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S A’ S M O S T B E A U T I F U L M A G A Z I N E

CONSTANCE HALAVELI RESORT, THE MALDIVES, PHOTOGRAPHED

BY MICKY HOYLE

ESCAPE TO YZERFONTEIN • THE MALDIVES • ZAMBIA • PLETT • STILBAAI • ITALY

WISH YOU WERE HERE

THE HOLIDAY HOT LIST 50+ PAGES OF THE COOLEST NEW SPOTS, COVETABLE ART AND TO-DIE-FOR DESIGNS WIN LE CREUSET PROFESSIONAL COOKWARE WORTH R23 000

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FAMILY FEASTS SERVED WITH WONDER AND JOY SET YOUR TABLE FOR A CELEBRATION With beautiful crockery, glassware and table décor from @home, your guests can expect an epic celebration full of festive joy. Be ready with extra drinks and lots of dessert, everyone is going to want to stay on for more.

SHOP IN-STORE OR ONLINE WWW.HOME.CO.ZA

Purveyors of Fine textiles, wallpapers, leathers and Rugs

Johannesburg - 011 262 3130 | Durban - 031 312 0930 | Cape Town - 021 447 1556 Port Elizabeth - 041 373 1266 | Pretoria - 012 34 63075

www.blackfabrics.co.za

LUCERO Fabrics and Wallpapers from

Bishopscour t Drive, Cape Town Oggie FSC European Oak Cerato Danish White, hand-chiselled with WOCA Denmark UV White Oil - 20/6 x 260 x 2200

...wide plank oak floors hand-crafted to your specific design needs.

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

EDITOR’S LETTER CONTRIBUTORS VISI.CO.ZA LOOKING FOR DRINKS UNITS VOICES: Koleka Putuma VOICES: Louise Gelderblom VOICES: Sisonke Msimang VOICES: Anne Graaff

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32 REASONS TO RELISH YOUR DOWNTIME 1. Design highlights from Maison & Objet trade fair 2. ALoveSupreme launches a new collection 3. The Marshmallow stool will make you smile 4. A fragrance captures the essence of Kleinood 5. This is no ordinary soap-on-a-rope 6. Some of the season’s most desirable goodies 7. The DJI Spark mini drone popped up on our radar 8. You could win a WAZ Outdoor Lounger 9. A chic outdoor lounge set from Royal Botania 10. The new Pichulik range is both bold and minimal 11. Meet Bee Diamondhead, stylist extraordinaire 12. Kat van Duinen opens a new flagship boutique 13. An interview with artist Athi-Patra Ruga 14. Kohler’s Artist Editions basins are works of art 15. Artist Harem is inspired by vintage photographs 16. Art-collecting tips from Aspire Art Auctions 17. Lucie de Moyencourt captures Cape Town in ink 18. The Owl House is a tribute to Helen Martins 19. A floral wallpaper motif by Abigail Borg 20. A new @home collection evokes nostalgia 21. High-tech appliances from Bosch and Siemens 22. Experience Luxaflex window solutions first-hand 23. In conversation with designer Roberto Palomba 24. Our pick of the prettiest wine-tasting rooms 25. Tokujin Yoshioka designs for Dom Pérignon 26. Charge your glasses and celebrate the holidays 27. A dream has come true for chef Reuben Riffel 28. The revolutionary new Dialog oven from Miele 29. The Porsche 718 Boxster S is a stunner 30. An extract from the book Surf Shacks 31. Browse collectible books for holiday inspiration 32. Win Le Creuset cookware, worth R22 880 Smart idea

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COVER PHOTO MICKY HOYLE, CONSTANCE HALAVELI RESORT IN THE MALDIVES

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MALDIVES RESORTS CAPE TOWN FESTIVE ENTERTAINING ZAMBIA LODGE YZERFONTEIN BEACH HOUSE PLETTENBERG BAY HOLIDAY HOME STILBAAI FARMHOUSE CLIFTON BEACH BUNGALOW ITALY HOLIDAY HOME

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We did it again! VISI won big in New York at the annual Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards, scooping the win and honorable mention in the Consumer: Shelter/Home/Garden category.

A much time as possible on that beach bed on our

fter a tumultuous year, all I want to do is spend as

cover, read all the books I never got to during the year, and reconnect with that quiet, happy place in my head. But if that is not your idea of bliss, this issue is packed with many varied experiences and ideas to help you make this holiday a truly memorable one.

To get you in the mood for the festive season, we asked influencers Maps Maponyane and Joe Paine to weigh in on some of the most sought-after drinks cabinets and trolleys in the country. Super stylist Shelley Street and writer-slash-editorslash-stylist Kerryn Fischer both show us how to set memorable festive tables featuring local crafts and hand-made gifts.

There is a surf shack in Plett; a lodge on the Zambezi River in Zambia; a farmhouse in Stilbaai; a modern beach house in Yzerfontein; and the ultimate designer holiday home in Puglia, Italy. If that’s not enough, you can slip into the life aquatic by booking your trip to one of the Constance Hotels and Resorts in the Maldives. Our writer Ami Kapilevich sums it up perfectly: “Sometimes money can afford you things that most of the time money cannot buy.”

All of us here at VISI HQ wish you the most memorable summer holiday yet!

Sumien

We are giving away this stack of books to one lucky reader! Visit VISI.co.za/win for details.

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PHOTO JAN RAS

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We are very fortunate to include Wild Olive’s first publication on the essence of African beauty with this issue of VISI. The gorgeous publication celebrates 20 years of Wild Olive in South Africa and is proof that dreams really can come true.

CAPE TOWN - HUDSON BUILDING / CNR HUDSON & STRAND STREET / DE WATERKANT JOHANNESBURG - 1ST FLOOR / TRUMPET BUILDING / KEYES AVE / ROSEBANK

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

www.africa.kohler.com contact.africa@kohler.com 011 050 9000

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Sumien Brink Deputy Editor Annemarie Meintjes Assistant Editor Tracy Greenwood Art Director Anton Pietersen Managing Editor Samantha Charles Features Editor Amelia Brown Online Editor Lindi Brownell Meiring Social Media Manager Ashraf Booley Content Producer Mary Garner Copy Editor Kay-Ann van Rooyen Advertising Designer Marcus Viljoen

JAN RAS, PHOTOGRAPHER Bush or beach? Beach before bush only if it’s a tropical island.

Holiday plans? Travelling to the Friendly City (PE) to see the family.

Favourite summer dish? Braaibroodjies.

The greatest compliment you’ve ever received? A veteran in my profession whom I really respect admired some of my work.

What’s at the top of your gift list? A fitness watch. Hopefully it will encourage me to exercise more in 2018.

And at the bottom? Over-roasted imported coffee beans.

The last gift you gave someone? A wool jacket I bought in Estonia.

What are you listening to in your car? Best of Vivaldi.

The last TV show you watched? Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, a weekly satirical US news update combined with British humour.

The last place you visited for pleasure? Most recently, Tulbagh.

Advertising & Marketing Business and Digital Sales Manager Diane Lubbe 021 417 1147 / 083 391 1651 Key Account Manager Eva Cookson (Cape Town) 021 417 1274 / 076 662 0785 Key Account Manager Elna Coetzer (Cape Town) 021 417 5151 / 082 971 9715 Advertising Sales Executive Nicolette Davids (Johannesburg) 084 585 6034 Advertising Coordinator Julian Petersen Distribution & Subscriptions Distribution RNA Contact Centre 011 248 3500 Print Subscriptions Ramsay Media visisubs@ramsaymedia.co.za, 087 405 2005 Digital Subscriptions MySubs mysubs.co.za/contact, 0861 697 827

MALIBONGWE TYILO, CONTENT STRATEGIST

MARIJKE WILLEMS, PHOTOGRAPHER Bush or beach? Beach.

Holiday plans? A healthy, active holiday with family and friends at the coast.

Favourite summer dish? The raw vegan buffet at Leafy Greens, Muldersdrift.

The greatest compliment you’ve ever received? When someone loves themselves because of a picture I have taken of them.

What’s at the top of your gift list? Apple Watch 3. I can swim with it and do hot yoga.

And at the bottom? Anything that will create clutter in my home. I love it clean and minimalistic.

The last gift you gave someone? I gave my three-year-old nephew swimming lessons. He’s a water baby.

