior Decor Contributor Latoyah Mei Editorial Contact (CT) 021-464-6200 Editorial Contact (JHB) 011-783-5500 COMMERCIAL Key Account Managers Jeanine Viljoen (Gauteng) 082-654-9308, Greer Krige (Coastal) 082-397-2056, Chantel Spence 082-822-0842 Advertising Controller Quanita Rinquest 021-464-6207 ASSOCIATED MEDIA PUBLISHING Chairman Jane Raphaely Chief Executive Officer Julia Raphaely Head of Sales and Marketing Leigh Kinross Group Marketing and Communications Manager Kate Ackerman Group Sales Manager Shanee Smart Group Coastal Sales Manager Storm Mascall Customer Operations Manager Gillian Chapman Creative Hub: Project Manager Sharlene Lawrence Rewards and Incentive Planner Nasreen Abrahams Brand Activation Coordinators Claudell Van Eeden, Mushfieqah Kannemeyer Lead Project Manager Head of Creative Solutions Creative Solutions Art Buyer Creative Solutions Senior Designer Creative Solutions Designer Creative Solutions Junior Designer Creative Solutions Junior Designer Video Editor

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VIEW take note THREE PERFUMERS who make magic P24

CAKES and canvases ALICE TOICHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BODY OF WORK TRENDING IN 2017 our outlook ON THE YEAR AHEAD P28

P41

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Backdrop in mandarin R410, Big Time Studios; Uncle Jim Perspex sofa

by Philippe Starck R26 860, Kartell; blanket 01 from the ISH collection

by Mae Engelgeer in fading colours R4 900 (1 450×1 650mm), Tonic Design; Lorraine floor light in maroon R8 300, Anatomy Design; Landing server with brass detail and frame coloured with Dulux high-gloss Duco R60 000 (2 000×450×800mm), Tonic Design; Take desk light by Ferruccio Laviani R2 022, Kartell; Ridge mini candle holders R129 each, Country Road; Hexagon vases in pink R690, Mezzanine Interiors; Vase effect vases in pink R350 each, Mezzanine Interiors; MRND Maria Teresa table lamp (on floor) by Seletti R4 959, Generation; Zig bowl in brass R870, Mezzanine Interiors; Tall wire basket in brass R800, Anatomy Design.

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V I EW curate

CONSIDERED CONTRAST JUXTAPOSE MODERN materials WITH THE TRADITIONAL FOR A classic AESTHETIC FAST-TRACKED INTO THE FUTURE

PRODUCTION NICOLA STEVENSON PRODUCTION ASSISTANT LATOYAH MEI PHOTOGRAPHS GRAEME WYLLIE

C L O C K W I S E , F RO M L E F T Backdrop in mandarin R410, Big Time Studios; Landing server with brass detail and frame coloured with Dulux high-gloss Duco R60 000 (2 000×450×800mm), Tonic Design; moon bowl in orange by Mario Bellini R1 752, Kartell; geometric vases in grey R630 each, Mezzanine Interiors; Cindy table lamp in green

by Ferruccio Laviani R4 690, Kartell; layer vases in yellow R870 (small) and R1 180 (large), Mezzanine Interiors; Toobe floor lamp by Ferruccio Laviani R11 427, Kartell; HG armchair in castle brown with solid oil-finished oak frame R42 000 and scatter cushion in orange

by T&Co R2 300, both Tonic Design; Tibet rug from the Rug Revolution collection R52 850 (180×180cm), Paco.

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Messika - Glamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Azone Collection

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C L O C K W I S E , F RO M B O T T O M L E F T Backdrop in rose pink R410, Big Time Studios; natural rattan ottoman from the Icons collection by Franco Albini for Sika Design (550×350mm) R8 700, Tonic Design; Railway table by Luca Nichetto for De Padova R81 600, Generation; Tic&Tac clock by Philippe Starck with Eugeni Quitllet R2 475, Kartell; Linea neon lamps in fuchsia and green by Selab + Alessandro Zambelli for Seletti R3 566 each, all Generation; vases in clear and green R1 320, Mezzanine Interiors; Orr vases (large) in copper R249 each, Country Road; Toobe floor lamp

by Ferruccio Laviani R11 427 and Charles Ghost stool in transparent orange by Philippe Starck R5 005, both Kartell; loomed rayon Shaggy rug in plain pink R13 200 (180×180cm), Paco.

Triangle Crystal Chandelier Code: KLCH-7895/25

V I E W perspective

LA VIE EN RITZ WHEN THE Ritz Paris CLOSED FOR A FOUR-YEAR-LONG refurbishment, DIMEJI ALARA FEARED IT WOULD LOSE the essence THAT charmed HIM THROUGHOUT HIS CHILDHOOD

O

ne of my first memories of the legendary Ritz Paris Hotel goes back to the age of five. My mum occasionally took my sister and me to the L’Espadon, the hotel’s top restaurant, and one of the best in the city. It looked out onto the very green courtyard garden full of the smell of fresh flowers, a beautiful fountain and a statue of a woman pointing towards the sky. It was one of my favourite parts of the Ritz.

darkened windows, which flowed in front of the hotel constantly.

As a teenager, I sat in the lobby during the couture and ready-towear shows simply to watch people as they went in and out.

My young mind had vague descriptions of some of the regulars: the woman with the bob who never smiled and wore sunglasses indoors, always in the company of a tall, red-haired woman. Then there was the woman with the fascinating hat, always with cigarette in hand, although I was more intrigued by her smudged red lips and wondered if this was deliberate.

In July 2012, a few weeks before the Ritz Paris closed for four years of renovations, I was in Paris for couture shows and took one last look at the legend. Everything was the same as I walked through the wooden revolving door, which showed signs of ageing, onto the red carpet that led through the grand hallway and lobby. Outside, numerous photographers scrambled for a picture of South African actress Charlize Theron, who was in town for Raf Simons’ first collection for Dior. There, again, was the woman with the bob and the tall red-haired woman, but no sign of the woman with the smudged lipstick.

There was a natural sophistication in the gracious 18th-century interiors. The lobby, which wasn’t a single room but an expansive space that spilled from room to room, was plastered in grey, pink and pale yellow. As soon as you stepped in, the historical imprint was evident. Its exterior made up the spectacular ensemble of the Place Vendôme, a model of classical equilibrium. The moulding, gilding and woodwork were as rich as the tapestries and curtain fabric.

I loved running down the long corridor of mirrors and dazzling display cases. I remember getting lost and crying for hours while trying to find my way back to the ground floor. Fortunately, a very charming woman asked why I was crying and took me back to safety.

The woman, I would later find out, was Catherine Deneuve.

As I became more aware of my surroundings and the celebrity culture that was taking over, I watched countless photographers line up outside, some hidden behind the Place Vendôme column with telephoto lenses, trying to catch perfect shots of the rich and famous.

The ever-present concierges welcomed luxurious saloon cars with

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All these years later, the hotel still felt exactly as it did in the past – and that was the magnificence of it. The Ritz Paris was less about beauty and more about the history and memories that it housed.

During its four-year-long refurbishment, I couldn’t help but wonder and worry about whether the emphasis needed to be on preserving the historic palatial hotel for regulars who wanted nothing to change.

Since the luxury hotel reopened its doors in June last year, it seems nothing much has changed except for the inclusion of a few modern finishes: TV screens behind mirrors (genius!); Wi-Fi; the Chanel Spa (the first of its kind); the updated swimming pool (it’s kept the turquoise mosaic but has shifted from antique to Art Deco style); and the Coco Chanel suite has now moved from the third floor to the second, replacing some of its original artefacts with replicas (not cool at all…).

Deep down, I surprised myself by wanting things to remain the same, but was pleased that a hotel that once symbolised innovation and modernity in its day prioritised the need to preserve its history.

PHOTOGRAPH: LAKIN OGUNBANWO

FORTUNATELY, A VERY CHARMING WOMAN ASKED WHY I WAS CRYING AND TOOK ME BACK TO SAFETY. THE WOMAN, I WOULD LATER FIND OUT, WAS CATHERINE DENEUVE.

HAPPY HEARTS

B O U T IQ U E H A U T E HOR LO G E R I E

For further information contact Architects of Time (011) 669 0790

HAPPY D I AM O NDS

On the scent Quality trumps quantity for three South African perfumers who have turned their backs on large fragrance houses to create unpredictable, bespoke scents TEXT KHOLEKA KUMALO PHOTOGRAPHS BIANCA THÉRON AND CAMERON MCDONALD

AGATA KAROLINA HOUSE OF GOZDAWA

Established in 2015, House of Gozdawa is a small-batch perfumery of natural essential oils. Six unisex fragrances make up its Confessions collection. The seventh, launching next month, is founder Agata Karolina’s first collaboration. Each is based on a story, not simply the ingredients, which Agata describes as the vessels for expressing the protagonists.

What does Gozdawa mean? Gozdawa is the name of my family’s crest; I gave it to my company because it was my grandparents and my mother who taught me to work with natural tinctures, oils and processes of distillation – part of my family owned pharmacies in Europe for generations.

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How did you become a perfumer?

Perfume was part of my life long before I knew it would be my job. After many years of playing with oils and creating basic scents, I moved back to South Africa from Europe to immerse myself in the oils and materials found here and to invest in making my greatest passion my life. My grandmother, who is also the protagonist to everything I do with scent, always told me to move back here. Where does your process of scent creation start? It starts with a story – recalling the tastes, sounds, colours and textures of a place, time or person – then I consider all these notations in scent. What makes your brand special?

I am fascinated by how plants behave in nature and how they translate into oils.

Sourcing the best oils that can give you the most true-to-life experience of the

HOUSE AND LEISURE | J A N UA R Y / F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 7

natural materials is what makes my brand different. Do you encounter limitations?

There are restrictions in any material but what makes natural scents unique is their unmatched depth of character. In past years some plant matter was seen as toxic, so only synthesised versions were used. Still, the pros in natural perfumery outweigh the cons. What is your first scent memory? My first night in Cairo in 1994 – the hot roads, bazaars and the scent of the desert. Favourite smells? Bushfires, fermented yeast and leather. And your worst? Synthetic flowers and spices. How should we apply perfume? Never behind the ears. Always dab, never rub. Use only two or three sprays over the whole body, focusing on areas around the wrist, the back of the neck in the hair, the base of the chest or behind the knees.

V I EW design

that way. Although a naturally occurring hero ingredient can’t ever be repeated and she never knows what it will inspire, she is always clear on which of her three perfumers will enhance it best. How did you start playing around with scents?

Like most people who are into natural perfumery – they go to Dis-Chem, buy essential oils and mix them together.

Does that work? No, it’s terrible. With professional perfumery, you source very different perfume oils. It’s the quality of the materials that you start off with that make a huge difference.

Why natural perfumes? Perfumery, as we know it today, is based mostly on using synthetic ingredients – where you’re not beholden to the weather, wars or things that affect natural ingredient production.

From the outset, I didn’t want to source

from big houses – I wanted to source directly from the people distilling the ingredients. How did you find local suppliers? Research. I started making connections with them and realised there’s a huge amount of production that happens in South Africa, Madagascar, Namibia, Somalia and Kenya. Africa is such a good resource for scents. Are fragrances expensive because of the process or because of the ingredients? Both. With roses, 5.6ha of plants give you one litre of essential oil. The yield is around two per cent and it’s time consuming. People have to grow, pick and distil them. What do you love most about what you do? The distillation process. For an hour or two, you’re smelling the scent of the plant on steroids. And then when that first drop comes out, it’s like magic.

‘ MY PROCESS OF CREATION STARTS WITH A STORY – RECALLING THE TASTES, SOUNDS, COLOURS AND TEXTURES OF A PLACE, TIME OR PERSON – THEN I CONSIDER ALL THESE NOTATIONS IN SCENT.’ – AGATA KAROLINA, HOUSE OF GOZDAWA

MARIE AOUN SAINT D’ICI

After a decade in the fashion industry, Marie Aoun took to gardening, travelled to Italy to do a 10-day course with master natural perfumer AbdesSalaam Attar, then found a sweet spot in farmer-to-fragrance perfumery, merging the best of both her loves.

Now in its seventh month, Marie’s natural perfume brand Saint d’Ici is the combined effort of a scientist in southern Europe, a vintage perfume collector in Germany and an intuitive chemistry student at Yale University – all of whom she met while studying perfumery. Marie’s collection of scents is limited-edition, and she prefers it

V I EW design

LEIGH-ANNE DRAKES OCTOBER

With a perfumery course in Bangkok under her belt and a degree in chemistry well under way, Leigh-Anne Drakes is set to launch her first capsule collection, October – five unisex, synthetic scents – towards the middle of the year. Beyond mixing molecules, her process of perfumery revolves around the links between what we see and what we smell.

Tell us about your brand October.

October as a brand is a little dark, moody, aloof and always unapologetic. She is

‘THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE VISUAL AND DESIGN WORLD AND THE WORLD OF SCENT HAS BEGUN TO DISAPPEAR.’ – LEIGH-ANNE DRAKES, OCTOBER

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timeless but with modern ideas – an abstract take on scent as a means of expression. Closest to her heart is the experience of the wearer. Creating scents is a very visual experience for you. How does this help with the perfumery design process? I create through deconstruction and reconstruction. The tie between the visual experience and the scent is key to my process. I can see a scent long before I can smell it. I deconstruct that image into its elements, then decide what each one smells like and how they’ll work together while being offset by tension and interest.

What scents can you create with synthetics that you can’t with naturals?

My palette of hundreds of raw materials is a mix of naturals and synthetics. For many notes, nothing touches the depth and complexity of the naturals, because they are each made up of hundreds of molecules.

However, one of the misconceptions around synthetics is that they were created to have cheaper alternatives. Although sometimes this is the case, far more often synthetics were created to widen the palette of the perfumer. They create notes that don’t exist in nature or mimic a flower that will not yield its essence. To realise my interest in the more obscure and abstract elements, I need the complexity and diversity that synthetics offer.

