Characterful Hermanus home

Hermanus has always held special memories for Carla and Charles Duckitt. Charles’s family has spent many holidays there over the years, and the tranquil atmosphere of Voëlklip provided the ideal refuge for the couple’s student kids while they were still living abroad. Carla knew from the outset that she wanted to buy the slightly run-down home when she saw it on a property website, but Charles wasn’t convinced. “He thought about it for two months –a lifetime when you should be making an offer!” Carla recalls. “One morning, out of the blue, Charles said the time was right and I should

call the estate agent.” The timing worked in their favour as a slump in the property market meant they were able to purchase the house at a bargain.

That was in 2013, when they were living in Hamburg, Germany where Charles was working as an engineer. Only after his retirement in 2017, after first living in Johannesburg and Houston, Texas, could the couple settle down near the ocean. In the interim, the house remained unchanged, says Carla. “It was dark and cramped; especially the lower level, which had lots of damp issues. The finishes were also very old-fashioned.”

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“All the road signs were obtained legally – none of them were stolen!” says Carla. “When we lived in Texas, we enjoyed visiting the Round Top Antiques Fair near Austin; that’s where I bought the yellow road sign with the school kids on it. There were yellow school buses everywhere and usually one of these signs at every bus stop.” The numberplates serve as a kind of ‘postcard’ from all the towns in which the Duckitts have lived – from Sasolburg to Hamburg. Yellow trunk from Walker Bay Recycling

I’ve scrounged around in many scrapyards to find what I want. – Carla

Bathroom

The Duckitts enjoy summer evenings on this enclosed balcony, regardless of the weather. Since the indoor braai is part of the living area, they decided to install a built-in extractor fan for good ventilation. Dining table and benches from Sevens

Storeroom Outside lounge

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Ground floor

Bathroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom TV room Studio

First floor

Bathroom Toilet

Bedroom Uncovered patio

Kitchen & lounge

Laundry Scullery

Braai stoep

[CARLA’S FAVOURITE STORES ] In Hermanus • Over and Over • Snuffels • Romantiques In Johannesburg • Antique stores in Long Street, Albertville/Newlands • Orejen in Linden

A cosy living area alongside the braai room and open-plan kitchen provides comfortable seating.

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Iron and cement When Carla finally got the opportunity to put her own stamp on the house, she already had a clear vision of what she wanted: an open-plan living space, cement floors, practical finishes and trendy corrugated iron cladding around the exterior.

After she’d seen the ‘tin home’ that Marcus Smit of Marcus Smit Jacobs Architects built for his father in the March 2016 issue of Home, Carla was adamant that she wanted him to help her make her dream a reality. The Duckitts initially approached another architect, but this relationship soon turned sour. Carla says her relationship with Marcus was a match made in heaven. “We bumped heads a lot, but now we’re the greatest of friends.” The renovation began in January 2017 and was completed in May 2018. The biggest alterations included building a balcony on the top floor on the east-facing side and adding a braai area. The entire house got new cement floors and the kitchen and bathrooms now have trendy cement slabs. Thanks to the façade with its new corrugated iron cladding, the house was dubbed “ Blikbox”. “The house has a wonderful flow,” says Carla. “There is always a spot where you can sit and relax, whatever the weather. And we love the mountain view from the top floor.” >>

When the Duckitts were living in Hamburg, Carla and two friends took a trip to the Bolesławiec district in Poland to buy crockery (left). The statuette becomes an angel at Christmas time when Carla adds her wings.

During her art student days, Carla exchanged some of her pottery for the artworks now displayed on the cabinet. Cabinet from Orejen

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Eclectic and lived-in Carla has never done things by the book and her décor style reflects her lighthearted approach to life. “I like to make people laugh, and I believe décor can also be playful,” she says.

Her love of road signs is one of those unusual décor choices that has become a ‘party trick’ in the Duckitts’ home. “There’s a traffic light on the stoep that’s green when we’re enjoying the company, orange when it’s time for coffee after a meal, and red when it’s time to retire for the night,” says Carla. “People love it!” She describes her style as eclectic and lived-in. “I like the idea that furniture tells a story,” she says. And almost every piece of décor in her home has a history: many items had a previous life in a scrapyard, or were a bargain on Facebook Marketplace.

“My mother loves antiques – she has the most beautiful things in her home. But I literally love junk! I really enjoy using unusual items in a creative way.” Ultimately, says Carla, you must feel at home in your own space.

Carla was thrilled to find this gorgeous red Elba stove at Kloppers in Bloemfontein.

Tin containers from Koöperasie Stories

The pantry is enclosed behind the home’s original back door; old scaffolding serves as shelving.

Paint colour Dulux Night Jewels 2

The old scale also comes from a junkyard; it stands on a marble-topped cabinet that Carla got from the old Carlton Hotel in Johannesburg after it had been discarded.

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Shuttering used to cast the concrete ceiling created an interesting texture in the main en-suite bedroom. Carla loved the look so much that she decided to leave it as is. The crocheted throw is her grandmother’s handiwork. Carla loves the look of cement surfaces, so the built-in bath has the same finish as the rest of the bathroom. The mirror above the basin was part of an old dressing table. Towels from Barrydale Hand Weavers

During the renovations, the Duckitts decided to turn the fifth bedroom into a studio where Carla could take up pottery once again; she now offers a weekly lesson for a small group of students . Tiles from Veelvlak Signature Surfaces

WITH FLAIR Innovation Winner!

WHO LIVES HERE? Christian Greyling WHERE Pretoria SIZE 14.4m²

With a practical approach and meticulous planning, a second-hand shipping container was converted into an impressive ‘tiny house’. on a small scale

Christian’s desk forms an essential part of his space. “Because I often work after hours and don’t want to pack everything away at night, I designed my desk in such a way that it doesn’t fold away but rather that the bed rests on it.” Black mugs and tray from Woolworths