What are you listening to in your car? Anything new, fresh and upbeat.

The last series you binge-watched? The Crown.

The last city you visited for pleasure? Hong Kong.

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Publishing Team Group Content Head Tracy Greenwood Group Account Director Jason Curtis Account Manager Thanaa Moosa Creative Director Mark Serra Production Manager Shirley Quinlan ABC Manager Roxanne Holman PHOTOS ASHLEY FRANS (JAN), CARLA LATSKY (MALI), RENATE VERWEY (MARIJKE)

Bush or beach? Beach.

Holiday plans? Beach.

Favourite summer dish? In order to escape the temptations (oh so many temptations) that come with the season, I try to stick to the same formula (often unsuccessfully, but I try): meat/protein and a side of veggies/green salad.

The greatest compliment you’ve ever received? Recently someone told me that I have the ability to learn and use different media and techniques incredibly well, which meant a lot to me as a storyteller, since I recently threw myself into video editing and computer coding.

What’s at the top of your gift list? A pair of Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 wireless headphones.

And at the bottom? Anything that comes out of a Christmas cracker.

Disappoints. Every. Single. Time.

The last gift you gave someone? A lucky packet filled with anti-ageing creams and serums for my mother. We both have a thing for taking care of our skin.

What are you listening to in your car? Krept & Konan’s 7 Nights.

The last series you binge-watched? Star Trek: Discovery. I was never a huge fan of the movies and previous series. I watched one episode of the Netflix remake and I’m hooked.

The last city you visited for pleasure? Maputo.

EXECUTIVE TEAM Managing Director Aileen Lamb Commercial Director Maria Tiganis Content Director Andrew Nunneley Head of Digital Kamiel Ebrahim Chief Financial Officer Mark Oaten Chief Executive Officer Bridget McCarney Executive Director John Psillos Non-Executive Director Irna van Zyl Reproduction New Media Publishing Printing Novus Print Published by New Media Publishing (Pty) Ltd, New Media House, 19 Bree Street, Cape Town PO Box 440, Green Point, Cape Town 8051 Telephone: 021 417 1111 E-mail: visi@visi.co.za Website address: newmediapub.co.za

All rights reserved. Whereas precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of information, neither the editor, publisher nor New Media Publishing can be held liable for any inaccuracies, injury or damages that may arise. The opinions expressed in the articles may not reflect those of the publisher.

CA N ’ T WA I T F O R T H E N E X T V I S I ? G E T YO U R D A I LY D O S E AT

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If you’re enjoying the latest issue of VISI, let us know! Share a pic of your copy on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter – we’d love to spot your shot on our feeds.

My mom’s new wall colour is so photogenic This Spring cover is everything #vsco #vscocam #spring #sunday – @jessica.tracey

SPRING is just around the corner! #springtime #visimagazine #designcafe – @seven.circles

Got the @visi_mag spring edition! – @free2btheo Love gifts from home #visimag #visimagazine #lakelife #canadiansummer – @s.a.s.h.a.b

#riotouscolours #colourexplosion #cover #magazinecover #mostbeautifulmagazine #sundaymorninginspiration #visi #visimagazine #springissue – @jonesingrid

Ready, steady Spring! #visimag #visimagazine #architecturelovers #vegetablegarden #fruitandherbs #favemag – @ingridgerber

Ready, steady SPRING Getting some inspiration fr the latest @visi_mag – @fromtheeyesofadream

Sunday morning bliss – @sonjamckaiser

Bederfie van my boo #visimagazine #houseporn #sweeteninguphissugarmama #househusbandmaterial – @eldivl

KEEP COOL AND WIN Getting ready for summer picnics? You’ll want to win one of these 22-litre canvas cooler bags from Rogue Ice Coolers.

Made of heavy-duty waterproof canvas, this leak-proof cooler comes with adjustable shoulder straps and genuine leather detailing. We have three to give away, worth R1 790 each.

Go to VISI.co.za/win to enter.

PHOTO SHAVAN RAHIM WORDS LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING

Bloomin’ Beautiful Styling it like the VISI Spring Cover #visimagazine #goingpottyforspring #interiordesign – @towerbridge_dbn

WEYLANDTS/1465H/E/SA

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TIMELESS FURNITURE AND HOMEWARE AVAILABLE AT BROOKLYN, DURBANVILLE, FOURWAYS, GREEN POINT, KNYSNA, KRAMERVILLE, NELSPRUIT, SANDTON CITY, UMHLANGA, WEYLANDTS.CO.ZA

A RENEWED INTEREST IN HOME ENTERTAINING HAS SEEN DRINKS CABINETS AND TROLLEYS BECOME SOUGHT-AFTER PIECES. WE ASKED JOE PAYNE AND MAPS MAPONYANE TO WEIGH IN ON OUR TOP PICKS. P H OTO S M A R I J K E W I L L E M S P R O D U C T I O N A N N E M A R I E M E I N TJ E S

K E L LY CAPWELL DRINKS CABINET

by Joe Paine

JOE PAINE, DESIGNERMAKER: “The Kelly Capwell drinks cabinet is part of my new Santa Barbara range.”

MAPS MAPONYANE, ENTREPRENEUR AND CREATIVE: “This drinks cabinet is beautifully industrial and practical. It would fit in most spaces. In fact, I may have just ordered one.”

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LOOKING FOR DRINKS CABINE TS AND TROLLEYS

ROSETTE DRINKS UNIT

by Egg Designs

MAPS: “I can’t picture this cabinet in my living space, but it is a stand-out piece of design.”

LUNA DRINKS CABINET MAPS: “This is a piece that speaks to me and can fit comfortably into my space at home. It is sleek and it’s high quality.”

JOE: “I’m bein’ followed by a moon shadow, moooon shadow, moon shadow…”

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MODERN TROLLEY

by Kaymet

JOE: “The Kaymet Modern Trolley is an update that is perfect for your next Mad Men-themed party. Chin-chin!”

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

F A C A D E C A B I N E T by Tonic Design JOE: “Tonic makes it hard to choose, but this is certainly one of my favourite designs from their studio.�

LOOKING FOR DRINKS CABINE TS AND TROLLEYS

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FACADE CABINET by Tonic Design The aluminium frame that reveals a tinted mirror backing brings to mind a Johannesburg apartment block when the sun is setting.

• R70 600 • tonicdesign.co.za

LUNA DRINKS CABINET from Weylandts The brass handle of this cabinet sits like a full moon in a constellation of roughed-up Caesarstone.

DRINKS UNITS by Egg Designs The Rosette drinks unit is made of kiaat clad with stainless steel plates and decorated with copper-plated flowers.

The Gazelle cocktail trolley is made of timber, copper and bronzed steel.

• Rosette drinks unit R100 600 • Gazelle cocktail trolley R14 700 • eggdesigns.co.za

GATSBY DRINKS TROLLEY from @home This is a sleek trolley design at a great price.

• R4 999 • home.co.za

KELLY CAPWELL DRINKS CABINET by Joe Paine This cabinet is mounted to the wall but extends from it, giving the unit its freestanding lightness.

• R47 000 • joepaine.com

MODERN TROLLEY by Kaymet Kaymet has been making anodised-aluminium trays and trolleys in London for 70 years.

Custom sizes, tier configurations and surfaces can be produced.

• R7 200 – R9 750 • kaymet.co.uk

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

SMEG PROMOTION

COFFEE MADE MY WAY No drink, hot or cold, smells or tastes better than a freshly brewed cuppa joe, says ART DIRECTOR ANTON PIETERSEN.

P H OTO D O O K WO R D S A N TO N P I E T E R S E N

Life’s too short for a bad coffee, and when I have a cup it must be made my way. By my way I mean a double shot of chocolate-note cappuccino with not-too-hot, silky (not bubbly) milk froth, two-and-a-half teaspoons of sugar and, yes, made the Italian way using my coffee-shop-style Smeg espresso machine.

Done right, it tastes like dessert. Which gets me thinking about my favourite sweet treat, tiramisu. Bellissimo!