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When did you realise you wanted to become a perfumer? About three years ago. I’ve always been interested in scent and felt connected to it, but I’ve always been heavily visual too, hence my study of photography and working predominantly in the visual field. Technology has progressed, along with our understanding of the chemistry of scent. As a result, the creative process toward scent creation has shifted and the disparity between the visual and design world and the world of scent has begun to disappear. This closing gap pulled the trigger for me.

Are there any smells you don’t like? No. I have spent a long time teaching myself to never be put off by a smell and try to snatch it, analyse it and deconstruct it instead. Best way to apply perfume?

Modestly. Perfume, like our own naturally occurring scent, should be experienced in close proximity, leaving the other person longing to smell it again as they walk away from you.

READ ABOUT ANOTHER LOCAL PERFUMER TAMMY FRAZER AT HOUSEANDLEISURE.CO.ZA

The

WOMAG difference

MADE IN SPAIN

Breathtaking Flooring!

Create mesmerizing spaces in your home with WOMAG’s new range of marble-look European porcelain tiles. Showcasing the latest in ink-jet design technology, the Bolonia Marengo displays the movement and beauty of natural stone, at a fraction of the price. Available in a 600x600mm polished or matte.

Is this real wood flooring?

WOMAG’s newly launched range of wood-look porcelain tiles are right on-trend, bringing the warm glow of authentic wood into your home. The Cleveland Taupe is the epitome of ELEGANCE REmECTING THE BEAUTY AND WARMTH OF WOOD WITH ALL THE BENElTS of a porcelain tile. No maintenance required and it’s highly affordable too.

Available in a 234x1200mm matte tile.

Paarden Eiland | Strand | Fourways | NEW Menlyn

body of work:

ALICE TOICH The anatomy of inspiration from artist (and baker) Alice Toich TEXT LYNETTE BOTHA PRODUCTION CHRIZANDA BOTHA STYLING ALICE TOICH HAIR AND MAKE-UP DENNIE PASION PHOTOGRAPH JUSTIN PATRICK

‘Artist and tartist’ is how Alice Toich sums herself up in her Instagram bio – and if you take a look at her feed, you’ll know why.

A fine artist and baker extraordinaire, Alice began painting at a young age, but started taking her work seriously and exhibiting only a year ago.

Her first solo exhibition – Alice Toich: The Icing Pink Ether – took place in October 2016 and beautifully combined her love of baking and painting in a series of artworks.

She has recently been accepted to study at The Florence Academy of Art. ‘This has been a dream for a long time. I’d like to bring back the skills I learn to share with fellow artists in South Africa,’ says Alice.

GET ALICE’S BEAUTIFUL CHIFFON CAKE RECIPE AT HOUSEANDLEISURE.CO.ZA

FEET ‘I stay grounded by taking afternoon walks along the Sea Point promenade and also by doing Bikram yoga. I love to travel and discover new things. I would like to visit more places in the world, especially Japan, the Amazon and Israel. I would also like to explore my own neighbourhood more and visit local places like Prince Albert and the Drakensberg soon.’

V I E W inspiration

HANDS ‘My hands are extremely fundamental to my skill as an artist and baker. I love the action of mixing – whether it be palettes of pigment, paint on canvas or folding sugar into butter with a whisk. I come from a large family so I relate to people through touch a lot.’

MOUTH

NOSE

‘I am hungry for more South Africans to begin to listen to, and understand each other’s stories.

I want an Africanled creative order, and a more compassionate future for our country and its people.’

‘Zesting lemon rind takes me right back to Sundays spent helping my mom and aunt bake chiffon cakes for the family.

I can almost smell the metal gears grinding, hard at work whipping egg whites up into frothy peaks.’

EYES

HEART ‘I express my love through my words and “nesting” – playing Mommy Goose – making food for people I love, hugging them and reminding them that they are appreciated.

I am also very active in writing letters and verbalising my sentiments to those I love. Sometimes I just leave notes lying around for my friends and family.’

EARS ‘I listen to music, audio books and podcasts about sociology and health, as well as stories.

I visit YouTube and listen to other painters describing their works. I like to fill my studio with other voices because I am alone in my space. Sometimes I will play music because I love to dance in my studio.’

I love Instagram for inspiration and follow a mix of painters (@paintguide is a good start), bakeries (@christinehmcconnell, @sweetlionheart, @sugarandsaltcookies), NASA, HONY and fashion houses. I read Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland every year around my birthday and always discover something new and meaningful in it.’

BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS Unapologetically feminine, Watermark by Anna French is a collection of wallpaper available locally from St Leger & Viney. It draws inspiration from the calming patterns of water ripples, willow trees, coordinated feathers and printed textures. It may all sound too la-di-da to bear, but as a feature wall it packs a real visual punch. stleger.co.za

NOTED COMPILED BY KHOLEKA KUMALO, LYNETTE BOTHA

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

YOUNG VOICES Take one NPO, seven years and 3 500 South African, Ugandan and US students, put them in the capable hands of Andrea Kerzner, and the end result is scarves fine enough to wear (or frame) – all designed by learners through innovative arts curriculums at the Lalela project. The theme? Your dreams for the future. Profits from the scarves go back into Lalela, which runs daily after school and focuses on empowerment, leadership and music. lalela.org

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

Megan Hesse and Andrea Kleinloog’s Anatomy Design has set up shop in Joburg at Rosebank’s eye-catching and contemporary cultural precinct, Keyes Art Mile – and it fits in perfectly. The flagship store is likely to leave you with ‘interiors envy’, owing to the design duo’s elegant and intimate arrangement of furniture, art, decor accessories, lighting and homeware to create an inspiring retail experience. anatomydesign.co.za

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Q&A: ERIC VERGNES

Joburg-based Lemon, which specialises in designing and manufacturing high-end products, is expanding its portfolio beyond creating visual art, wallpaper, window films and living walls for home and office spaces. This month sees the introduction of its first furniture range, which includes a sleek coffee table, table, and side unit. Lemon director Kevin Frankental says, ‘Furniture became a natural progression and when designing we decided to create our pieces to work in any space, not just offices.

All our pieces are simple, focused on materiality and create a quiet elegance in any space.’ madebylemon.co.za

ON O WISH S A deluxe sce d candle from Ford’s Private B e Candle Colle i (R4 800). Fi d i at Edgars M f Africa and the Waterfro Stuttafords Eas and Sand .

WATCH THIS SPACE FRÉDÉRIQUE CONSTANT HAS UNVEILED ITS FIRST SOPHISTICATED SMARTWATCH ALONG WITH BRAND AMBASSADOR GWYNETH PALTROW. THE HOROLOGICAL SMARTWATCH FOR LADIES INCLUDES AN ACTIVITY TRACKER, DYNAMIC COACH FUNCTION AND CLEVER MESSAGE ALERTS THAT VIBRATE OR SHOW ON THE DIAL. SMARTWATCH. FREDERIQUECONSTANT.COM

House and Leisure chatted to Montblanc Middle East, India & Africa president Eric Vergnes about the brand’s neo-concept boutique in Sandton City.

Why Sandton City? South Africa is a priority market for Montblanc, and Sandton City is a beautiful, premium shopping mall. It’s important for us to have a presence here, and it has historical significance – this is where Montblanc opened its first South African boutique.

The new contemporary-design model is being introduced in Montblanc boutiques globally and offers customers a more immersive retail experience. What’s the difference between a neo-concept store and a concept store? The neoconcept boutique gives more meaning to the colours and materials involved in the design. In Sandton, the selection of refined materials inside the boutique expresses Montblanc’s European codes of elegance and spirit of craftsmanship.

How do you define luxury? Objects and services that go beyond their functionality.

Most cherished Montblanc items? An Ultra Black Meisterstück fountain pen and my 4810 Chronograph watch. These two pieces are beautifully iconic yet completely modern. Favourite international shopping destinations? Obviously Dubai, which is where I live, but also Paris and Madrid.

I also enjoy South Africa where I discover new brands and trends that I hadn’t known before. What do you never travel without? A selection of books, my music and my chargers. South Africa is… a beautiful, vibrant country that I am always happy to visit, and would like to return to more often. montblanc.com

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PHOTOGRAPHS: ELSA YOUNG, SUPPLIED

BRANCHING OUT

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V I EW news

want THE RIGHT ANGLE Showcased alongside some of the world’s leading design galleries at Design Miami is South African artist and designer Atang Tshikare’s ‘Le bone Lebone (They Saw the Light)’ – selected by noted curator Southern Guild.

Here, his typically geometric work takes a majestic, giraffe-like sculptural form – rising to heights as high as Atang himself – and is based on mythical narratives conceptualised by the artist and his wife Lexie Lekhanya-Tshikare.

VISIT ZABALAZAA.COM

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OUTDOOR LIVING IN STYLE Designer luxury can now be yours Playing homage to the enduring modern designs of the retro period the Salone collection is noted for its elegant, sleek lines.

Great value combined with great looks the Salone lounge collection will grace any outdoor patio or terrace.

mobelli.co.za Paarden Eiland | Sea Point | Strand Illovo| Fourways | Umhlanga | NEW - Menlyn

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FIVE MINUTES WITH

ANNA WEYLANDT ANNA WEYLANDT (24), FOUNDER AND OWNER OF WEYLANDTS HOME OUTFITTERS, AND DAUGHTER OF CHRIS WEYLANDT, ON HER CAREER CHOICE, PERSONAL STYLE AND WORKING IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS.

Maserati’s first foray into the SUV market, the Levante is luxurious, fast and good-looking Previously synonymous with luxe grand tourers and saloons, Maserati has just unveiled its first-ever SUV, the Levante. The name is inspired by the warm, Mediterranean wind that can change from mild to gale force in an instant, something Maserati feels mirrors this SUV’s character. The Levante is as striking as it is well appointed and was conceived around three main pillars: design, exclusivity and performance. It combines coupé lines with an SUV stance and, once inside the cabin, you get to experience the true level of luxury it exudes.

The instrument panel follows the classic Ghibli/Quattroporte layout and is backlit with white light that contrasts with the warm cabin lighting. The SUV also offers reasonable offroad performance, thanks to electronically controlled (and adaptable) air suspension.

At R1 650 000, you can expect only the best when it comes to standard features. The South African option is so well-specced that you probably won’t even go above the R2-million mark with optional extras. maserati.co.za

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ALL SYSTEMS GO! MODEL: MASERATI LEVANTE ENGINE: 3.0-LITRE V6 DIESEL, 202KW 0-100KM/H: 6.9 SECONDS TOP SPEED: 230KM/H COMBINED FUEL CONSUMPTION: 7.2 LITRES/100KM CO 2: 189G/KM LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT: NOT AVAILABLE PRICE: FROM R1 650 000

HOUSE AND LEISURE | J A N UA R Y / F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 7

COMPILED BY KHOLEKA KUMALO. VENDAGE PHOTOGRAPHS: GRAEME WYLLIE. PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

UNCHARTED TERRITORY

You were exposed to creativity and design from a young age. How has your background influenced your career choice? I was a creative child. Although I knew I wanted to pursue a career that involved design, I didn’t always know that I would be involved in the family business.

My ability to put things together and my passion for design evolved as I began to explore my personal creativity more. I attended the Design Time School of Interior Design and in 2013, with a national diploma in interior design, I dived straight into the industry and got hands-on experience.

I worked in commercial and hospitality interior design for two years prior to joining my dad and the Weylandts team as a furniture buyer. What does your home look like? Being an interior designer, I love many different looks, so it’s difficult to explain my personal style. My apartment has a Scandinavian feel with darker colours (grey and white oak) and an eclectic mix of trinkets. I’m a bit of a collector, so I showcase my books, plants, souvenirs and art throughout my home. At the moment I’m obsessed with midnight blues, emeralds and mustard. My favourite piece is a very special set of original Arne Jacobsen Series 7 dining chairs, previously owned by my grandparents. What do you love most about the Weylandts brand and working alongside your dad? I love that anyone can identify with the brand and the products we offer. Working alongside my father is truly amazing. Not only am I able to pick his brain and absorb his knowledge but we also really enjoy creating things together and we both find it so rewarding. We feed off each other’s energy and style, and have a very similar taste and appreciation for things, so we are mostly on the same page when it comes to decisions. weylandts.co.za

NATURAL. RAW. UNIQUE. CEMENT-BASED DECORATIVE COATINGS

OPULENT SHOPPING KLOOF STREET IN CAPE TOWN’S NEWEST LUXURY SHOPPING SPACE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS. OPULENT LIVING BRAND FOUNDERS BARBARA LENHARD AND FLORIAN GAST HAVE STOCKED THE LAVISH CONCEPT STORE WITH A VARIETY OF BESPOKE ITEMS, EACH WITH A STORY. IT DOUBLES AS A GALLERY, EXHIBITING SOUTH AFRICAN PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURES. ‘WE ARE SOURCING PRODUCTS THAT FIT UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF “THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE” – WE’VE CURATED A COVETABLE MIX THAT WE FEEL WILL APPEAL TO A VAST RANGE OF SHOPPERS,’ SAYS BARBARA. OPULENT LIVING CONCEPT STORE & GALLERY, OPULENTLIVING.CO.ZA

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www.cemcrete.co.za 0860CEMCRETE

enquiry@cemcrete.co.za

blog.cemcrete.co.za

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BOTTLEART Franschhoek farm Normandie Est. 1693’s expertly crafted range is an ode to both fine wine and considered design TEXT DAYLE KAVONIC STYLING CHRIZANDA BOTHA PHOTOGRAPH SEAN CALITZ

pressed label serves as a metaphor for the intricate winemaking process and the two luxuriously tactile layers of wax (one plum and the other Burgundy) that adorn the bottle speak of a fusion of flavours and talents. It’s visible in the exclusive Karen, a dry, mature Rosé whose elegant, textured label is as sophisticated and pure in aesthetics as the wine is on the palate. And now, it’s also the case with the recently launched easy-drinking Clarington range.