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TIRAMISU RECIPE My mother-in-law makes the best tiramisu ever. It’s a secret family recipe, so here’s one that the VISI team swears by. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS • ½ cup whipping cream • 250 g tub mascarpone • 5 tbsp castor sugar • ½ tsp vanilla extract • 1 cup cold espresso • 3 tbsp Kahlúa liqueur • 200 g packet finger biscuits • grated chocolate, to garnish • 2 tsp cocoa powder, to dust METHOD Whip cream, mascarpone, sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Mix espresso and Kahlúa, and dip the finger biscuits in the mixture until just damp but not soggy.

Arrange the biscuits in the base of a square dish and top with cream-andmascarpone mixture.

Chill in the fridge for about 4 hours. Just before serving, top with grated chocolate and dust with cocoa powder.

“MADE THE ITALIAN WAY USING MY COFFEE-SHOP-STYLE SMEG ESPRESSO MACHINE”

MY COFFEE Using the Smeg espresso machine is a sensory, hands-on experience, like driving a classic car.

Oh, and it’s pretty goodlooking too. Underneath its stylish exterior beats the heart of an Italian stallion. Nothing beats the aroma of homebrewed coffee, the sound of hissing steam and the feeling of being in control.

COV OVER sofa. Designed by Mariee Christin t e Dorn r er. r Please visitt us aat our show owroom: KRAMERV R ILLE: 14 Kramer Road R , First Floor – righ g t, Sandton T 011 262 5055 Tel: Fax: 086 676 1065 info@ligne-roset.co.za www ww.ligne-roset.com

www w .alamaisonsa.co.za

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Koleka’s perception of caravan parks as temporary places of relaxation and adventure changed in the year she matriculated.

PHOTO ANDY MKOSI BACKGROUND VLISCO FABRIC

WORDS KOLEKA PUTUMA

The images portrayed families or friends huddled around a fire and laughing with their heads tilted back, or singing and clapping in glee. For me, then, caravan parks were associated with camping and pleasure; they were places of relaxation, communion, community and adventure.

This image was quickly altered after our eviction.

In 2010, we were evicted from our home. We were a family of six who went from spreading ourselves across a house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a lounge, plus a cottage in our back garden, to sleeping in a tiny cabin with all our belongings. Small blankets were rolled and stuffed against the door to block the wind from sweeping through. In the morning the kettle was boiled and we had Weetbix with 70% hot water and 30% cold milk. My siblings and I would sprint across the playground to shower with strangers, before sprinting back to our cabin to get ready for school. We walked to school, careful when leaving the park not to be seen by schoolmates who lived in the area.

The bigger picture: It’s 2010. South Africa is the centre of attention. We are the hosts of the FIFA World Cup. The world has come to visit; they have brought their luggage, cameras and currency. South Africa is on display and South Africans on their best behaviour. For a moment the Rainbow Nation is a dream that does not give us nightmares or make us wet the bed in front of guests. We are happy, democratic, “free” and hospitable.

The smaller picture: 2010 is also the year I am matriculating from The Settlers High School in Bellville, in Cape Town’s Northern Suburbs. It’s also the year we are evicted from our three-bedroom home in Bellville, this being the first of several evictions that I would experience in my life. When we moved, some of our luggage was stored under beds, some dropped off and packed neatly in the corners of my aunt’s tiny apartment in Brackenfell, and

DID YOU KNOW? 1. Koleka is a poet, playwright and director. Her debut poetry collection, Collective Amnesia, was published by uHlanga in 2017.

2. Her fondest memory of childhood holidays is driving around the country with her parents to visit family.

3. Koleka and her family gather at her grandmother’s home in Durban every December.

4. The most irksome thing she faces at these holiday gatherings is family commenting on how much weight she’s gained at the Christmas festivities.

5. Studies say the average person gains between 0,5 kg and 1 kg of stubborn weight over the Christmas period.

6. Koleka’s weakness when it comes to holiday food is any kind of stew with dumplings. (Her aunt makes the best.)

7. Koleka blogs at cocoputuma.wordpress.com and her social media handle is @Kputuma.

the rest was lugged around in the boot of my parents’ car.

At school I joined in conversations about the World Cup, even though I had not watched the matches. The television at the cabin was disconnected and stored beneath one of the bunks. In fact, the space underneath the double bunks became a storage place for our treasured items: photo albums, objects passed down from previous generations, things accumulated through the years. The cabin was not as large as our other home, but it was big enough to house a family of six and all their belongings.

I found that strange and comforting.

Most nights, my mother and I stayed up late filling out university applications by candlelight while the rest of my family slept stacked on double bunks. The wind and insects spying through the cracks of the wooden construction were not adventurous and interesting stories we could tell when we returned to our actual home. This was our actual home. We were home. We had to make this work until we could find something better.

Then, caravan parks symbolised a harsher reality for me: my parents’ debt and the shame of not having a place we could call our own. We were not laughing, heads tilted back. We were not braaiing marshmallows over the fire. We were just another family looking for a temporary place to call home. We met other families who could not afford to live in the City of Cape Town, families who lived in cabins not out of choice but out of necessity, and families whose “temporary” was not synonymous with “vacation”.

I learnt that what is a holiday space for some is a permanent home for others.

And what is temporary for some is a lifetime for others.

Louise transformed an overlooked inner-city property into a lush private sanctuary.

WORDS LOUISE GELDERBLOM

DID YOU KNOW? 1. Louise is an artist and author. She recently compiled a cookbook titled Eat Your Words: The Book Club Cookbook.

2. She likes fresh, simple food. She is totally incapable of eating leftovers, so she makes every meal from scratch. And although she cooks often and enjoys it, she loves eating other people’s food.

3. Her dream trip would be to travel slowly and mindfully through Africa.

4. For Louise, time off means doing as little as possible, going for walks and reading as much as possible.

5. She usually has to battle with Cape Town’s tourist traffic, but this December she’s facing international airports and public transport in unfamiliar territory: Louise is exploring Southern Italy.

6. In December 2016, Cape Point recorded about 129 000 visitors and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway about 150 000 people.

7. Keep track of her projects at louisegelderblom.com.

PORTRAIT JAN RAS BACKGROUND VLISCO FABRIC

It was on the market for a long time, probably due to the desperate state it was in. The property had been covered in concrete, and the Victorian house had been turned into a series of poky office spaces without any logic or soul. The main rooms were situated on the busy street side, where the southeaster whips down from Camps Bay, rattling the sash windows.

Nobody could see the potential that I could see in this sorry little property, not even the estate agent, who kept emphasising the office-space possibilities. It was perfect for my lifestyle and desire to have a studio where I lived, though, and in my mind’s eye I had already moved in after the first viewing.

Making it my own took a good few months of active deconstruction and restoration, with the sound of power tools slamming into tonnes of concrete echoing through the neighbourhood, and a seemingly endless stream of rubbleremoval trucks coming and going; I was not very popular with the neighbours. Slowly, slowly, a kinder building was revealed.

And finally I had a studio in front, a surprisingly quiet home at the back, and outside spaces with fertile soil, newly trucked in and waiting to be transformed into gardens.

I landscaped the outside areas exposed to the wind with appropriately hardy plants; in other words, I planted them to be viewed in passing. But in my tiny and mercifully wind-free back courtyard I planted a jungle: In my heart I am a plant collector rather than a landscaper.

Before the men with the hammer drills started attacking it, the courtyard was a barren square of concrete, and the stoep faced three high walls and an enormous, sad bougainvillea that blocked any sunlight and made the floor dark green and slippery with moss. I suppose it’s where the previous occupants would have left the bucket and mop.

The bougainvillea got a severe trim, and a giant sandstone boulder was removed from the ground to make space for

a lemon tree. Then came various jasmines, mints, lavender, sage, arums, clivias, pelargoniums, roses, daisies, hibiscus, several frangipanis, peach and bay trees, my succulent collection and a couple of ferns to fill in the remaining bald spots.

I added a big stoneware bowl for the geriatric goldfish (the survivors of my children’s pre-teen desire to have “fishies”), rocks, and cut stones collected over many years. Just to make sure I had completely filled the space, I assembled a ceramic bird bath made from odd bits of discarded projects from my studio.

Despite the effects of the drought, which culled some of the more sensitive plants, I now have a fragrant jungle of many shades of green, from the greyest sage and the greenest delicious monster to fresh green dill and the darkest strappy clivias. Bees feast, butterflies dance from bush to bush, dragonflies hover over the water, insects swarm, Cape whiteeyes flit from branch to branch, the plump resident Cape robin keeps a beady eye on things, and snails try to do damage.