Eight years in the making, this new collection comprises six varietals – a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Rosé – encased in bottles coated in glossy organic ink on either their top or bottom half in a colour that corresponds with the respective wine’s hue. This colour-blocking technique

EIGHT YEARS IN THE MAKING, THIS new COLLECTION COMPRISES six VARIETALS

I

t’s customary to hear of good wine taking years to produce; what’s far less commonplace is for this amount of time to go into crafting the bottles that contain it. But so it was and continues to be at private Franschhoek farm Normandie Est. 1693: every measure of passion, pinch of craftsmanship and drop of detail that is poured into the wine is also devoted to producing the bottles.

‘We’ve taken our commitment to creating world-class vintages and extended it to

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every facet around the wine, so that the design also evokes a sense of pleasure,’ explains Jacques Burger, marketing partner at the estate. Since ‘discovering’ the property – one of the origina French Huguenot farms – nine years ago, acclaimed locally born designer Mark Eisen has worked closely alongside winemaker Johan Viljoen to bring his appreciation for art and beauty to life on the bottle’s casing. It’s evident in Normandie’s premium Eisen & Viljoen Bordeaux-style red blend – its hand-

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– a globally patented design that’s the result of an elaborate five-part process – gives the range a vivid, playful edge, turning the casing into functional art that has collector appeal in its own right.

‘Wine is central to social occasions, so we want the bottles to make a statement in these contexts too,’ says Jacques.

With decades of international experience and a reputation as one of South Africa’s finest viticulturists, Johan sculpts the wine from grape to bottle with the precision and intuition of a great master.

So while the attire of Normandie’s wines sets the bar high, what’s inside delights and surprises in equal measure.

In this case, you absolutely can judge the book by its cover. normandie1693.com; claringtonwines.com

V I E W art profile

Pamela Joyner

The prominent US art collector and member of Barack Obama’s arts committee is equally invested in artists and their creations TEXT KHOLEKA KUMALO PHOTOGRAPHS LINDA NYLIND/FRIEZE, JOHN MCKINNON/SCAD, MARCUS J LEITH

S

an Francisco-based Pamela Joyner has built one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary works

by African and African diasporan artists – the Joyner Giuffrida Collection of Abstract Art. With pieces dating back to 1945, the collection’s initial focus was on abstract work by post-war contemporary AfricanAmerican artists. Today it comprises over 300 works by 100 artists.

‘I was really struck by these artists who were determined to create an aesthetic that was compelling to them, which was abstraction, and there were no rewards for that if you were an African-American artist at the time,’ Pamela tells the Financial Times.

‘The traditional art world expected AfricanAmerican artists to create identifiably black subject matter. The black community had a similar expectation at the dawn of the civil rights movement, and these artists mostly said that’s not who they were. I was intrigued by this notion of being a real pioneer, being true to who you are and doing that which is not expected.’

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Since the collection’s inception in 1999, the focus has now expanded to incorporate artists from Africa and the global African diaspora, including South Africans Zander Blom, Mikhael Subotzky, Robin Rhode and Nicholas Hlobo and UK artists Lynette Yiadom-Boakye and Isaac Julien. Pamela’s larger intention is to get the work of these artists into museums – and into art history.

‘The danger of these projects is if people think it’s a politically laden, identity-laden exercise,’ she says in the New York Times.

‘Those elements are there, but they are not the drivers. Good art is the driver.’

Late last year, she launched Four Generations: The Joyner Giuffrida Collection of Abstract Art, a book of curators, writers and artists that looks into reframing art.

After nearly 30 years of experience in the investment industry, Pamela is now focused solely on her philanthropic interests in the arts and education, while serving as a member of the former US President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, and numerous art and education institutions.

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How did you develop such a strong interest in African art specifically? This was a natural progression from the AfricanAmerican origins of the Joyner Giuffrida Collection of Abstract Art. Where is your favourite art fair in the world? We have attended Art Basel for a number of years and are attracted to the strength of its global offerings.

Which new artists do you have your eye on? There are a number of young artists who interest me: Serge Alain Nitegeka, Zander Blom, and Mikhael Subotzky as well as Jared Ginsburg.

Who is currently big on the African art scene? This is a matter of individual taste. However, there are many talented artists working in Africa, which is why I visit regularly. It is a fast-moving scene that takes some effort in order to stay current.

Do you buy art for investment purposes or because you love it? I must love everything I buy and I don’t focus on investment value. Rather, I focus on how each work dialogues with other works in the collection, our story and our mission.

Are there dominant themes in African art? African art is not a monolith. It is a complex ‘ecosystem’, with a wide range of voices and aesthetics. That, and the quality of what is being made, makes Africa an exciting and dynamic environment in which to collect art.

C L O C K W I S E , F RO M L E F T Pamela Joyner; ‘The Much-Mooted Mischief of Men’ by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye; ‘StructuralResponse II’ by Serge Alain Nitegeka; ‘Birdman’ by Robin Rhode; ‘Gqabhuza’ by Nicholas Hlobo; ‘Legs’ by Jared Ginsburg.

THE TREND REPORT 2017 STAINED GLASS AND polished silver, PEACH AND PARQUET, turmeric LATTES AND TERRAZZO TOUCHES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; OUR ROUNDUP OF WHAT WILL BE hot IN THE NEW YEAR #HLTrends2017

TEXT LYNETTE BOTHA, KHOLEKA KUMALO, NICOLA STEVENSON

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TERRAZZO IS HOT TO TROT (ON) From Wes Anderson’s Bar Luce in Milan (above) to Hallelujah Café in Cape Town, mosaic-like terrazzo flooring is cropping up everywhere – and it’s beautiful. Max Lamb and Dzek’s Marmoreal marble, created exclusively for the Maison Kitsuné store in Paris (below), is still one of the most remarkable incarnations of this versatile flooring material. The aesthetic is not limited to floors and walls – it’s also translating into homeware and lifestyle accessories, such as Bentu Design pendant lamps, Form Maker iPhone covers and Oliver Bonas’ Ettore table lamp. UK ceramic designer Sevak Zargarian’s Unearthed collection – as seen at the London Design Festival – was also inspired by terrazzo, but created with porcelain.

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MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

Reflecting and refracting light in many dimensions, a faceted mirror offers an easy way to update your space – whether in the bathroom, the entrance hall or the bedroom.

Take inspiration from the Thétis mirror by Jean-Louis Deniot (left) and Arik Levy’s FacetPattern mirror artworks (below).

TURMERIC LATTES

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MOVE OVER COCONUT OIL, THERE’S A NEW SUPERFOOD IN TOWN. TURMERIC IS A POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANT, MOOD BOOSTER AND IMMUNE SUPPORTER – THE LIST OF HEALING PROPERTIES IS EXTENSIVE. WHILE THE SPICE HAS BEEN USED IN A RANGE OF FRAGRANT DISHES FOR YEARS, IT IS COMING TO THE FORE IN 2017 IN THE FORM OF TURMERIC LATTES (ALSO KNOWN AS GOLDEN MILK). IF YOU’RE IN CAPE TOWN, YOU CAN GET YOUR FIX EVERY SATURDAY AT THE SUPERLATTE BAR AT ORANJEZICHT CITY FARM MARKET IN GRANGER BAY. SUPERLATTE.CO.ZA

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ON THE IMPORTANCE OF TRENDS

CHRIS REID, TREND RESEARCHER ‘Trend research gets a bad reputation as a field for being elitist or insular, but this isn’t actually the case at all. At its heart, what we do as trend researchers is look at the big picture shifts in the world and what this means for both brands and the public. The benefit for brands is clear – it allows them to relate better to their customers and markets. But for the public at large it’s just as useful to be dialled into trends. They help you to stay informed and understand your world. The days of just following along with what brands dictate are over, and a knowledge of trends is the key tool in making more conscious decisions about your life.’

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EACH FUZZ

There’s no denying the rise of pale pastels, grounded by neutral tones in interiors. This year, it’s all about Pantone’s Peach Fuzz, which we liken to a marriage between pink and peach. Muted yet playful, feminine and carefree, this hushed peach pairs perfectly with metal fittings and soft woods.

‘PEACH HAS A SOFT, ELEGANT AND UPLIFTING QUALITY THAT DRAWS US TO IT. IN USING THIS DREAMLIKE, COCOONING HUE, WE CREATE FAMILIAR, YET UNIQUE ENVIRONMENTS.’ – ANNE ROSELT, COLOUR MANAGER AT PLASCON

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ETHEREAL FUTURISM RICK OWENS’ SS17 COLLECTION ENCAPSULATES THE MOOD OF 2017 – IT’S AN UPDATED TAKE ON FUTURISM THAT IS SOFTER, MORE FEMININE AND SLIGHTLY OTHERWORLDLY. CONTRASTED WITH STRONG ARCHITECTURAL SILHOUETTES CREATED USING DELICATE FABRICS, THE LOOK TRANSPORTS US TO THE NEW HEAVENLY FUTURE.

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8 THE DUCHESS Hangovers are so passé.

So, what to drink when you’re not drinking? A nonalcoholic beverage, naturally, and the good news is that our options are rapidly increasing. The Duchess, a ready-to-drink virgin gin and tonic, offers an easy, delicious alternative. It’s a guilt-free, alcohol-free, sugar–free (they’ve used stevia and xylitol instead) alternative, containing redistilled juniper berries blended with orange peel, allspice, star aniseed, cardamom, cloves, devil’s claw and an aromatic tonic with botanical extracts.

Cheers to non–alcoholic happy hours in the making!

POLISHED SILVER

For the past few years we’ve obsessed about all things warm and metallic, from sunny yellow gold to warm copper tones. Now we look to cool metallic tones in mirror finishes – converting even our cars into gleaming, futuristic pieces of art.

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AT YOUR FEET

Parquetry is changing in shape and configuration with less traditional, less angular options. Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola’s innovative surfaces (left) and US designer Jamie Beckwith’s creations may make you change the way you think about wooden flooring, with curvy, arabesque and puzzle-like tiles that lie a little less flat than traditional parquet. The idea translates well on ceilings and walls too.

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SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

2017 is the UN’s international year of sustainable tourism for development.

How so? By promoting tourism’s role in five key areas: inclusive and sustainable economic growth; social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction; resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change; cultural values, diversity and heritage; and mutual understanding, peace and security.

CHINA: THE NEW SCANDINAVIA

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Knockoffs are no longer China’s (main) ‘thing’.

The pioneering and populous nation is taking back the reins and instead of doing the groundwork for some of the world’s biggest brands, it’s taking things ‘in-house’. From electronics and mobile phones to fashion and design, China is pushing to be recognised on the global stage.

Bridging the gap from East to West has heralded a renaissance in Asian aesthetics where global influences are reimagined in both attitude and form. Scandinavian silhouettes are bringing a contemporary twist to long-standing Chinese craft traditions for a head-turning aesthetic, no matter where you are on the planet. In 2017, look out for these Chinese brands making headway: Stellar Works (pictured) and Neri&Hu.

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PLANT BUTCHERS

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If 2016 was the year of the vegan, then it is only a natural progression that in 2017 ‘plant butchers’ take centre stage. For those who enjoy the taste and texture of meat, but not the side effects (in terms of health and the environment), plant butchers are a godsend. As this way of living rises in popularity, so too grows the need for people to create inventive and delicious plant-based options, both in retail and in restaurants. Producing vegetarian and vegan proteins that look and taste like the real thing is making it easier for meat-eaters to move over to a plant-based diet. From cauliflower ‘T-bone steaks’ to pulled ‘pork’ made with jackfruit, going meat-free has never been this innovative – or tasty.

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STAINED GLASS REVIVAL

Coloured glass has emerged as a key design trend for 2017 – but it’s not your average cathedral variety. Designers such as Patricia Urquiola and Emily Henderson, and artists Tom Fruin and Debbie Bean are pushing the boundaries, presenting stained glass in various modern incarnations, from a geometric statement credenza (pictured) to a kaleidoscopic installation made entirely from reclaimed Plexiglas in Brooklyn. Glas Italia’s glass furniture is also high up on the ‘want’ list, particularly a table from The Dark Side of the Moon collection.

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WOVEN CANE

DOWN TO EARTH

We’re yet to see a woven cane panel we don’t like – no matter the year – especially when cleverly worked into furniture.

Thankfully, 2017 is set for a strong cane comeback featured in stylish, sophisticated detailing. Look to Italian-Danish design duo GamFratesi’s bent wood-and-rattan pieces for Gebrüder Thonet’s furniture line (above, left), and the Cane Collection by Atelier 2+ (above, right). These designs reflect a move towards bringing the outdoors in through the use of simpler, natural materials.

We could spend all day languishing in a spa. But because we can’t, designers and architects have set their sights on creating a similar environment at home, so that each moment spent in a bathroom has natural spa-like elements, making you feel like you’ve stepped into a Japanese steam room. The bathroom is the new focus space, where it’s most evident that ‘back to nature’ is 2017’s biggest interiors trend. Raw materials such as wood, stone and clay surface in unexpected areas, such as walls, basins, shower stands and freestanding baths. Think Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez’s Ofurò bath (above, left), which epitomises the aesthetics of Japanese bathing culture, and the Well Proven chair by Marjan van Aubel and James Shaw (above, right), where biology inspires design and product development.

THE WORLD OF OCCASION

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In case it slipped your mind, the definition of occasion is ‘something special’. We currently live in such a fastpaced environment that some of us forget to take time out to celebrate special moments. Even small rituals and occasions seem to have fallen off our radar – but in 2017 we are ready to embrace occasion again, with the idea that everything has a unique time and place, with its own set of rules and dress code. From food and drink to home decor and fashion, take the time to stop multitasking and begin curating items around specific needs and events.