At night, big fat caterpillars often do do real damage. Hadedas, which seem far too big in scale for the space, come to visit, much to the agitation of the (miniature) poodles. My hunting cat’s eyes blink in the darkest corner and he emerges from the overgrown tangle moments later, smelling of mint.

In the early morning, when the sun is just touching the tops of the trees beyond my back wall and the sky turns from cobalt to azure, I marvel at this tiny private world that I have created and I feel completely content, as if I have lived here my whole life.

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Sisonke remembers the safety of her childhood clubhouse at the bottom of the stairs during a time of exile.

We have just moved into a small, dark townhouse. This is the best we can do right now. Mummy tells us our house doesn’t define us, our manners do. I find this hard to believe, but I don’t say so. The house has our things in it, but in the early weeks – when we have just arrived in this hot, hot place where all the children are bright pink in the summer heat – it does not feel like home. Home is cool in the mornings and breezy in the afternoons. Home is bougainvillea creepers and avocado trees; it is paw-paws cut up and ready for you to eat in the morning. Home is the smell of sour porridge and it is never noticing that everyone around you is brown and warm. Canada is far, far away. This is a new chapter in exile.

Mummy is an accountant. She goes to work each day and she knows everything about money. Baba works for a large international agency that helps the poor around the world. There seem to be no poor people here in Canada, except once in a while an Indian you see in the city centre who isn’t really an Indian but actually a Native Canadian. Baba does not like that word: Native. Baba has to go away a lot – to Africa, where almost all the poor people in the world live. There is a famine in a part of Africa where we never lived and Baba knows how to help when people are dying.

The reason we live in a small townhouse is that we are trying to Live Within Our Means. We have moved to Canada so that us girls can Have A Future. We were born in exile in Zambia and then we moved to Kenya. We are used to moving, but we only know life in Africa. Baba was a freedom fighter; now we are here because he and Mummy have agreed that It’s Not Just About Fighting The Regime; The Girls Also Need To Have A Future. She says this to him sometimes when they think we are not listening.

Having A Future means that even when we ask to buy an Archie Comics, Mummy asks how will we ever progress if she spends all our hard-earned money on comic books?

Mummy never really talked like this before, but since we moved to Canada everything has become much more serious.

Still, Mummy likes nice things, so our townhouse has some of the beautiful things we have always owned. It has the Heidi Lange batik that hung in our house in Nairobi. It has all our photos – the shiny faces of everyone we love and have left behind. The sitting room makes me sad because this is where all the faces are, crowded on the mantelpiece, reminding me that there is another place far, far away where everyone loved me.

Baba is in Ethiopia, helping to feed starving children, so Mummy has no support.

No aunties to help. No other South Africans to laugh with. It is 1986 and there is a famine in Ethiopia. On TV a woman named Sally Struthers looks sad under her large blonde hair. She touches dying shrivelled brown children and flicks away buzzing flies. It is hard to imagine Baba among them – tall and strong. But he is there. We go months without

DID YOU KNOW? 1. In her memoir Always Another Country, Sisonke writes about her childhood spent in exile in Zambia, Canada and Kenya.

2. Her most memorable childhood holidays were at Diani Beach Hotel in the hot, drowsy harbour city of Mombasa, Kenya.

3. Part of Mombasa and its Old Town is located on an island, connected to the mainland by a causeway, bridge and ferry.

4. Sisonke now divides her time between Perth, where her husband is from, and Joburg.

5. She and her husband have just bought a house and have lots of projects on the go.

6. Find her on Twitter @sisonkemsimang and Instagram @sisonke_msimang.

seeing him. He returns and then too quickly goes back. Canada has a large emergency relief operation and his colleagues are happy to have an African on the team.

The best thing about the townhouse is that it has a basement. In Canada everyone has a basement. My sisters and I burrow in there. Down there, at the bottom of the carpeted stairs, we invent a new world.

We create the SoMaZe Club, which is a combination of the first two letters of each of our names: Sonke, Mandla and Zeng.

We don’t notice that Mummy lets us play in the basement for increasingly long periods without interrupting us.

It is only when I am older, when my own husband goes away and I am left with the children for weeks on end before he comes back beaming and with arms full of presents that I understand how much she must have needed to be upstairs while we were down there, imagining ourselves as pioneers and adventurers. We were three little African girls, building a new life in a land that seemed less and less strange each day. Upstairs sat our mother hunched over a calculator, pencil in mouth as she tapped away. She would stop.

Make notes on her lined notepad. Etching out the contours of our futures.

It is only now that I understand how much that basement saved her. The basement kept us entertained so that Mummy could balance the chequebook that would eventually fund our university education. It allowed her some peace to wonder what might happen if one day Nelson Mandela were actually set free.

While we forged our sisterhood playing in the basement, Mummy dreamt and planned, as so many mothers had before her, as I do now for her grandchildren.

I wish for every hope-filled mother a room where her children can be safe. For every girl a room full of sisters whose love is its own private members’ club.

PHOTO NICK WHITE BACKGROUND VLISCO FABRIC

WORDS SISONKE MSIMANG

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Anne, who moved from South Africa to France about seven years ago, describes her favourite building in Paris.

WORDS ANNE GRAAFF

DID YOU KNOW? 1. Anne Graaff is a South African art historian, artist and poet who now lives in Paris. A reworked edition of her book The Owl House was recently published by Sneeuberg – see page 156.

2. She owns a holiday home, Murrayfield, in Nieu-Bethesda.

3. Anne’s bucket-list destinations include Scotland, specifically the Outer Hebrides. Her mother is Scottish, hence the pull, and she has family there.

5. This holiday season, Anne will return to Nieu-Bethesda, where she plans to unpack books and tend the herb garden.

6. Her favourite holiday dish is shellfish pasta with succulent prawns, made by her husband Christopher, who comes from an Italian family and loves to cook.

7. A keen reader, Anne has binge-read a pile of books from Parisian bookshop Shakespeare & Company, including The Secret Books

by Marcel Theroux and The Refugees by Viet Thang Nguyen.

8. A famous English bookshop on Paris’s Left Bank, Shakespeare & Company was mentioned in the Ernest Hemingway memoir A Moveable Feast.

9. Have a look at laportepeinte.com/gallery/artists/anne-graaff.

PHOTO SAM REINDERS BACKGROUND VLISCO FABRIC

The season is turning. It is a cool autumnal day of pale sunlight and scudding clouds. A slight breeze flutters the long lace trail of a bride who is being carefully arranged and photographed on the far shore.

When I look up again there are three brides. They resemble elegant white swans. What is it with photographing brides at this precise location? The answer arrives. Notre Dame is in the background. If I lean over the wrought-iron railing at the window, I see the hulking back of the church across the bridge on the tip of Île de la Cité.

This island is the heart of Paris and the site of its earliest fortified settlement. Notre Dame (Our Lady) is the symbolic centre of the City of Lights. She is the Mother Ship. From my angle-of-view she resembles an ocean liner in the river.

There are two other great buildings that remind me of ocean liners, both contemporary and no doubt partly taking their inspiration from Notre Dame, which is not only the centre of Paris but also one of the buildings that have moved human thought along and intersected with history over centuries.

The two other buildings are the Sydney Opera House and La Fondation Louis Vuitton. Both have a dramatic sea-faring air and take the breath away with their sculptural ingenuity. But neither interests me as much as Notre Dame does.

I walked to Notre Dame a few days ago, the sonorous bells peeling out the midday hour. As I approached the rear, the cathedral resembled a giant toad on a lily pad. There are a thousand metaphors that fit the building. Inside, I am reminded of a forest, and when looking at the vaulted ceiling, an enormous spider.

I walk over often, loving to see it in different lights, recalling the Impressionist studies of Monet. I once tried drawing the cathedral from different angles, much like one would walk around a nude in a life-drawing class. But I got so much bother from tourists peering over my shoulder that I began to feel like public property and resorted to taking photographs as a second-best method of studying the magical beast.

I enjoy sitting inside the church and watching the

light through the great rose windows paint the floor with geometries of shifting colour. The building is essentially a light box, the rose windows a symbol for the rose, the symbolic flower of the Virgin Mary, Notre Dame.