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CHUBBY CHAIRS It’s official. Fat shaming is obsolete and couches have taken heed too. These armchairs and sofas with extra padding and supersoft textures are reflecting a much-needed laid-back approach to furnishing – because what is a couch for if not comfort? Taken a step further, think of your chubby chair as a hug on standby, ready to surround your frame and inject your body with a welcome sense of ease.

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FROM CERAGINO’S CERAMIC MINI KITCHEN THAT COMBINES A HOB AND SINK (LEFT) TO THE AFFILATO HIDE UNIT (FAR LEFT) BY JAPANESE COMPANY SANWA, PIECES THAT ADDRESS MULTIPLE DESIGN DESIRES ARE ON THE RISE. THE KEY HERE IS DOING AWAY WITH ALL THAT ISN’T STRICTLY NECESSARY WITHOUT COMPROMISING ON STYLE AND COMFORT.

‘PEOPLE ARE TAKING A fresh LOOK AT THE EVERYDAY ELEMENTS OF LIFE – family, WORK, NATURE, the PLEASURE OF experiences.

WE ARE EXCITED THAT ‘LIFE in a new LIGHT’ IS THE DRIVING TERRACOTTA influence FOR VISION THE 2017 AND IS EXPLORE TERRACOTTA TREND AT SEEN IN ALL HOUSEANDLEISURE.CO.ZA OUR colour TRENDS FOR THE YEAR.’

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– HELEEN VAN GENT, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DULUX GLOBAL AESTHETIC CENTRE

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Terracotta is undoubtedly the ‘it’ material of 2017, whether it’s flooring, fireplaces, feature walls or creative vessels to accessorise and make your garden pots feel more at home. Not convinced?

Start by introducing it through colour, using a soothing spice and desert-toned palette, and watch how it instantly adds a warm, Mediterranean feel to your interiors. Alternatively, isolate one area of experimentation and rediscover the age-old bond between clay and water with a contemporary terracotta water vessel.

ANJA BASMA, ANN KRISTIN EINARSEN, LYNN HOEFER (HEAVENLYNNHEALTHY.COM), LUNAR, GUILLAUME ROUJAS, IAN SCIGLIUZZI, THOMAS TVETER, GALLO IMAGES/GETTYIMAGES, SUPPLIED

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COMPACT SOLUTIONS

PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

AUTHENTICITY IS AT THE HEART OF PAUSE, ONE OF PLASCON’S FOUR COLOUR THEMES FOR 2017. THE TONAL SIMPLICITY OF THE PALETTE SETS A MOOD OF CALM AND REFLECTION. COMFORTING COSMETIC SHADES AND GOSSAMER-TOUCH TEXTURES INSPIRE A NEW RAW AND UNPOLISHED BEAUTY IN DESIGN, WITH A RANGE OF AIRY BLUE-GREYS AND MEDITATIVE NEUTRALS.

plascon p ro m o ti o n

TREND WATCH FOUR THEMES WILL INVIGORATE AND INSPIRE IN 2017, SAYS PLASCON’S ANNE What is your forecast for 2017’s trendiest colours?

The Plascon 2017 Colour Forecast has 32 colours in four themes: Anonymous, Terrain, Prism and Pause. Our colour of the year is In the Mood, a soft, earthy neutral colour, close to taupe. In this fast-paced world we all need to take a deep breath and relax, and this colour is effortlessly calming.

Are there any painting techniques or styles that you predict will be popular in 2017?

Colour washes and gradations that are dreamlike and cocooning will be on trend.

Geometric designs remain strong and painted furniture will continue to be popular.

What’s your favourite colour in the Plascon 2017 Colour Forecast?

My favourite is Petite White G3-E2-3, a soft grey-green.

Do you have any advice for new home owners wanting to update their space?

Start with one room. Have a look at the Plascon 2017 Colour Forecast and choose a theme that appeals to you. Discover the latest colour trends and find the ones that will make your home feel uniquely ‘you’.

How do you know when a colour combination works?

‘IN THIS FASTPACED WORLD WE ALL NEED TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND RELAX.’

When two colours enhance and balance one another and when a room looks and feels good, you’ll know you have found a winning combination.

What is your view on the link between psychology and colour?

Colour has an energy that affects us, whether we like that colour or not, so many people are afraid to use it. The best part is when you begin to understand the energy each colour holds and use that colour to enhance your life. plascon.co.za, 0860-204-060

Anne Roselt Global Colour Marketing Manager, Plascon

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T H I S PAG E The black cladding surrounding Graeme Robertsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home in Essex, England, is made from an entirely maintenancefree industrial metal, and is offset perfectly by the white cement terrace. The grassy garden he created is in keeping with his original plans for a meadow garden.

O PP O S I T E The pre-owned swivel chair in the living room was reupholstered in Kvadrat felt (kvadrat.dk) and complements the Venetian mirror and French Art Deco oak table holding Graemeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colourful pottery collection.

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BOXING CLEVER THE STRUCTURED AND LINEAR EXTERIOR OF THIS AIRY ESSEX HOME BELIES THE PLAYFUL AND COLOURFUL INTERIOR WITHIN TEXT KERRYN FISCHER PRODUCTION LUANNE TOMS PHOTOGRAPHS ELSA YOUNG/FRANK FEATURES

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eometric, boxy lines and bold use of colour characterise this English country house – so aficionados of international architecture would instantly trace the inspiration for it to that of the Dutch De Stijl or German Bauhaus aesthetic, both highly regarded modernist movements that were prominent in the early 1900s.

It’s hard to believe that almost a hundred years later – in the late 1990s – this incredible contemporary home was something of a pariah in the Essex village of Wivenhoe, inciting rancour and outrage in equal measure from neighbours and villagers who saw it as nothing more than a hideous eyesore.

To be fair, the house was not designed to fit in or court favour with its neighbours, a tough prospect at the best of times in a conservation 58

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village such as Wivenhoe. Designed by award-winning British architect Simon Conder for a Dutch couple with a passion for modern architecture and a penchant for perfection, it was built as a retirement home for them on what was the tennis court and vegetable garden of their existing property. Sadly, that dream was cut short when both were tragically killed in a plane he was piloting, and the house was put on the market.

By the time South African-born Graeme Roberts, a decorator and design consultant who lives between SA and England, saw the house advertised in a local supermarket, it had been on the market for a year.

Intrigued by ‘it’s incredible contemporary design’, Graeme and his late partner, the acclaimed South African artist Deryck Healey, took a drive out to view it. ‘I immediately loved it but it took another six months before I clinched the deal,’ recalls Graeme.

‘I’d lived in a Queen Anne rectory for 20 years previously and so the flat-roofed, asymmetrical design offered a wonderful opportunity to open myself up to not only a new aesthetic, but also to the lifestyle that came with it,’ recalls Graeme. He got rid of all the antiques he’d acquired over the years, bar one table, and filled the house with a whole new collection of contemporary pieces. ‘The house seemed to demand it; it was built with such care and pride and I wanted to honour that.’

Laid out over two floors, the house has two bedrooms (one on each floor) with en suite bathrooms, a generous open-plan living, kitchen and entertaining area, a sun lounge, a yoga studio and a gym.

The lower level is concealed beneath the deck, below ground. In the original design it was meant to be a cellar but the architect cleverly built it a metre higher so that the space functions as another part of the house with a library and storage space. While the exterior of the house is exactly as it was when Graeme bought it, the interiors have

H O U S E essex T H I S PAG E A block painting entitled ‘Mondrian’ by Deryck takes pride of place on the livingroom wall. The grey leather sofa is by Jasper Morrison (jaspermorrison.com) and the two swivel chairs by Italian designer Joe Colombo. The chairs on the left are antique Biedermeier and the carpet was custommade by Hoffmann Rugs in Pinetown (hoffmannrugs.co.za). The resin and bronzepowder sculpture by Deryck was part of a series in the art gallery at Glen Carlou estate (glencarlou.co.za) near Cape Town.

O PP O S I T E A view from the kitchen through the living area towards the deck and front garden. The green sofa was also bought second-hand and covered in Kvadrat felt by Graeme.

T H I S PAG E The dining room table in the dining and living area was designed by Graeme and shipped over from Durban. The Wishbone chairs are by Danish designer Hans Wegner (carlhansen.com).

O PP O S I T E , F RO M L E F T In the kitchen, which Graeme designed and redid as new, everything is integrated so that it can function as a blank canvas when he is not entertaining. He put in granite counters with a hidden gas stovetop and a bulkhead to conceal the extractor fan; roses from the garden are set against a Lalique vase (lalique.com).

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been tweaked with a few structural changes to bring it up to date.

‘In front of the house, the main living room had a wall running down the middle that we knocked down and made into a whole new kitchen, and a small art studio at the back of the house with double-volume height and wonderful light opened up,’ he says. The bathrooms were also modernised.

‘When I bought the house it was hemmed in by an imposing hedge of evergreen Leyland cypresses that the previous owner no doubt planted to appease the neighbours,’ says Graeme. The size of the property was much smaller then and stopped where the pool ends. The hedge has since come down and he bought the field in front, which has opened up the home’s view to the river to spectacular effect.

‘The original garden was nothing more than a slab of concrete and so I put a lot of work into digging that up and planting a garden,’ says Graeme. He was inspired by British garden designer and plantswoman Beth Chatto, whose nursery is in the neighbouring village. Another great inspiration was Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, now best known for the 2.8km of prairie and meadow plantings on the High Line in New York.

Considering that Graeme travels a lot and has to spend a certain amount of time out of the UK, he wanted to create a waterwise garden that would suit the sandy soil. ‘I planted the garden in about 2006 and I honestly haven’t had to put anything else in it since, which is remarkable.’

Although he still has a house in South Africa, Graeme loves being in England. ‘The house has a lot do with that,’ he adds. ‘My time spent here tends to revolve around the garden.’ And although it’s not your average English country style, it’s one that works perfectly with the aesthetic of the house. ‘When I’m here I’m constantly in the garden; it’s really where I feel most at home.’

‘THE FLAT-ROOFED, ASYMMETRICAL DESIGN OFFERED A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN MYSELF UP TO NOT ONLY A NEW AESTHETIC, BUT ALSO TO THE LIFESTYLE THAT CAME WITH IT.’

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C L O C K W I S E , F RO M B E L OW Above the bed in the main bedroom is Deryck’s gold-leaf piece ‘Soundproof Journey’; in the bathroom, the sketch is by Elisabeth Frink and the three ceramic birds are French Art Deco by designer Jacques Adnet; more of Deryck’s gold-leaf works in the shelving room. The ceramics are part of Graeme’s much-loved collection.

Q&A WITH GRAEME ROBERTS What are the home/decor trends that you love right now? I don’t follow trends! Favourite things about summer at your home in England? The light and the garden. What are you most looking forward to about the new year? The days get longer. On your shopping list for 2017? Flight tickets. What’s your favourite room in your home and why? My bedroom. I love to open all the blinds and soak up the view. How would you describe your style? Mine. What inspires you? Whatever is in front of me at the time. First thing you do when you get home? Walk around the garden. Your favourite piece of design advice? Always pay for the best quality. Do you collect anything? Not any more; I have enough things. What’s on your bedside table? I don’t have one… And your most treasured piece of furniture or decorative detail? My Gio Ponti vase. Is there anything you could never live without? The internet. What’s always in your fridge? Perfume and beetroot. How are you entertaining this summer? Very casually. And signature dinner-party dish?

I have many! Your most rash purchase? That Gio Ponti vase. What is the soundtrack to your perfect weekend? Opera. Most inspiring place? Kyoto. And your favourite local shop? I love a nursery called The Place for Plants.

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SHOP THE LOOK

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LIKE THE LOOK AT THIS LONDONBASED HOME? FIND INSPIRATION AT SOME OF OUR TOP FURNITURE AND DESIGN HOUSES

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT China ChairTM by Hans J Wegner in cherry wood with leather seat R113 200, Limeline; Togo fireside chair and footstool by Michel Ducaroy from R17 078, Ligne Roset; glass vase in grey R590, Mezzanine Interiors; Lyngby porcelain vases in white R1 700 (25cm) each, Anatomy Design; Collapsed vessel by Guido van Besouw POR, Okha; Lyngby sugar pot in grey glass R1 800 (large), Anatomy Design; Hackney three-seater sofa in yellow by Hay from R66 300, Créma Design; Kapoor candlesticks in natural bleached ash from R2 508, Okha; Coloria occasional table in tinted glass by Evangelos Vasileiou R10 445, Ligne Roset.

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Four seasons WITH ITS ABUNDANCE OF BLOOMS AND FYNBOS, THIS FARMHOUSE JUST OUTSIDE STELLENBOSCH IS A HAVEN FOR THE BOTANICALLY INCLINED TEXT DEBORAH RUDMAN PRODUCTION CHRIZANDA BOTHA, TIAAN NAGEL PHOTOGRAPHS GREG COX

H O U S E pniel

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H O U S E pniel

PR EV IO U S The glassed patio of the farmhousestyle home of Chris Willemse and Dané Erwee in Pniel, Western Cape, offers uninterrupted views of the impressive Groot Drakenstein mountain range.

A B OV E , F RO M L E F T The rustic rainwater reservoir was built by Dané and Chris; an antique table stands almost in the garden, among various plants and pots; the living room is a joyful mix of vintage items, objets picked up on the couple’s travels, and inherited pieces.

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here are no conventional cupboards in the kitchen of Johannesdal, the farmhouse in Pniel, Western Cape, belonging to Chris Willemse and Dané Erwee. No sleek, handle-free sliding shelving; no modern glass cabinets arrayed above a marble-topped counter. Instead, a rustic wooden unit, reaching almost to the ceiling, stands against one wall, and houses assorted plates, glasses, platters, bowls and cutlery.