The cathedral appeals to my passion for soulfulness. It is pickled in soul. Soulfulness is more difficult to accomplish than grand swagger or clever allusion. It is more mysterious, subtle and infused with a changing kaleidoscope of imagined qualities. It can be found in grand places and humble ones.

It can take money to accomplish or no money at all. This is because it contains a particular sort of thought form. The form calls forth feeling and emotion, intuition and a dose of the ineffable. It is the point where the material world intersects with the immaterial. Notre Dame has this special quality. So too does the outsider art environment, the little old Owl House in NieuBethesda in the Karoo.

Another of my passions is the history of esoteric thought, that vast and rambling subject that leaves no stone unturned in its search for wisdom. It trawls through intellectual and spiritual traditions, and attempts to make sense of the small movements of mankind and the vast clockwork ticking of the cosmos, always endeavouring to connect the two. It arises from the impulse to stare divinity in the face. Notre Dame serves this purpose. So too does the humble and tatty Owl House.

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SLIP INTO A LIFE AQUATIC IN THE MALDIVES, WHERE PRIMORDIAL SPLENDOUR AND THE FINEST MODERN AMENITIES CAN EXIST SIDE BY SIDE. AND THEN SOME. P H OTO S M I C KY H OY L E WO R D S A M I K A P I L E V I C H

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don’t think you could ever get used to it: the first glimpse of a sleek grey shape below.

The pulse of your breath in the snorkel stops.

Caught between fight and flight, you float.

Two blacktip reef sharks slowly curve their way along the drop-off below.

“Relax,” you tell yourself. “Stay calm.” Instead of putting distance between you and the sharks, you follow them. Look at you: David Attenborough in the Maldives! The sharks remain at a tantalising distance before disappearing into the blue. You swim on though the dizzying variety and proximity – the infinity – of underwater life. You’ve already seen a large octopus, a moray eel, an eagle ray and a turtle, but nothing gets your heart racing like a shark.

You turn to watch a jellyfish flap past, and there they are: the same two blacktips, right behind you. They must have circled round and started following you. Checking you out.

Hunting you! Your heart leaps into your craw, and stays there until you sit giggling with relief on the beach of the resort.

“We have the friendliest sharks in the world,” laughs Moofushi’s front of house manager Mevin Ramasamy over dinner that night.

Moofushi is one of two resorts that our host, Constance Hotels & Resorts, offers in the Maldives. The other is Halaveli, on the eastern end of Ari Atoll. Both are among the best in the country, but what is it that distinguishes Moofushi and Halaveli from all the others?

“Service,” Mevin replies, “and the wine.”

The guest relations staff at both resorts are cosmopolitan and not just widely but also deeply travelled. People who regale you with tales about exotic destinations – Aruba, Holbox, Gerring – as if making it onto this sliver of paradise has let you in on an even bigger secret.

“One thing I’ve learnt,” says Constance’s Sales and Marketing Coordinator Kersley Calou, DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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who relocated to Halaveli from Mauritius, “is that Maldivians are naturally welcoming. It’s not an act; it is a sincerely friendly culture.”

Constance’s cellars boast 19 000 bottles of 1 306 varieties. Enthusiastic sommeliers plied us with complex Bordeauxs, rare Italian Merlots, Pinot Noirs from Southern France and a 2009 Argentine white called Zuccardi Serie A made from Torrontés grapes that will change your life. “How ironic,” you muse as you wash down your wagyu steak with a 2009 Grange des Pères, “to have all this at your fingertips on such a remote patch of land.”

Tourists have been flocking to the Maldives since 1972, when the first Italian pioneers were welcomed into private homes in the capital of Malé. Ten years later, tales of naked hippy couples surviving on otherwise uninhabited

ALL THE RESORTS MAKE USE OF THEIR GREATEST ASSET: THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE ISLAND ITSELF.

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islands prompted the government to regulate the industry. Today, more than 100 resorts offer their dreamscapes to a lucky clientele.

All the resorts make use of their greatest asset: the magnificence of the island itself. From my quarters in Moofushi I took the stairs from the balcony to the water and saw an eagle ray waft past. At Halaveli my villa’s bathroom was a tropical courtyard with stepping stones leading to a shower and pergola-covered sunken bath, both ingeniously screened by layers of wood and wall and Indian almond.

Some come for the thrill of swimming with the friendliest sharks in the world. Others come to prove that sometimes money can afford you things that most of the time money cannot buy. Everyone leaves the Maldives with a coral-island-shaped hole in his or her heart.

And everyone returns a better person for it.

• constancehotels.com

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Dinner service preparations at Moofushi’s à la carte restaurant on the water. Whereas other resorts insist on a strict dress code and even closed shoes, Constance’s philosophy of barefoot luxury eschews such formalities. True class dines with its toes in the sand.

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Wind-sculpted palm trees. Salt-bleached coral beaches.

Coconut cocktails over eye-blue water.

It’s a cliché until it’s a dream come true.

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As if letting your mind drift along the horizon all day, every day, isn’t relaxing enough, Constance Resorts’ Maldivian U Spa treatment centres are all set over the water.

Watching fish swim below you through a glass pane in the floor adds to the therapeutic effect.

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The grounds of the resorts are not so much kept as carefully curated. Clandestine nooks and spectacular spots allow couples to slip away for a private moment.

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There’s something of a competition among the resorts in the Maldives as to who has the longest jetty – the walkways that connect the water villas to their islands. At 850 m, Halaveli’s is one of the longest. So long, in fact, that the spa and fine-dining restaurant are situated halfway along its reach to Ari Atoll.

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THE RESORTS’ PHILOSOPHY OF BAREFOOT LUXURY ESCHEWS FORMALITIES SUCH AS A STRICT DRESS CODE.

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Upon arrival at Moofushi’s reception area (01) you are presented with flip-flops and a bag. Your shoes go in the bag, and you probably won’t put them on again until you leave.

There’s no need for footwear at Halaveli’s pool (02), the buffet restaurant with its sand floors (03) or the beach, where yoga instructor Tiffany Brook Langley fell for the lure of a hammock (04). The U Spa reception area at Halaveli (06) immediately engages all your senses with its polished interior, soft music, air conditioning and cotton recliners.

The resort’s finedining restaurant Jing (08) has the most coveted wine cellar in the country.

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Halaveli’s overwater bed is inspired by traditional Maldivian undohali swing couches. On the country’s 200 inhabited islands, the community leader will usually sit on an undohali while adjudicating local grievances and official matters.

At the resorts they serve a more relaxing purpose.

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Wood-lined daybed nooks along the Jahaz Bar at Halaveli.

Tiffany is one of the lucky people of the world who gather here to shoot the breeze over sundowners or a digestif.

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For all its beauty, the Maldives is a resourcescarce country.

Almost all the wood used for construction comes from Indonesia, but you will also find teak, pine, marble and cane to blend into the island’s natural textures.

The balconies of the water villas at Moofushi are angled for maximum privacy (07) and offer direct access (09) to the reef in front with its dazzling array of fish and rays.

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“ONE THING I’VE LEARNT IS THAT MALDIVIANS ARE NATURALLY WELCOMING. IT’S NOT AN ACT. IT IS A SINCERELY FRIENDLY CULTURE.”

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IT’S A CLICHÉ UNTIL IT’S A DREAM COME TRUE. dhoni is the country’s traditional sailing vessel. Originally made of coconut wood and lashed together with ropes and vines, today’s dhonis are made using more modern materials and methods, but still sport the traditional elaborate prows.

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A rare balance of romantic privacy and shared splendour. All accommodation options at Halaveli have private plunge pools, but guests who want to do longer laps don’t need to lower their standards.

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ALL CLOTHING FROM BLUEOCEANN MALDIVES BOUTIQUES AT MOOFUSHI AND HALAVELI

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FESTIVE DECORATING IS REDEFINED AT THE CAPE TOWN HOME OF STYLIST SHELLEY STREET. LOCAL CRAFTS, HAND-MADE GIFTS, TRADITIONAL ELEMENTS AND A NOD TO SCANDI STYLE COMBINE FOR AN INTRIGUING FUSION. P H OTO S WA R R E N H E AT H / B U R E AU X .CO. Z A P R O D U C T I O N S H E L L E Y S T R E E T WO R D S M A N DY A L L E N

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hand-carved wooden birds, which I love, as well as papier mâché baubles, a quirky take on the usual bling versions,” she says.