The top shelf is accessible only via a perilously perched ladder…

This appreciation of the old and venerable as much as the new is emblematic of the couple’s personal and professional life. It’s evident in the amassed objets, art pieces, books, tapestries and plants throughout the house – and extends to the farm gardens themselves.

In 2000 they came across a bamboo-grass-covered strip of land, to which no road led. It had a singularly beautiful location – in a tranquil valley, flanked by the Groot Drakenstein mountains.

Although access was challenging and infrastructure would have to be installed from scratch, with the assistance of architect Henri Comrie, they gradually developed their vision for their home. Today, the project (16 years and counting) has the grand proportions of a country house, yet with the welcoming warmth of a family farmstead, sitting graciously amid nursery gardens, magnificent rose beds, manicured lawns and an expansive swimming pool.

Chris trained as a horticulturist, Dané as a landscape designer.

Their vocations equipped them to combine their skills into Okasie, the floral-design business they founded in Stellenbosch, and to create the farm that supplies it. There’s a mutually beneficial

THE PROJECT HAS THE GRAND PROPORTIONS OF (°*6<5;9@ /6<:, @,; >0;/ ;/, >,3*6405. >(94;/ 6- ( -(403@ -(94:;,(+ :0;;05. .9(*06<:3@ (40+ 5<9:,9@ .(9+,5: (5+ 4(.50-0*,5; 96:,°),+: F RO M L E F T There are many interesting nooks in the house; this corner is stacked with artworks, including one on the rear wall – a table top onto which Chris and Dané attached a rabbit head (a gift from the Okasie staff); Dané with an armful of magnificent snowball viburnums; the dining area is heated in winter by an old-fashioned fireplace; a ladder is the only way to reach the top shelves.

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synergy between the farm and the business. Chris and Dané grow as much as possible of what they incorporate into their creations, an approach that allows their unique flair to come to the fore.

Unlike most florists in the Western Cape, who tend to source their blooms from the same few suppliers, they grow plants and flowers that are not commercially available and thus ensure a unusually varied selection, whether for corporate functions or weddings.

The pair lament the omnipresence of the visual bookmarking tool Pinterest: it’s taken what should be clients’ individualistic and creative imaginings and damped them down into a ‘cookiecutter template’, they note. ‘We strive to do something different.

Using a conventional base of, perhaps, roses and proteas, we add aquilegias, clematis, pomegranate branches, waterblommetjies…’

They’re also excited about the resurgence of the once-ubiquitous hydrangea: ‘One of the loveliest blooms, in its hues of blues and whites,’ they say.

Dané is the magpie. ‘I can’t do minimalist,’ he declares with a wry smile. Chris, by contrast, loves squared-off corners and uncluttered order. The property reflects this duality – there’s a formal rectangle of lawn, fringed by neat serried ranks of young trees hiding the plant nursery, and there’s also an uncultivated, wild stretch of fynbos, which is destined to stay that way.

Energy is a word that crops up frequently in their conversation, in both a psychic and a physical sense. They’re keenly aware of the interdependence of people, animals and plants – of the ‘vibes’ that create atmosphere, and affect mood, happiness and positivity. And on a day-to-day level, they constantly have a project on the go, either planning or executing it. It’s a demanding lifestyle but it’s one they both relish. Nothing is static – ‘with new things, there’s always growth; we are never bored’.

The unmistakable trend today – particularly in the Cape Winelands – is for a property to ‘wear many hats’. This house, too, is not only the home and platform of the Okasie business, but also doubles as a guesthouse (you can hire the whole place for a minimum stay of three days) and as a popular location for film shoots.

Inside, winter frosts are buffered by indoor fireplaces and heating is provided by warm water underfloor. In summer, however, the house really comes into its own, providing a cool haven day and night.

The changing seasons suit the different plants here. Those of English provenance thrive after the dormancy of the winter months; by contrast, indigenous plants and slangbos flourish in the heat of summer. The long-term plan is to allow the creepers and ferns that are climbing the exterior walls to grow unfettered and cover the building, softening its angles. ‘One day,’ says Chris dreamily, ‘it’ll look as though the house and the farm just grew into each other.’

And they wouldn’t have it any other way. okasie.co.za

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The copper wall panel in the master bedroom was created for a French TV ad shoot – the film team allowed Chris to keep it.

O PP O S I T E , F RO M T O P The main bathroom – a happy, eclectic mix of Persian rugs and plants; the newly added outdoor shower.

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H O U S E WUPLS

CHRIS AND DANÉ’S HOME TRUTHS My favourite time of the year is October, when spring merges into summer (Chris); October, because it brings with it the Piet-my-vrou (Dané). What 0°MPUK TVZ[ M\SMPSSPUN HIV\[ [OPZ MHYT PZ sharing the space with the dogs, and the forever-changing view of the mountain at sunset (Chris); that there is always something to pick and create with – from waterblommetjies to weeds (Dané). 4` NYLH[LZ[ PUMS\LUJL V]LY [OL `LHYZ OHZ ILLU Dané, and the flower shops of Europe (Chris); my wild childhood on a Swartland vegetable farm with masses of March lilies in April, and watermelons and mielies in December (Dané). 0 KYH^ PUZWPYH[PVU MVY V\Y MSVYHS JYLH[PVUZ MYVT the changing seasons and what’s available on our farm (Chris); tall things such as delphiniums and local plants with a devastatingly short lifespan (Dané). 4` [VW [YH]LS KLZ[PUH[PVU locally is Kalk Bay, and internationally, the Ardèche Valley in France, in a stone mountain cabin that feels like Heidi and her grandfather live there (Chris); locally, the Garden Route. Internationally, Serifos, an island in the Greek Cyclades – windswept, with plenty of figs that you eat off the trees (Dané). My MH]V\YP[L ^H` [V LU[LY[HPU PZ with friends around the pool (Chris); have impulsive dinners during rainy days in winter with hectic conversations and opinions after too much wine, while the dishwasher churns in the background (Dané). >OLU 0 KV OH]L [PTL [V YLHK P[»Z SPRLS` [V IL something to do with Princess Diana or the royals, or their offspring in Huisgenoot (Chris); Haruki Murakami or The Surprising life of Constance Spry [by Sue Shephard] for a quick thrill (Dané). What 0 SV]L HIV\[ PU[LYHJ[PUN ^P[O WLVWSL ^OL[OLY J\Z[VTLYZ VY N\LZ[Z PZ a bit of gossip and a general broadcast of what to see and do in the secret wonderful world of Chris Willemse (Chris); to gently persuade them to go for a specific look that I am challenged by, no matter whether unsure or confident (Dané). 9VTHUJL MVY TL PZ unexpected hugs from someone close (Chris); to check on the rose garden and Boschendal’s massive Gwen Fagan [rose] before going for a heavy, meaty meal at Die Werf (Dané).

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT OKASIE AND THE BUSINESS OF BOTANICALS AT HOUSEANDLEISURE.CO.ZA

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H O U S E sóller

Follow the

SUN FOLLOWING A SENSITIVE RENOVATION, THIS TOWNHOUSE IN THE PICTURESQUE VILLAGE OF SÓLLER, MALLORCA, IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF THE PERFECT HOLIDAY HOME TEXT ROBYN ALEXANDER PRODUCTION TILLE DEL NEGRO PHOTOGRAPHS GREG COX/BUREAUX.CO.ZA

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ere is a recipe for the perfect summer-holiday house: take one part gorgeous yet under-the-radar location, add one part charming view and gently mix together while adding secluded en suite accommodation and relaxed living spaces. Stir in a few private nooks for siestas, and finally, add a refreshing swimming pool alongside a spacious outdoor living and dining area. With the recipe complete, you can sit back with family and friends and enjoy Ca’n Busquera, a renovated traditional stone townhouse located in Sóller – a picturesque village on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

A discreet entrance gate provides access to the property off the narrow street and just beyond it lies a real eyeopener: around the side of the house is an expansive garden, swimming pool and outdoor living area that sweeps the eye out towards the towering Tramuntana mountains beyond. It’s an instant dose of calm.

Oro del Negro and Manuel Villanueva of More Design, a design and architecture practice based in the nearby village of Deià, were asked by the house’s owners to redesign this outdoor area. Since its inception in 2011, More Design has rapidly built a reputation for meticulous attention to detail, and here, Oro and Manuel have considered every aspect of what holidaymakers might want. The outdoor area, for example, is a short distance from the

PR EV IO U S PAG E This holiday home in Sóller, Mallorca, has its poolside guest room in an old outbuilding nearby – the airy space features a sculptural built-in bed and private en suite bathroom.

T H I S PAG E The dining area and living room, which is on a higher level beyond the staircase. The stairs retain their original stone treads and the risers are clad in Mallorcan tiles. The dining table is by Mallorcan artisan woodworker Pedro Casanovas, and the Madeleine chairs are from Restoration Hardware (restorationhardware.com).

H O U S E sóller

T H I S PAG E In the living room, a seating area is orientated around a wood-burning stove. Pale Pandomo (pandomo.com.au) micro-cement floors and white linen are offset by a wooden sideboard, woven grass rug and wooden coffee table.

house – and built into an old utility building that backs onto one side of the outdoor table is a changing room with basin and toilet, so there’s no need to return to the main house to change into your swimsuit.

The remainder of this building has been converted into a poolside guest suite with a generous built-in bed, en suite bathroom and metal-framed glass doors through which you can gaze out at the garden and pool while you lounge in bed.

The main house is accessed via the openplan kitchen and dining area on the ground floor. The kitchen is elegantly simple and compact, with a beautiful slab of natural stone topping the prep island in its centre.

The counter tops are made from the same softly textured natural stone, with an integrated shallow rectangular sink.

Across the rear of the kitchen, a roughhewn tree trunk has been added to the front of the plastered ‘chimney’ area that contains the extractor fan over the hob.

Traditional existing materials have been left in situ wherever possible in

the house: the old stone treads on the staircase, for example, have been here for a very long time. The retention of such elements – and the use of natural, local materials – is also typical of More Design’s approach. Additional examples of these choices in the kitchen-dining area include rustic wooden floating shelves (on which the owners stack cookbooks and holiday reads), distressed wooden cupboard doors and beautiful poured micro-cement floors.

Up a short flight of stairs – with risers and wall edges clad in traditional Mallorcan patterned tiles – is the living area, which features two seating spaces.

One is more suited to socialising and is orientated around a wood-burning stove, while a more ‘private’ spot is perfect for reading and relaxing. The furniture here is classic in style, but given a casual holiday feel by being covered in textured white linen.

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moments of retreat, in which a built-in day bed is surrounded by shelves crammed with books. This space also doubles as a kids’ play area, as one side of it leads onto a classic children’s holiday bedroom, with three single beds placed dormitory-style alongside one another.

Take a right turn at the top of the staircase into a spacious master bedroom suite, complete with weathered natural stone tiles on the floor and the exposed wooden ceiling beams that are typical of Mallorcan traditional architecture.

The en suite bathroom features one of More Design’s earthily distinctive hand-moulded plastered bath and shower units, a duo of natural stone basins and plenty of simple, open storage space.

From the windows at the front of this room are gorgeous vistas of the garden and mountains, while those at the rear look out onto the street behind the house.

Just a short stroll away lie all the charms of Sóller: pretty squares, tempting restaurants and shops, beautiful churches and the village’s much-loved old tram, which still carries passengers up and down to Port de Sóller, situated at the seaside nearby. The village sits neatly in a curve of the mountain range that makes it feel as if it is contained in an embrace – and when you’re also enfolded within the tranquil surrounds of Ca’n Busquera, it’s difficult to imagine how you are ever going to be able to leave. moredesign.es T H I S PAG E In the kitchen, a weathered but untreated wooden beam delineates the ‘chimney’ area above the hob, in which the extractor fan is situated. The counters and central preparation island are topped with textured natural stone by local artisan stoneworker Juan Camposol, and the Gota ceramic hanging lights above the table are by Senaia Studio (senaiastudio.com).

O PP O S I T E , C L O C K W I S E F RO M T O P L E F T Maxine and Mio del Negro take a dip in the swimming pool; in the open-plan kitchen-dining area, the wooden floating shelves are by Pedro Casanovas; the classic furniture in the living room is upholstered in white linen. Through the restored patio doors is the covered exterior lounge area; the kitchen counter tops are made from textured natural stone, with a finish by Juan Camposol.

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H O U S E sรณller

F RO M T O P The secluded reading nook/children’s playroom on the first floor features a built-in wooden day bed and leads through into the kids’ bedroom; the old stone outbuilding alongside the pool area contains the poolside guest suite and this outdoor changing room.

The master bedroom on the first floor of the house features traditional wooden ceiling beams and an original stone tiled floor. Wooden interior shutters are used instead of curtains and the decor is kept simple.

Q&A WITH MORE DESIGN’S ORO DEL NEGRO AND MANUEL VILLANUEVA Do you have a favourite architectural style? We do not have a particular favourite style – we love outstanding architecture, from whichever period.

We love the traditional Mediterranean house as much as the modern masters who reinvented it, but we are also constantly looking outwards, finding inspiration in modern classics and in vernacular architecture.

Who are your top international designers? Oro: Elon Musk, Pininfarina and Jean Prouvé. Manuel: Sérgio Rodrigues, Joaquim Tenreiro, Mies van der Rohe and Serge Castella.

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Any emerging trends in home design that excite you right now? Oro: Back to nature. Manuel: Simple raw design.

What are your interiors mottos?

Oro: Flow and warmth. Manuel: Contemporary Mediterranean.

Which places in the world provide the most inspiration for your work?

Oro: The Balinese paddy fields.

Manuel: The Mediterranean landscape.

Are there any spaces you wish you had designed? Oro: Elrod House [in California] by John Lautner. Manuel: Casa [Vittoria in] Pantelleria, Sicily, by Spanish architects Clotet and Tusquets.

GET THE LOOK

Mallorcan

MAGIC

PAIR CASUAL WITH TRADITIONAL PIECES FOR SPANISH-STYLE EASY LIVING

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Circle block-print scatter cushion R395, Weylandts; circular mirror in brass R12 500, Anatomy Design; ¶/· GHVLJQ stool/side table in wood and white bone R3 900, Cécile & Boyd; Felix Recycles glass vase R650, Coricraft; adjustable floor lamp in white matt R2 800, Cécile & Boyd; Easy chair R10 240, Weylandts; vertical stripe rattan baskets from R1 999 (small), La Grange Interiors; fishbone jute rug R8 995, SHF.

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INSIDE OUT THIS HYDE PARK HOME, WHICH SOMETIMES DOUBLES AS AN ART GALLERY, BLENDS MINIMALISM AND LUXURY TO INSPIRATIONAL EFFECT TEXT GRAHAM WOOD PRODUCTION NICOLA STEVENSON PHOTOGRAPHS ELSA YOUNG

F RO M L E F T The front door of Leigh and Richard Rein’s Joburg home was designed by artist Marcus Neustetter (marcusneustetter.com), and is made from layers of laser-cut steel (facing out) and walnut (facing in) with glass in the centre to allow the light through.

The pattern is based on a Google Earth image of Joburg. The Wassilystyle chair is from Robert Thomson (robert-thomson.com); a Regardt van der Meulen sculpture on a bonsai stand near the entrance hall.

O PP O S I T E Just visible in the entrance hall is an artwork by Abe Opperman – ‘Prince Charming’. The clean lines of the architecture are softened by the neat, box-cut star jasmine, and the concrete driveway is an example of Daffonchio’s ‘tropical modernism’ approach.

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H O U S E hyde park

B

efore Leigh and Richard Rein moved into this sleek, linear home in the Joburg suburb of Hyde Park, Leigh used to walk her dogs past the site almost daily while it was being built.

She watched with curiosity as the house went up, falling in love with it as it took shape. ‘I loved the modern lines and the fact that it was a single- storey house,’ says Leigh. ‘And I love the flat structure.’

By the time it was complete, she was under its spell. ‘There’s a large lucky bean tree at the entrance,’ she says. ‘They have always been lucky for me so I knew I was going to live there one day.’ Sure enough, some years later, when its original owners left Joburg, Leigh and Richard managed to fulfil destiny’s plan and snagged the house for themselves.

The house was designed by architect Enrico Daffonchio along the principles of what he calls ‘tropical modernism’: inspired by the minimalism of Mid-Century Modernism, but without the associated starkness. So, along with the purity of the design, there’s a sense of luxury, ease and warmth better suited to the South African lifestyle and climate.

The house’s definitive exterior feature is an almost impossibly long, low roof that hovers above the walls like a delicate horizon line. The L-shaped structure of the house – one wing for the living area and another for the bedrooms – embraces the garden, which offers complete privacy and established trees. The wetland planting around the seamlessly integrated eco pool adds a lushness and sense of abundance that plays off against the restraint of the

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architecture. The front of the living area, facing the garden, is a 16m-long motorised, frameless glass sliding door. At the push of a button, it slides away into a wall cavity. ‘If the doors are open, you feel like you are in a garden pavilion,’ says Leigh. The living room interior seems instantly immersed in the park-like garden.

‘It’s blissfully quiet, so you can hear the birds,’ she says, ‘and it has beautiful views over Hyde Park’s treetops.’

The terrazzo floors are inlaid with delicate brass strips to break the uniformity and extend seamlessly outwards to form an apron around the outside of the house. The deep, floating roof overhangs make it almost impossible to draw a line where interior ends and exterior begins.

The roof itself does not rest on the walls (it is supported by external pillars at its corners), but rather hovers above clerestory windows that run along the entire perimeter of the house, letting in a soft, diffused light and slivers of views of the sky and trees.

Lunetta Bartz of Maker Studio worked closely with Enrico and is responsible for many of the interior fittings and finishes in her own right. The walnut cabinets and panelling in the entrance hall and on either side of the living area bring softness and warmth to the minimalism of the interiors, and the irregular geometric form of the kitchen island offsets the regularity of the architecture, bringing a certain dynamism to the space.

‘The structure is beautiful and quite new,’ says Leigh. ‘I wanted to bring in antique pieces and add warmth with the furnishings.’

H O U S E hyde park

F RO M O PP O S I T E L E F T In the open-plan living area a 16m-long motorised, frameless glass sliding door opens from the living area onto the garden.

The day bed is from Con Amore (conamorehome.com); the asymmetrical kitchen island, designed by Lunetta Bartz of Maker Studio (makerstudio.co.za), has red inlays which echo the thin brass strips that add sparkle to the terrazzo floors. The coffee cups are from the artist Richard Scott; the open door to the left leads through to the bedroom wing, which, when closed, is seamless, making the living area appear completely contained like a pavilion. The stools are also from Con Amore.

THE TERRAZZO FLOORS ARE INLAID WITH DELICATE BRASS STRIPS TO BREAK THE UNIFORMITY, AND EXTEND SEAMLESSLY OUTWARDS. THE DEEP, FLOATING ROOF OVERHANGS MAKE IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRAW A LINE WHERE INTERIOR ENDS AND EXTERIOR BEGINS.

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H O U S E hyde park

She has combined some inherited items – her parents were in the antique business – plus other antiques collected over the years, with modern and contemporary pieces. The furnishings tend to have the neutral colours of their natural materials, accommodated elegantly in the versatile, expansive spaces of the home. ‘When I do colour, it pops,’ laughs Leigh, in reference to a pair of bright pink pouffes from Mezzanine Interiors.

The roots of Enrico’s design in Mies van der Rohe’s famous New National Gallery in Berlin are appropriate, given Leigh’s immersion in the world of up-and-coming artists.

She has hosted exhibitions for the Living Artist Emporium (livingartistemporium.co.za) at her home. As a result, the walls are adorned with an exciting collection of artworks by emerging contemporary South African artists such as Greatjoy, Dario Manjate and Alexander Krenz, as well as established figures like Leon Krige, Anton Smit, Regardt van der Meulen, Abe Opperman and, of course, Ayanda Mabulu.

It seems appropriate that the house should occasionally double as a gallery – it has art built into its very DNA. The front entrance has a massive pivot door, designed by Marcus Neustetter, that is an artwork in itself. Made from layers of laser-cut steel and walnut, with glass at its centre, the Google Earth-inspired pattern shines like an aerial picture of the city at night. If ever there were an invitation to live inspirationally, this is it. daffonchio.co.za

F RO M O PP O S I T E L E F T The bedroom wing looks out over the living area and together they seem to hug the garden. Three silver birches add dynamism; the living area is softened on either end by walnut panelling, which makes the surprisingly large space feel warm and intimate, an effect enhanced by the low acoustic ceiling. The sofa unit from Weylandts (weylandts.co.za) is from Leigh and Richard’s previous home, and suits the panelled corner perfectly, its curved shape contrasting with the linearity of the architecture. In the background, a sculpture by Anton Smit stands with open arms in the entrance hall – Leigh says she placed it there as a welcoming gesture. The pink pouffe is from Mezzanine Interiors (mezzanineinteriors.co.za).

H O U S E hyde park

LEIGH’S HOME TRUTHS The best thing about living where I do is that it’s a hidden gem.

My own style is modern contemporary. People inspire me.

My favourite design era is now. I collect art and antiques.

My interiors motto is do not reference. My favourite piece of design advice is do not be afraid and showcase your personality.

My favourite room at home is the living area. My pet design hate is replication. My most treasured piece at home is the ‘Faith’ sculpture at the entrance. My entertaining style is informal and always fun. My signature dish is duck confit. In the fridge right now is chilled Chardonnay. My favourite restaurant is Bistro Michel. My best way to spend a weekend is at home during the day and with friends in the evening. My most inspiring place is home. My favourite travel destination is anywhere in Italy. I relax by reading magazines. The best time of year are the December holidays or summer in Italy. The soundtrack to my perfect weekend includes ‘Organic House’ by Goldfish. On my CD player/iPod at the moment is Robin Schulz.

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F RO M L E F T The guest bedroom is hung with the disaggregated pages of a book that Marcus Neustetter filled with his sketches and inspiration for the design of the front door. The rug is

by Paco (pacorugs.co.za); the en suite bathrooms were designed as wet rooms, so the shower is not enclosed. Even here, the clerestory windows that make the roof appear to float above the walls allow in diffused natural light; the cabinetry in the bathrooms adds texture and warmth. The slim steel-framed mirrors are by Dokter and Misses (dokterandmisses.com).

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PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED

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LEISURE FLORAL AFFAIR adorn your DINING TABLE glorious food A MEETING OF GASTRONOMES Accra uncovered YOUR TO-DO LIST P90

P98

P104

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS Dramatic floral elements will elevate special gatherings around the table to a whole new level TEXT MANDY ALLEN/BUREAUX.CO.ZA STYLING AND PRODUCTION OKASIE.CO.ZA

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L E I S U R E garden

xpressive and wild, the new flower arrangements draw inspiration from 17th-century Dutch botanical paintings, the gothic intrigue of Victoriana and the oldfashioned romance of overgrown secret gardens. In combination with a moody colour spectrum, impastostyle textures, refined furnishings and decorative elements picked straight from the cabinet of curiosities, it’s a style that heralds the revival of dramatic floral presentations.

Here, floral-design studio Okasie has used masses of seasonal flowers with gently worn opulence in four different arrangements. Established in 1999

by Chris Willemse and Dané Erwee, Okasie is locally and internationally acclaimed for its passionate artistry, expressed through unique floral designs, creative installations and original accessories. okasie.co.za

THE DARK ARTS A special dinner gathering is a perfect way to release your inner production designer and set an evocative, cinematic scene for your guests.

Flowers are present everywhere: in vases and unusual vessels, laid out underneath a simple elevated glass-top structure, in a moulded jelly centrepiece (for display or eating), and pressed flat and painted white as customised artworks. The moody colour palette and elements such as taxidermy, vintage scientific instruments and baroque candlesticks rendered modern in matt black are tempered by the natural warmth of wood and pops of jewel-like colour in the form of decorative and functional glassware. The inky distressed feature wall is both an abstract focal point and dramatic backdrop inspired by the ontrend colour-washing finish.

DISTRESSED FEATURE WALL

࠮ 0M `V\ HYLU»[ HMYHPK [V L_WLYPTLU[ this brush-stroke distressed feature wall is a satisfying weekend project. ࠮ 7PJR H JVSV\Y [OH[ JVU[YHZ[Z ^P[O your existing wall (ideally it should be a neutral white) and, using a rolling brush, paint the top section of the wall as you would when applying a solid coat of paint. As you approach a quarter of the way down, work the roller with a lighter hand until you have light, imperfect strokes that have a smudged, chalky finish.

ICE AGE See the beauty of flowers from a different perspective by freezing edible petals in ice cubes. What better way to perk up drinks than with the vibrant colours of rose petals, nasturtiums, borage, marigolds and pansies?

FLOWER ICE CUBES

࠮ 8\HY[LY MPSS HU PJL [YH` ^P[O UVU carbonated mineral or distilled filtered water (this prevents cloudiness or bubbles that might result from using tap water). ࠮ (KK MSV^LYZ VY WL[HSZ MHJPUN KV^U and freeze. ࠮ 6UJL MYVaLU HKK ^H[LY [V [OL [VW and refreeze. ࠮ Tip: \ZPUN Q\Z[ IVPSLK ^H[LY K\YPUN the first step will cause flowers such as violas, calendulas and borage to release their natural dyes.

FLOWER DOME

࠮ *YLH[L H KLJVYH[P]L PJL KVTL following the same method as the ice cubes. ࠮ :JH[[LY LKPISL MSV^LYZ HSVUN [OL bottom of a bowl that can fit into the freezer. ࠮ 8\HY[LY MPSS ^P[O KPZ[PSSLK VY still mineral water. ࠮ -YLLaL \U[PS ZVSPK [OLU X\PJRS` [VW \W with water and return to the freezer.

You could add a few more flowers at this stage. ࠮ -YLLaL V]LYUPNO[ VY MVY H TPUPT\T of 12 hours. ࠮ 9LTV]L MYVT [OL MYLLaLY HUK SLH]L the bowl to stand for about 10 to 15 minutes, invert over a tea towel and slip the shape out of the bowl. ࠮ 7SHJL `V\Y KVTL IHJR PU [OL MYLLaLY until you’re ready to use it. ࠮ Take note: not all edible flowers JHU IL JVUZ\TLK ^OVSL :[VYL bought flowers have been properly prepared, but if you are picking them from your garden, make sure they haven’t been treated with chemicals.

(Z H NLULYHS Y\SL YLTV]L [OL WPZ[PSZ and stamens before making your ice cubes.

Some of the flowers used chrysanthemum, borage, clematis, COLUMBINE, CHRYSANTHEMUM CORNFLOWERS, cosmos, DIERAMA, FOXGLOVE, FUCHSIA, FREESIAS, hairbells, hellebores, BLUE HYACINTH, GARDEN ROSES, NASTURTIUM, MOCK orange, PANSY, passion flower, peony RANUNCULUS, TULIPS, WISTERIA

L E I S U R E garden

NATURE STUDY Never mind floral prints on linen – here the flowers have become the tablecloth, displayed en masse under a raised glass display top.

The end result is nothing less than breathtaking. Take a modern approach with mix-and-match tableware such as vintage in contrasting colours.

Extend the sense of drama with flowers that spill out from underneath the glass top. This rich colour palette is inspired by the moody oil colours of the Dutch Golden Age, where flowers were a favourite theme.