Other adornments reflect Shelley’s affinity for African patterns and locally crafted objects with a whimsical feel: a laser-cut cardboard nativity scene; a small decorative Christmas tree made out of tin; Christmas crackers that she made using patterned brown paper and shweshwe fabric; a herd of beaded zebra that in this context look less curio-kitsch and more Afro-chic; and a black wreath that, from a distance, looks like something designed by Tord Boontje, but is in fact made out of pieces of fynbos, wine corks and other natural ephemera shaped together and spray-painted black.

Shelley’s black lacquered turned-leg pine table (a fortuitous junk shop find) is the focus of the festivities. “The starting point of the theme was a collection of black-and-white plates by local ceramist Martine Jackson,” says Shelley. “I just love their loosely stylised African-influenced patterns.

I also drew on the beautiful wares at Africa Nova. I think Margie Murgatroyd is one of the finest curators of craft in this country.”

Many of the table decorations are an eclectic union of new and old, black and white, solids and patterns typical to southern Africa, everything underpinned by strong black accents.

“All the colours work really well in my home and are not out of place among my collections of natural objects,” says Shelley. “So even though the Christmas decorations are temporarily here, everything still works together.”

but we’re not big on celebrating the traditional way, especially here in South Africa, where our summers are so hot. We like to make the season feel special, though, by doing something different with the festive decorations each time.”

The “we” is stylist and creative consultant Shelley Street and her teenage daughter Phoebe. The “something different” is a monochrome palette that Shelley has put together by incorporating local crafts with organic elements, a signature of her personal decorating style.

There’s no more apt description of her home than “a sanctuary for the senses”.

We’re talking white sun-drenched spaces anchored by a carefully composed blackand-white palette; soaring ceilings; nubby textures; a cat dozing on a daybed; large sash windows offering glimpses of a milkwood tree and other tangled greenery outside; an artful mix of furniture, artworks and family heirlooms; and, from the kitchen, the pleasant aroma of coffee and lemons – the entire scene set against the muted backing track of a radio tuned to the local classical music station.

“I love the monochrome look, as well as Scandi design and its association with light wood, so I decided to do a Scandi-Afri mix,” says Shelley of her Christmas theme. It seems fitting, considering her reverence for simplicity, that the Christmas tree is a Karoo thorn, its graphic form enhanced by a coat of white paint. “This wouldn’t be Christmas if there wasn’t something enchanting, so the tree has the sweetest DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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Shelley, busy laying the places for lunch on an Oregon pine table that she lacquered in glossy black.

A mix-and-match assortment of seating includes two original Panton S-shaped chairs.

The cupboard is an antique South African Railways locker made of Oregon pine.

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The starting point for the table decorations was a collection of plates by local ceramic artist Martine Jackson, which Shelley has paired with beadwork place mats and a woven table runner from Africa Nova.

Inventive twists include beaded necklaces as napkin rings, and cheap drinking glasses given a luxe dipped eect using masking tape to demarcate a neat line and ďŹ nished with gold spray paint.

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A herd of wire-sculpted beaded zebra from Africa Nova.

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Shelly made the wreath hanging from a sash window using fynbos, bits of wood, wine corks and pine cones.

She spray-painted it matte black and added hand-carved wooden birds to give it a whimsical character.

Other Christmasinspired objects with a local visual identity are a laser-cut paper nativity scene by Cape Town paper artist Pauline Irvine of Artymiss, a laser-cut metal Christmas tree by Tin Town, graphic vases and a festive black-andwhite bauble featuring a gecko, all from Africa Nova.

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Contrasting textures and patterns: rock salt in a tapas bowl and bone salad servers on a beaded place mat and woven fabric runner, all from Africa Nova.

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The open-plan kitchen is the scene of many collaborative efforts by Shelley and her daughter Phoebe. Floating shelves host everyday objects and collectibles. The palette is largely white with wood.

The hanging lights are original ’50s pendants. The hand-carved African chair is a favourite of Shelley’s.

The dining table was found on a road trip and bought for the princely sum of R85. Original Mid-century Modern chairs, including a Harry Bertoia side chair and Panton chair, provide a contemporary contrast to the table’s rustic finish.

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Shelley preserves lemons with salt a few weeks before Christmas Day to serve with fish and chicken. The fabric lid covers on the jars are shweshwe and African wax cloth cut into rounds and tied with hemp string.

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In Shelley’s workspace in the open-plan living area, floating shelves provide a surface for a display that incorporates black-and-white photographs, etchings that have yellowed with time, fine-art illustrations and collections of found natural objects such as shells, skulls, antlers, nests, seed pods and coral.

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Hand-carved wooden birds from Africa Nova make the tree seem more like an art installation than decoration.

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Christmas crackers made using brown kraft or butcher’s paper and shweshwe fabric.

The oversized tea cup is from British ceramic artist Emma Bridgewater’s iconic Black Toast collection, and the dark-stained wooden tray is from Country Road.

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A small Karoo thorn tree has been painted white, to striking effect. The black, white and natural tones of the decorations reflect Shelley’s overall visual theme – one that is spare, textural and non-traditional.

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Shelley’s bedroom has an unadorned purity.

Decoration is limited to a small bedside vignette: two watercolour paintings inherited from her Dutch grandparents; a Tolomeo desk lamp; and a Light Shade Shade Ø70 chandelierlight, designed by Jurgen Bey for Moooi. Natural light and greenery from a small courtyard contribute to the meditative atmosphere.

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LOCATED ON THE WATER’S EDGE, THE SAFARI-STYLE SUITES AT THORNTREE RIVER LODGE GIVE THE ILLUSION OF DRIFTING DOWN THE ZAMBEZI RIVER ON A BOAT. P H OTO S D O O K P R O D U C T I O N A N N E M A R I E M E I N TJ E S WO R D S JA N E B R O U G H TO N

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– a safari outfit started by professional safari guide Beks Ndlovu – was until recently best known for its explorer-style camps in Zimbabwe and Botswana, including flagship Somalisa Camp in Hwange National Park. Ten years on, the opening of Thorntree River Lodge on the banks of the Zambezi is not only the company’s first foray into Zambia but also its hippest, most sophisticated property to date.

Located upstream from Victoria Falls in Mosi-oaTunya National Park, close to Livingstone, the lodge’s suites sprawl between a bird-rich wetland and

the slow-flowing waters of the Zambezi. Each has a private pool and sunken outdoor lounge.

There’s a distinct safari camp ambience, but the main inspiration for Thorntree’s design was the Zambezi. The team behind it comprised designers Alex Stovold and Cherry Hulley, Michael Kornmüller of Tenthouse Structures, builder Warwick McCancePrice of Inside Projects, and Fox Browne Creative, which collaborated with Alex and Cherry on the redesign of Somalisa Camp for Beks two years ago.

Chris Browne of Fox Browne Creative describes Beks’s style as a natural aesthetic sense of collectibles and layering, which is reflected in his camps and private homes in Zimbabwe and Cape Town. The overall effect is one of a collection that has no strict rules and no conclusion – a look that can be added to, layer by layer, over the years.

“Clean and uncluttered, the 12 suites are like shipshape river cabins, moored on the water,” says Chris, who worked closely with colleague Stefania Magni on the project. The understated nautical lines were inspired by the cruise boats that operate on the Upper Zambezi – although not here in the secluded private concession where Thorntree is situated.

Key elements include tensile hightech canvas-like material forming the roofs, walls panelled in reclaimed railway sleepers, the sheen of Zambian copper sheets, and locally sourced reed ceilings.

A calming palette of soft blues, from indigo dip-dyed curtains designed by Johannesburg-based artist Ira Bekker to cerulean fish-print cushions, completes the sense of floating down the river. A double layer of sliding doors on three sides of the suites include a steel mesh layer that functions as a mosquito net while securing the space.

With the glass layer opened wide and the steel layer closed, a fresh breeze blows through the suite, and the sounds of hippos and birds can still be enjoyed.

Further design inspiration was drawn from the Lozi, a group of people who traditionally relocated seasonally up and down the river following their king, for the design of beehive-shaped structures that house the reception, library, shop and spa.