GLASS DISPLAY TOP

࠮ 4LHZ\YL `V\Y [HISL HUK OH]L H WPLJL of clear glass cut to either fit the entire length or just a section. ࠮ 7SHJL [OL NSHZZ VU [VW VM [^V Z[\YK` strips of wood (around 2.5×4cm; the length depends on that of your glass) and secure with clear-drying wood glue. The aim is to create an easily removable raised glass top beneath which to display your flowers. ࠮ (YYHUNL `V\Y MSV^LYZ VU [OL [HISL and place the raised glass frame over them. ࠮ <ZL HZ H JLU[YLWPLJL KPZWSH` VY PM [OL glass top runs the length of the table, place your settings on top of it.

MAGIC REALISM Create a dramatic optical illusion with this three-dimensional painting.

LIVING PAINTING

à ® -PUK HU VSK VYUH[L MYHTL HUK PM `V\ SPRL WHPU[ P[ [OL JVSV\Y VM your choice. à ® :[YL[JO H WPLJL VM Z[\YK` UL\[YHS MHIYPJ [H\[S` HJYVZZ [OL IHJR VM [OL MYHTL HUK \ZL H Z[HWSL N\U to attach it. à ® -PUK H JVSV\YM\S PTHNL VM H MSVYHS HYYHUNLTLU[ H WHPU[PUN UV[ a photograph) and paste it onto [OL IHJR VM `V\Y ZLSM THKL MHIYPJ JHU]HZ à ® <ZPUN HU HY[ RUPML JHYLM\SS` J\[ V\[ VUS` [OL [VW ZLJ[PVU VM [OL NS\LK VU WPJ[\YL I\[ KV UV[ YLTV]L P[ JVTWSL[LS` 3LH]L [OL IV[[VT section attached so you can HYYHUNL [V HWWLHY HZ PM P[ PZ ZWPSSPUN V\[ VM [OL IV[[VT VM [OL MYHTL à ® ([[HJO H WPLJL VM VHZPZ [V H [YH` ^P[O Z[YVUN NS\L [OLU TV\U[ [OL tray onto the wall. Position the MYHTL V]LY P[ à ® -VYT [OL HYYHUNLTLU[ I` WSHJPUN `V\Y MSV^LYZ PU [OL VHZPZ HUK ^VYR until it appears that the painting and MSV^LYZ HYL TLYNLK MVY H WLJ\SPHY PU H NVVK ^H` LMMLJ[

FIND OUT HOW TO MAKE A JELLY RING WITH EDIBLE FLOWERS AT HOUSEANDLEISURE.CO.ZA

volution

L E I S U R E savour ANOTHER BREE BASTION We thought Bree Street was at capacity with its range of gastronomic offerings, until Mink & Trout entered the scene.

Housed in what used to be the popular Birds Café, ATTIK Design completely reinvented the space. The brief: transform it into ‘an original yet unpretentious bistro and wine bar with a relaxed and comfortable feel, and an edge of sophistication’.

The result? Exposed brick, swathes of velvet, porcelain herringbone tiles and raw and sprayed steel. Dishes are simple but flavourful, using mostly fresh, local and seasonal produce. Chef-owners Leigh Trout and Kevin Mink are very hands-on and work their magic in the open-plan kitchen.

127 Bree Street, Cape Town, 021-426-2534 JUICE IN A JIFFY

Food news COMPILED BY LYNETTE BOTHA PHOTOGRAPH CLAIRE GUNN

The clever folks at Woolies are making our lives easier again. No time to chop up fruit and veg? Just grab a few packs of Woolworths’ Easy to Juice pre-packed, chopped and washed fruitand-veg blends and pop in your juicer or blender. All of the goodness, none of the fuss. Available in four varieties (from R34,99). woolworths.co.za

KEEP IT SIMPLE

SPARKLE ON. EXTEND THE FESTIVE SEASON REVELRY WITH DURBANVILLE HILLS’ LATEST ADDITION, SAUVIGNON BLANC SPARKLING WINE, R75.

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TEST KITCHEN 2.0

Luke Dale-Roberts’ reinvented The Test Kitchen now consists of a Dark Room and a Light Room and is strictly open for dinner, Tuesday to Saturday, with a maximum of 40 guests per evening. The space and menu has to be experienced to be truly appreciated, so best you book, stat. thetestkitchen.co.za

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS: SUPPLIED

It’s tough to come up with restaurant concepts that push the envelope these days SA is home to some of the most in cooks and restaurateurs in this are However, Chefs manages to offer s new – and extremely simple. The c the chefs, under the guidance of o head chef Jenny Ward, prepare th l options per day (a mea dish, a vegetarian meal d a lighter meal); you cho meals and beverage, p the counter and grab a at one of the communa tables. The food is inno yet modest. Open 12pm 4pm, Monday to Friday Chefs is the House and Leisure team’s new loc chefscapetown.co.z

THOUGHT

for

FOOD

L E I S U R E flavour profile

PART FEAST, PART DRUIDIC GATHERING, AT Convivium, an annual coming together of foodies AND FOOD INDUSTRY LEADERS, OUR PRECONCEPTIONS ABOUT FOOD – where it comes from, HOW IT IS MADE AND JUST WHAT IS POSSIBLE – ARE TESTED. TUDOR CARADOC-DAVIES ATTENDED THE 2016 ITERATION PRODUCTION JESSICA ROSS, IAN MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHS SEAN CALITZ

F

OMO (fear of missing out) is a powerful thing. It’s caused gold rushes and space races, led to Robert Scott’s ill-fated South Pole expedition and singer Kanye West storming stages. It can foment insecurity and hatch deep-seated jealousies. But it can also prove a powerful catalyst for creation. Just ask Wesley Randles of The Shortmarket Club.

For the past few years, Wesley’s friend Andy Fenner of Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants has cracked the nod for MAD, the annual food symposium held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The brainchild of Danish chef René Redzepi of Noma, if you’re into food – like, really into food – MAD is your mecca and to be invited is the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. All the cool kids want one.

Taken from the Danish word for food, MAD is described as a mashup of SXSW, TED and Burning Man for those connected to the food world. The majority of the speakers are chefs, but a broad spectrum of people, from authors to philosophers, historians and scientists – including a Cape Town butcher – are deemed worthy of attending. Wesley, the celebrated chef

behind The Pot Luck Club for years and now chef-owner of The Shortmarket Club, has not cracked the nod.

For Randles, that rankles.

Rather than write sad poetry and mope into his stock pot, he and Andy decided to do something about it, so they started Convivium. South Africa’s answer to the Danish food symposium, the event has a few elements of MAD, but is unique in its own right. Instead of everyone continuing to create in their personal silos of business and creativity, Convivium’s mission is to connect people in an orgy of flavour-based collaboration and inspiration.

Bringing together integral players from all sectors of the food game generates the kind of excitement and momentum needed to kickstart a movement and create change around creating better food and ethical producers.

Now in its second year, Convivium is held each year out on winemaker Adi Badenhorst’s farm Kalmoesfontein, near Riebeek-Kasteel. It draws an eclectic crowd of people who would fall under the increasingly wan term of ‘foodie’, but each brings more to the table than meets the eye.

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There are chefs galore, journalists, students, farmers and producers of everything from beef to gin, coffee and mozzarella. It would be inaccurate to dismiss this from the outside as a food festival or a self-congratulatory gathering of gustatory privilege, but the two-day event is designed to challenge our preconceptions about food and celebrate what we eat.

To use broad strokes, Day 1 is centred on theory and Day 2 is focused on practice.

This year, Day 1 features a range of speakers, from Le Quartier Francais’ celebrated chef Margot Janse to an origami artist, beef farmers from Queenstown in the Eastern Cape and many more. Day 2 is more about celebration and creativity, but the content of both days overlaps.

For chefs it’s an opportunity to create food outside of the strictures of a working kitchen where menus are planned, food weighed and costs measured down to the cent.

Wesley says, ‘Last year, most chefs arrived in shorts and slops with a knife bag. There’s an element of panic; chefs are so used to structure, but after half an hour the mood changed and they cooked not because they had to but because they were there to have fun.’

Many of them know each other, but for some it’s the first chance they get to create together. With fruit and veg provided by the Oranjezicht City Farm Market and extra plucked from the Badenhorst garden, a whole side of beef provided by the Prinsloo farming clan and broken down by the Frankie Fenner team, soon gargantuan prime ribs are being cooked in the Hoghouse BBQ mobile smoker.

Over an open fire various veggies are being charred, and pumpkins are roasted in an open-pit fire, along with plenty of beef.

Buzzing with ideas from the day’s talks, half the chefs stay over at Kalmoesfontein or in the area, cooking and talking shop late into the night. On Sunday, long before guests start to arrive, the chefs who have camped overnight drag themselves (and assorted babelases) to the fire.

This year, someone makes pap that is served with raw honeycomb, while another pours steaming mugs of coffee to help massage their brains back into shape for the day ahead. Suitably fortified, they proceed to crack on with preparing a feast for 130-odd people.

Ivor Jones, formerly of The Test Kitchen and now of Chefs Warehouse at Beau

L E I S U R E flavour profile

FOR CHEFS IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO create food OUTSIDE OF THE STRICTURES OF a working kitchen WHERE MENUS ARE PLANNED, FOOD WEIGHED AND COSTS MEASURED DOWN TO THE CENT.

Constantia, moves between different stations but works mostly around the braais with PJ Vadas of Hoghouse BBQ, while Jason Lilley of Jason Bakery constructs next-level toasties. Along with working on the meat, Jones makes a charred salad of kale, tender-stem broccoli, and a dressing with eggs donated by Kalmoesfontein chickens.

Ash Heeger, from the eponymous restaurant Ash, is typically grumpy and terse while quietly processing a hangover.

‘I’m just doing the meat,’ he says, while Andy is just the opposite. From a side of beef supplied by his Eastern Cape beef farmers, the Prinsloos, Andy and his team break down the forequarters early on the first day, tackling the hindquarter later on that evening – in a pit oven underneath a rock, onto which someone has scrawled RIP over a crude drawing of a whale.

Underground they are cooking a steamship – the whole buttock with the leg attached. The rest is either divided into grilling cuts – carved up into massive ribeyes and sirloins roasted in the Hoghouse smoker, while the rump is reserved for a steak tartare.

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L E I S U R E flavour profile

AS THE chefs CREATE, IDEAS ARE SHARED, boundaries are pushed AND FUTURE COLLABORATIONS AGREED UPON. THE END RESULT IS A HIVE-LIKE HUM OF excitement AND ACTIVITY AND FOR GUESTS AN IMPOSSIBLE smorgasbord FIT FOR A SWARTLAND VALHALLA. READ ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN CHEFS, PRODUCERS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS CAME TOGETHER TO DEBATE CHANGE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY AT HOUSEANDLEISURE.CO.ZA

Karen Dudley from The Kitchen in Woodstock makes baba ganoush with lentils and roasted peppers, and a simple orange and fennel salad with praline almonds and watercress. Then there’s the Judy Badenhorst garden salad – a tribute to Adi’s mother, made from fresh garden leaves and served with a tart tarragon dressing and croutons.

Guests flit between various tasting stations trying Hope on Hopkins gin, Rosetta coffee, and wine. Vintages are provided by Adam Mason of Mulderbosch – there with his personal ranges Raised by Wolves and Marvelous; Ryan Mostert of Silwervis Wines (the Conrad Botes-designed Smiley bottles are something special); Sebastian Beaumont of Beaumont wines; Callie Louw of Porseleinberg; Thinus Krüger of Fram; and, of course, Adi Badenhorst. Chefs and helpers scurry around from braai to garden to kitchen and outdoor tables.

I find Wesley kneading dough: ‘This morning, we woke up and all went into the garden and picked out a bunch of stuff. Went out onto the hill and picked a bunch of fynbos. Everyone is just cooking for the fun of it but at the same time trying something they have never done before.

‘I’m doing desserts with Nikki Albertyn from Lionheart. The idea is to do a salted caramel that I am going to break up and fold into this brioche dough and we are going to bake it as a pot bread. Then we’ve got fresh yoghurt from Wayne (Rademeyer of Buffalo Ridge Mozzarella) and frozen mulberries, and we’ll throw some wild honeycomb on top. We don’t know if it’s going to work but it’s my project for the day.’

Spoiler alert: it worked.

As the chefs create, ideas are shared, boundaries are pushed and future collaborations agreed upon. The end result is a hive-like hum of excitement and activity and for guests an impossible smorgasbord fit for a Swartland Valhalla. The table heaves with exceptional platters of meat, huge bowls of salads, dips and sauces. Even if you tried to put just a forkful of each dish on your plate, there is no way to taste it all.

But, just as it’s difficult to taste everything, it’s also impossible to fully get to grips with quite everything that happens at Convivium. And that, according to Andy and Wesley, is half the point. Attend once and you will be back next year, even hungrier for more. conviviumtable.co.za

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A

ACCRA A GUIDE TO

Sports at the beach in Accra, Ghana.

L E I S U R E travel

GHANA’S COASTAL CAPITAL IS FAST BECOMING THE coolest ON THE CONTINENT FOR ITS STRONG sense of style, BUSTLING BEACH AND cultural currency TEXT KATIE DE KLEE PHOTOGRAPHS FRANCIS KOKOROKO

wing to a fast-growing economy and rising middle class, Accra is seeing the arrival of yoga studios, concept fashion stores, international restaurants, iced-tea cocktails and gluten-free biscuits. It’s hot and humid all year round and moving around the city can be slow, much like the pace of life in Accra – so it’s best to just accept the rhythm and adapt. Refresh yourself often with the juice of fresh coconuts – there are wheelbarrows full of them on every street corner.

Ghana’s capital is a chaotic mix of old and new: boutique hotels and shantytowns, Chinese imports and local design. Street stalls with bright kente dresses, shirts and backpacks line the streets in the trendy area of Osu, and refreshments are easier to find in large tubs carried around on vendors’ heads than they are in formal stores. It’s thanks in part to the annual Chale Wote Street Art festival that the contemporary art and design scene is flourishing.

In the widely spoken Akan language, dumsor is the term used to describe the regular power outages – a blend of two words that roughly translates to ‘off and on’. The hum of generators is part of the city’s soundscape and the effect of dumsor in Accra is palpable: if you can’t rely on the power, be the power.

The city has its own brand of dynamic energy.

SHOP Untamed Empire is a high-end concept store that occupies a double-storey converted shipping container in North Ridge. It stocks ready-to-wear garments and luxury loungewear from designers across the continent and the upper storey hosts art and photography exhibitions, book signings and instore visits from designers. untamedempire.com For locally made menswear, womenswear, trendy accessories and beauty products, pop into Elle Lokko in Osu. Here you’ll find hand-dyed boutique garments by Osei Duro, beautiful woven accessories from AAKS and floaty fabrics from I Am Isigo. ellelokko.com The Shop Accra by Eyetsa, also in Osu, sells a curated selection of locally designed products, including interior decor, lighting, home accessories and gifts. eyetsa.com Vending local craft and artisanal products from Ghana and West Africa is semi-outdoor market The Accra Arts Centre. Look beyond the trinkets, masks and tourist tat to find the beautiful local textiles and woven baskets. Be prepared to haggle though – tourist prices are widely inflated.

John Evans Atta Mills High St, Accra For an authentic market experience, Makola Market has everything from local spices, J A N UA R Y / F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 7 | HOUSE AND LEISURE

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vegetables and West African snails to second-hand clothes, imported Chinese products and car parts.

Kojo Thompson Road, Accra

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS: GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

EAT & DRINK The Neem Grill is a gorgeous garden restaurant with beautifully designed wooden furniture and lanterns hanging from the trees. They recently built a brick pizza oven and also serve great grilled seafood.

Mama Adjele Road, East Airport, Accra Sip an alcoholic or non-alcoholic iced tea at Tea Baa. This establishment was started by local creative force Dedo Azu and offers a simple, delicious food menu and a good collection of board games for visitors to play.

10 Klannaa Street, Accra Have a local Star beer or cocktail at The Republic Bar & Grill near bustling Oxford Street, or try the cloudy palm wine.

Frequented by locals and tourists, the spot has a weekly roster of live music and regular karaoke nights. 3rd Lane, Kuku Hill, Accra Coco Lounge and Firefly Lounge Bar are also hot spots for cold drinks.

Cnr Independence and North Liberation Link; 11th Lane, Accra Just off Oxford Street, at the bottom of a conspicuous block of flats called Chateau Towers, you’ll find Aunty Wang’s Kitchen.

It’s a family-run business with a limited menu, but serves the freshest dumplings and clear noodle broths.

Try the humble Chez Clarisse Mama Africa (+233-55-459-8685) in Osu for delicious local food, and for somewhere a little more upmarket with the best flavours of West Africa, try Ivorian restaurant Buka. thebukarestaurant.com Local cuisine includes hearty red red, a West African black-eyed bean stew; banku, balls of fermented corn and cassava; salted

O PP O S I T E , C L O C K W I S E F RO M T O P L E F T Locals fish near the beach; the exRex Cinema is now a church; Saturday flea market on Osu’s Oxford Street; artists work on a mural at the Canadian Embassy; horse rider at Labadi Pleasure Beach; a street vendor sells bananas; customers at Aunty Wang’s Chinese restaurant in Osu; Black Star Gate in Independence Square; revellers at Accra’s annual Sabolai Radio Music Festival.

plantain, served with almost every meal, and tilapia, the most popular local fish.

SEE Check out the programme of events at The Studio Accra, a cultural movement (run by talented local photographer Francis Kokoroko and stylist Daniel Quist) that showcases music, spoken word, film screenings, exhibitions and pop-ups. The founders are also the curators of Instagram account and digital store Finders Keepers Outfits (@finderskeepersoutfits), an array of discoveries from Accra’s thrift markets. thestudioaccra.tumblr.com ACCRA [dot] ALT radio is based in Brazil House in James Town, the city’s oldest district, inhabited mostly by a fishing community. The married couple behind this regular radio programme and culture blog are also the founders of the Chale Wote Street Art festival, which sees the whole neighbourhood overflowing with mime, dance, theatre, visual art and site-specific installations every August. accradotaltradio.com Gallery 1957 opened in early 2016 and presents the best of Ghana’s contemporary artists, including Serge Attukwei Clottey, Jeremiah Quarshie and Zohra Opoku, all housed in the smart Kempinski Hotel. gallery1957.com Must-see sites around the city include Black Star Square – also known as Independence Square – which houses monuments to Ghana’s struggle for independence: the Independence Arch and the Black Star Gate. Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park in downtown Accra pay tribute to the late Ghanaian leader of the same name, the country’s first president after colonial rule.

ILISTEN West Africa has one of the most exciting hip-hop cultures in the world and Accra has its fair share of musicians, such as M.anifest and Blitz the Ambassador, leading the way.

Young collective Yoyo Tinz (a name inspired by the ‘yo, yo, yo’s in some US rap lyrics) put on regular shows in Accra and represent what some of Ghana’s upcoming hip-hop and graffiti artists are creating.

Look out for DJ Steloo, a local who is pioneering a new African house music

movement and is recognisable by his unique sense of style. Regularly spotted in shorts, hockey shin pads and a pilot-style hat made of local fabric, Steloo often performs impromptu sets in the streets of Accra.

Musical duo FOKN Bois have earned themselves a notable following of young Ghanaians for freely speaking their minds.

In their bold and humorous lyrics, they attack contradictions in Ghanaian culture, covering sex, politics and religion. They also perform individually as Wanlov and M3NSA – think rap, with a heavy hint of Afro-Gypsy.

DON’T MISS On Accra’s busiest stretch of coast, Labadi Pleasure Beach is about as close as you can get to Havana in Africa. With snake handlers, acrobats and horse rides on the sand, the experience is one of sensory overload.

Canvas-roofed stalls and bars border the beach, selling cool drinks and local food, and lifeguards watch over swimmers enjoying Accra’s Atlantic water. On Wednesdays, there are reggae nights and at weekends, live local music and drumming circles.

TRAVEL TIPS | For an upmarket experience, stay in the La Villa Boutique Hotel in Osu. With 30 simple, stylish rooms and a shady outdoor pool, this hotel offers a peaceful space in the middle of the city. The Kempinski Hotel is the city’s most luxurious residency that also showcases the work of the country’s best-known contemporary artists. For a seaside stay, there’s the beautiful Labadi Beach Hotel. lavillaghana.com; kempinski.com; legacyhotels.co.za | Uber arrived in Accra in July 2016, but still has some teething issues. Drivers with the app are few, so waiting times can be long and drivers sometimes refuse journeys if they don’t want to go in your direction. Local taxis are reasonably priced and readily available. | Take mosquito repellent, or buy local neem oil, a natural anti-inflammatory and insect repellent. | English is widely spoken and you shouldn’t have trouble communicating.

Smile if anyone calls you chale – it’s slang for ‘dude’. | South African Airways flies direct to Accra from Joburg daily. Ethiopian Airways flies to Accra via Addis Ababa from Cape Town or Joburg.

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F O C U S bedrooms

NATURE-INSPIRED With a striking trellis-patterned wall as its main feature, this nature-inspired bedroom seamlessly combines sharp edges with rounded oak elements.

Shades of green are used in a variety of textures, from the large monstera leaf, to a beautiful linen throw and occasional chair, which add depth and life to the modern space.

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one room

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Print, pattern and colour come together creatively in five completely different interpretations PRODUCTION AND STYLING BY CHRIZANDA BOTHA

GRAPHIC CLASH The focal point of this room is the striking orange wall painted in Sunset in the Desert by Plascon, which ties all the other graphic elements together. Zigzags, lines, stripes and grids work in unison to create a modern and edgy feel.

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MULTIFACETED The geometric rug and hexagonal sidetable resemble shattered glass, adding an element of organised chaos to the room. While any colour would work well to accentuate the space, we opted for Plasconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tiny Pink, which creates a playful, feminine mood.

Perillo & Mogano Gaetano

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Tarbes

F O C U S bedrooms

MICRO MONO

PHOTOGRAPHS: JUSTIN PATRICK

The varying scales of the monochromatic elements in this room clash completely â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is why we love it. Micro-prints and textures work well with the large structured bed and standing lamp. Tribal and Aztecinspired prints fuse with contemporary eastern influences in monochromatic tones, adding the finishing touch.

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F O C U S bedrooms

FLORAL FANCY The old-world floral Aubusson is the perfect contrast to the contemporary elements of the room, which expose strong, sharp lines.

Velvety textures and the soft, neutral hues on the wall add a touch of romance and elegance to the space.

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F O C U S news

BUON APPETITO!

Those in the market for something more classic can look to Officine Gulloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elegant cooking suites (below). Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re crafted from heavy-gauge stainless steel by Florentine artisans and are customisable: JOVVZL MYVT H°YHUNL VM elements such as a BBQ grill, griddle or integrated pasta cooker. Email sasales@ officinegullo.com

CLEAN LINES

LIGHT WORK Open-plan kitchens and dining rooms need ambient lighting to counter the visual effect of task lights. Create H°MVJHS WVPU[ ^P[O [OL Vuvu pendant in nickel satin and white (R1 015). klight.co.za

With its minimalist design and clutter-free surfaces, Slavin and Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleek Curtis kitchen is modelled to incorporate the latest appliances and mod cons, and features highquality materials and finishes. slavinandcompany.com

kitchen COMPILED BY KARIEN VAN WEELE PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED

TRAY CHIC

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Kitchen islands are H°IVVU PM `V\ OH]L [OL space. Add a grouping of classic Magis Striped :NHILSSV Z[VVSZ 9 ° each, for a colourful counterpoint to a white Duco-finished kitchen.

The stackable, durable steel frames can even withstand the outdoors. cremadesign.co.za

F O C U S news

LEADING LIGHT

Bedroom need a statement piece? ;OPZ 4L[YV MSVVY SHTW 9 PU ZPS]LY has a natural finish and creates an alluring glow. weylandts.co.za

ON THE TABLE

Complement a standalone bathtub with Anatomy Designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multifunctional compact tray table in silver (R7 500) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and fill it with spa treats for an extra layer of luxe at bath timeâ&#x20AC;¦ anatomydesign.co.za

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OPPOSITES ATTRACT

Mix modern and ornate elements to create interest: Sumari Krige of La Grange Interiors has used an oversized mirror and a rustic wooden footstool. A modern kilim rug (R12 300, subject to size and stock availability) rounds off the look. lagrangeinteriors.co.za

POT POURRI

Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your bedstand, dresser or bathroom cabinet, a tableau of vessels and cachepots â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as this Sarah Jane Blush ceramic vase MYVT 9 ¶ JHU ZWY\JL \W any space. Just add fresh flowers. Yuppiechef.com

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Modern Metro Sophisticated, practical urban living is the structure behind this look.

People in the know put together sleek and minimalistic rooms which radiate calm. Concrete is a thing of beauty and industrial elements are prized for their ‘form is function’ practicality.

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STATEMENT PIECE

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SITTING PRETTY

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LIVING COLOUR Complement the colours and textures of a subtropical garden with sleek outdoor furniture â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as this lounge JOHPY 9 ° HUK V[[VTHU 9 ° from the Colors range by Jardinico. canetime.co.za

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THE NEW COOL â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gardentainmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; means outdoor areas turn into extended living spaces. Making sure your guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drinks stay frosty is this stylish take on the traditional ice bucket â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Cool Bar in Misty Blue by Keter, 9 (]HPSHISL H[°4HRYV za.keter.com

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FOR SUPPLIERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DETAILS SEE THE STOCKISTS PAGE

Before you head out on your next summer day trip, remember to pack a throw in the car for those impromptu lunch stops. Woolies stocks a range of colourful options, such as this Miami Stripe throw (from R299). woolworths.co.za

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STYLE PROFILE

JULIA DAY Interior designer. Curator.

Generation store founder.

TEXT KHOLEKA KUMALO PRODUCTION NICOLA STEVENSON PHOTOGRAPH GRAEME WYLLIE

I was born and raised in Johannesburg.

My earliest memory of beautiful interior design is walking into the De Padova showroom in Milan in my early twenties and feeling an incredible sense of peace within the space. It was the connectivity between the pieces on display, curated by the dynamic Madeleine. My personal style is understated elegance. I love beautifully crafted pieces that are simple but of the finest quality. I am inspired by the story behind a design. When I need to dress to impress, I wear a fabulous pair of silk, champagne-coloured Prada wedges, a classic pair of Gucci trousers and a vintage ruffled shirt. I’m a huge fan of local design duo Dokter and Misses.

Their designs are original, authentic, and resolved, and I’m obsessed with Lala, their latest drinks cabinet. The code I live by is a quote by Grace Coddington, ‘Always keep your eyes open. Keep watching. Because whatever you see can inspire you.’ My favourite item at home is a Vidun dining table designed by Vico Magistretti in 1987. It is a masterpiece

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of interlocking pieces made by Pierluigi Ghianda. My go-to comfort food is anything with chocolate. My favourite restaurant can be found in Milan on Via Santa Marta. Trattoria Milanese has been run by one family since 1933 and serves the most unbelievable risotto dishes. I can’t travel without my navy blue cashmere poncho, which I use as a blanket and as something chic in which to step off the plane. I’ll never forget my trip to the Philippines. From hot, steamy Manila

HOUSE AND LEISURE | J A N UA R Y / F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 7

to isolated, rugged Boracay, this part of the world exudes a crazy, wild energy.

My greatest regular indulgences are massages. If money were no object, I’d treat myself to David Hockney’s 1967 painting ‘A Bigger Splash’. I’m currently listening to Locnville on full blast in the car. I hate it when people are late for a meeting. I am definitely not disorganised. All that I need to make me happy are creativity, family and friends. generationdesign.co.za

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