In the main areas of the lodge, floorto-ceiling glass stacking doors were the obvious solution, blurring the boundaries between the river and sophisticated spaces for relaxing and dining. The furnishings are a mix of second-hand pieces and Mid-century Scandi furniture such as rattan sofas and curved slatted chairs.

Fine designs and luxury amenities aside, Beks is quick to point out that he is 01 not a hotelier. “As safari camp operators, we’re used to canvas and being immersed in the sights and sounds of the wild. We wanted to bring those elements into play here, while also providing our guests with an easy transition from the intimacy of a small bush camp to a lodge close to Victoria Falls – as an antidote to the bustling hotel experience more typical of the area.”

Mission accomplished then.

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africanbushcamps.com foxbrowne.com insideprojects.co.za tenthousestructures.com

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The canopy at the entrance to the lodge – by Tenthouse Structures – mimics the canopies over the rooms. The two beehive-shaped buildings on the left, inspired by traditional dwellings of the Lozi people, house the shop and library. They each feature a skylight in the apex of the dome that allows a beam of sunlight to illuminate the interior. The thick walls help to keep the interiors cool.

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Because of the lodge’s location within a conservation area, minimal impact on the environment was key. To encourage indigenous flora and fauna to thrive around the rooms, a wetland was reestablished. This gives the lodge the feeling of being surrounded by water. Landscaper Tore Ballance used a combination of basalt rock, river sand, indigenous plants and leadwood logs – all elements of the Zambezi River.

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A floating timber-and-steel jetty, complete with a fire pit for dining and drinks, links the lodge to the river. It also gives guests easy access to the boats used for sunset cruises, birding and fishing.

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Fox Browne Creative’s effortlessly chic mix of antique and Mid-century Scandi dining chairs – from antiques shops and Mezzanine – combined with dramatic copper pendant lamps from Sutherlands Home Furnishing creates a cosy focal point around the table. The curved wall of the temperaturecontrolled wine room mirrors the curved walls of traditional Lozi buildings. Flanking the glass doors to the wine room are two cabinets from Amatuli.

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Railway-sleeper cladding on the walls and copper cladding on the cocktail bar add warmth to the main lounge, where oversized bean bags contribute to the casual-chic ambience. The pendant lamps are from WireWorld, and the sofa and armchair were designed by Fox Browne Creative and made by Hark Design.

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In the bedroom suites, glass doors slide open to provide unobstructed views of the river flowing gently by, creating the illusion of floating on water.

Sliding mesh screens ensure safety, and sailcloth canopies overhead deflect heat, keeping the interiors cool. The bathrooms were prefabricated and installed on site. Every unit also has an outside shower and plunge pool.

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The spa and gym, housed in domed buildings similar to the reception and library, sit harmoniously in the wetland landscape against a backdrop of tall trees on the river bank.

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A two-tiered pool gives guests the option of swimming in the deep rim-ow section or wallowing in the shallows to cool o while enjoying river views.

Even better viewing is to be had while reclining on loungers from Igneous Concrete, which are made of a resinbased polyconcrete.

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Perfect for private dining, the timber decks with sunken built-in seating are at just the right height to provide a link between the room and the water.

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A MODERN BEACH HOUSE IN AÂ PRIME SPOT IN YZERFONTEIN IS THE PICTURE OF COMFORT AND EASY LIVING. DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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P H OTO S HENRIQUE WILDING WO R D S A M E L I A B R OW N

Th hat’s all you really want in a beach house. (But uninterrupted sea views, kitchen and smart, wind-conscious layout are nice, too.) a designer d It is the connection to nature that attracted Evi and Jochem Elsner to Yzzerfontein. “We always wanted to livve close to the sea and be surroundd by nature,” says Evi. “After looking ed p and down the coast, we found up Yzzerfontein. Here, we’ve got freeroaming ostriches, tortoises, bokkies nd dassies, and Cape Town is only an 800 km away.”

Yzerfontein is a gem on the West oast: a charming fishing village with Co a long white beach from where you caan spot whales and dolphins, and bundant wildflowers in spring. ab After working in Somerset West for 15 years, the property developer nd interior designer duo relocated an their home and business headquarters to this seaside village. They turned their attention to building homes that they would want to live in, homes that consider light and lifestyle, wind helter and entertaining, starting with sh the property next door.

With a green belt front and back, the house has guaranteed views, plus the unique curve of the coastline ffers a panoramic seascape. Here, the off Elssners built a barefoot beach house with three en-suite bedrooms and wo large decks, one facing the sea, tw the other into the fynbos. It’s been 01 cleeverly orientated to beat the prevailing wind – there’s a reason Yzerfontein is so popular with kite surfers.

“The challenge of being newomers to Yzerfontein was finding suppliers and subcontractors, but I co m happy to say we found everything we needed,” says Evi. “We’re very am prroud of creating a space where you can interact with one another or bee by yourself.”

Evi describes the kitchen as the heart and the link. Flanked by framelesss glass doors, the space flows seamlessly to the deck, entertainment DEC 2017/JAN 2018

area and pool. Standing here and looking through the opposite doors to the fynbos beyond, it’s clear to see the structure’s interconnectedness with the landscape.

Natural materials were used in a palette of deep greys and crisp white. Whereas the rest of the house features traditional white A-frame ceilings with exposed rafters, which give the space a calming beach house atmosphere, the kitchen has a concrete bulkhead that suits its clean, modern lines.

The exterior has the satisfying simplicity and linear angles of a Monopoly house.

Sharp-edged A-frame wings shelter the entertainment areas, and it’s painted in the same modern two-tone palette as the interior.

The new owners, who are from Austria, saw pictures of the house and fell for it.

They love the idea of being able to just move in and feel at home.

This effortless livability is a result of both the layout and Evi’s interior design. “We wanted to create a space that’s easy to live in and maintain, while feeling relaxed and cosy,” she says.

Perhaps the best place to listen to the house’s signature soundtrack of waves and birds is from the bath in front of doors adorned in white curtains that open directly onto the fynbos.

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The house is H-shaped, with wings that create wind-free sea- or fynbos-facing entertaining depending on which way the wind is blowing.

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Allegra Swart, photographer Henrique’s daughter, walks down the stairs that lead to the seafacing bedroom located at the front of one of the wings.

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The open-plan dining room and lounge flow off the kitchen.

The clever woven felt artwork on the wall by Krafthaus assists with the acoustics, filtering and absorbing some of the noise amplified by the high vaulted ceiling and screed floor. The pendant lamp and fishing baskets are from Jambo Trading, and Evi ingeniously turned the latter into lamps too. The black spotlight floor lamp, L-shaped sofa, chair, ottoman and coffee table are all from Weylandts.

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Evi at work in the contemporary kitchen designed by Home Concept and created by A Husband’s Hands.

The cabinetry was matched to the dark grey colour used elsewhere in the house. The carved bar stools are from Weylandts.

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The kitchen is flanked by the two outdoor entertainment areas – the fynbos-facing one is visible in the background. Frameless glass stacking doors and decking that runs from inside to outside assists in breaking down interior-exterior barriers.

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Origin Wood custom-made the table and benches out of hard pear wood.

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The passage leads to the main bedroom, which features a freestanding bath that looks out on fynbos.

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The tranquil upstairs bedroom has sea views.

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The square raised plunge pool is protected by the wind on the deck that looks out on the fynbos green belt at the back of the property.

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The house is located just across the road from the sea. The curve of the coastline oers a panoramic sea view. The Elsners chose simple, durable materials that could withstand the coastal conditions, such as aluminium window frames, frameless stacking doors and pine decking. The table is from Weylandts and the chairs are from Builders Warehouse.

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P L E T T E N B E R G B AY H O L I D AY H O M E

A TRADITIONAL THATCH-ROOFED RONDAVEL DESIGN HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO AN EASY-LIVING HOLIDAY HOME ON KEURBOOMS LAGOON. P H OTO S G R E G C OX P R O D U C T I O N SV E N A L B E R D I N G / B U R E AU X .CO. Z A WO R D S D E B O R A H R U D M A N

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is a collection of three rondavels linked by a covered passageway. The rondavels were built decades ago as one of the first holiday spots on the lagoon – part of a sizeable farm owned by one of the founding Plettenberg Bay families. The owner divided up much of the land among family members, but retained this property, determined to escape the developers.

When the Orzechowskis signed a long-term lease in 2010, the owner said they could renovate the rondavels as they wished. “But we wanted to stay as faithful to the original structure as possible to keep it authentic,” says Frances, and so they introduced only minimal, sensitive changes.

The main accommodation consists of two en-suite bedrooms and an open-plan living/dining/kitchen area. To extend the entertainment options, an outside living area was added – all wooden beams and corrugated tin roof – where surfboards are as much a part of the decor as the scatter cushions. Inside, the flooring was re-laid in sand-friendly cement screed. All the walls were painted white, with sea-blue hues framing the windows and doors for an “on the beach” feel.

There’s also an outbuilding, the original garden shed, which became a pad for Tadj, complete with a semi-outdoor shower.

The house lends itself to a barefoot-and-braai lifestyle: The idea is to take off your shoes on arrival and forget about them until it’s time to leave.

Frances planted a vegetable patch so 01 that every December, when the season is in full chaotic swing, they could use the produce from the garden and avoid the Plettenberg Bay shops crammed with summer tourists. “It worked so well that we now use it all year round!”

This stretch of coast is rich with sea life.

“It’s wonderful to sit at home and watch the water as it changes with the seasons,” says Frances. They see whales in winter and dolphins in summer, and recently the lagoon has become home to a majestic flock of flamingos.

“Although the house is no more than 10 minutes’ drive from town, when we are sitting in our garden, looking out over the lagoon, we feel very far away from its crazy buzz. Time slows down and we simply enjoy being here.”

Everything one needs for a beach house, says Frances, is right here: the sea for surfing, the lagoon for a swim, the river for fishing, vegetation for colour and shade, and produce for the menu. “Why would you want anything else?”

pproaching Keurbooms Lagoon through subtropical indigenous thicket, the unsuspecting visitor will emerge into a clearing and encounter, within it, an unusual holiday home, the getaway of choice for Frances and Wojtek Orzechowski and their son Tadj.

Frances designs women’s leisurewear under the label Soul Clothing, which is sold in her Indalo Living and Indalo Clothing shops on the Garden Route.

She believes nature’s systems are interrelated, and sustainability is a valuable attribute. It is not surprising then that this home suits them so well.

In essence, the thatch-roofed house

• Frances and Wojtek’s rondavel house is available for short-term holiday rentals: orzec@eqweb.co.za • soulclothing.co.za

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Located on the shores of Keurbooms Lagoon on the south-eastern coast of the Western Cape, the holiday home of Frances and Wojtek Orzechowski is a series of three thatched rondavels that have been given a subtle makeover.

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Keurbooms Lagoon is a readymade playground for lovers of watersports. From left, Liam Michler, architect Tessa van Schaik, Frances, Ben Parma, Wojtek and dog Storm relax on the beach.

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An outdoor area was added to the original trio of rondavels to provide a covered entertainment area (and place to store surfboards and skateboards).

Wooden beams and corrugated iron sheets make up the roof. The bean bag, from Frances’s Indalo homeware shop in Plettenberg Bay, is made using recycled fabric that has been cut into strips, dyed and woven.

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The braai pit is the focal point of gatherings of family and friends. Ben and Liam chat to Wojtek around the fire.

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As in traditional rondavels, the exposed ceiling beams are specially treated tree branches onto which the thatch has been stitched. The flooring in the open-plan living area is a simple cement screed.

The hanging candelabra is an old wagon wheel that Wojtek bought at a second-hand shop and converted to hold candles.

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Storm sits next to a cane trunk in the living area that serves as storage space and coffee table.

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The wooden chopping block in the kitchen was bought at a Pennypinchers outlet.

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The kitchen table came from a second-hand shop in Plettenberg Bay.

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The artwork was a gift from Cape Town artist Jeff Liss, who came to stay and left it as a thank-you.

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The original garden shed was converted into a private pad for Tadj, who’s a keen surfer, like his dad.

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The bedspread is from the Indalo homeware range.

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The bath in the main en-suite bathroom dates from the 1950s, and received just a lick of paint to update it.

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Liam makes use of the semioutdoor shower – just the place to wash off salt and beach sand.

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Ben and Harry the dog in the back yard. A path leads from the property through the fynbos to the beach.

Surfing, swimming in the warm Indian Ocean and fishing are just some of the activities on the Orzechowskis’ doorstep.

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A HOUSE ON A FARM NEAR STILBAAI IS PERFECTLY IN SYNC WITH ITS NATURAL SETTING.

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responsible for all the exterior work, which included stone walls and landscaping.

“Our home is industrial with glam interior finishes,” says Judith. “We love the mix of the two.” They had the look conceived by the Isabelina Interior Concepts team. A combination of heavy black metal beams and stone excavated on the property became the design signature.

They decided to keep the decor unfussy to make the house easy to clean, since it is a farmhouse, after all, and the two of them live with five cats and five dogs. From the sofas to the mirrors, Heaven’s Door is adorned with Isabelina furnishings and accessories, apart from a few beautiful antique heirlooms, like a walnut dressing table in the main bedroom. The mango-wood top of the 3,4 m-long dining table is from India, sourced by Isabelina, and the cast-aluminium legs were locally made.

The mirrors, which an artisan made for Isabelina, also help to bring the outside in by way of reflection.

For the couple, it was all about creating an outdoorsy living space. “We love having all the doors wide open. It leaves you with the feeling that you are outside in nature.”

• isabelina.co.za • marshallenterprises@vodamail.co.za

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beauty of this place is that everything opens up, with the doors sliding into the cavity walls, say the couple who own the spectacular Heaven’s Door near the coastal town of Stilbaai. Set on a rise overlooking the Goukou River on a 30-hectare farm, surrounded by lush greenery, the house of brick, stone and glass is the ultimate letting-the-outside-in living space.

Judith and Francis knew exactly what they wanted when they set out to build their 360 m2 house. Both of them have an eye for and keen interest in interior design and decor, so it’s no surprise that they took creative control of the design. “We did a rough drawing of what we wanted, and gave it to a draughtsman to knock into shape.”

Builder Richard Marshall of Marshall Enterprises in Stilbaai realised the blueprint, and the project took roughly eight months to complete. To take full advantage of panoramic views of the river and grassy pastures, the building team had to excavate about 7 m down to level the site.

“The excavation was extensive, as we wanted the house northfacing and all on one level,” says Judith.

Large sliding doors that disappear into the walls open the house to 200 m2 of decking, allowing for unobstructed vistas.

What makes the house stand out and at the same time blend in with the natural environment is the expanse of glass juxtaposed with bagged brick. Local business Stonehavenco Bluebells Nursery was DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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Black Angus cattle graze in the pasture on the banks of the Goukou River below the house, aptly named Heaven’s Door. With the lights on in the early evening, it stands out from its natural surroundings, but during the day the bagged brick, stone and glass exterior make the house blend in.

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Judith and Francis in front of their house with their five beloved dogs.

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The doors of the main bedroom slide into the walls, opening the entire room to the deck. Fuss-free decor is embellished with plush fabrics, modern bevelled mirrors and a few touches of lustrous metal in bedside pendant lamps and fittings in the en-suite bathroom.

One of the Great Danes, Muesli, lolls by the pool.

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The open-plan kitchen-cumlounge is a space for relaxation and entertainment. The kitchen counter and cabinetry are by Fine Finish Furniture in Stilbaai. Raindrop chrome-and-crystal pendant lights hang above the counter. Blues and greens dominate in the Savannah sofa, Casa quilted occasional chair and Willow scatter cushions. The two iPad tables, made of chrome and wood veneer, are light and easy to move around.

Striking glassblown Orb lights from Isabelina are suspended from the wooden ceiling. The rug was imported from Belgium.

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In the hallway, a round mirror with a stainless steel frame reflects natural light; a dark round wooden chandelier adds visual interest; and a Regent console with a chrome base and highgloss white top provides a surface for a display of some of the owners’ collectibles. All three pieces are from Isabelina.

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Judith and Mojo in the living area.

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Malibu cane outdoor couches complement the brick and stone-clad braai area, where Judith and Francis love to light a fire. A large rectangular wooden chandelier is suspended from the ceiling. The furnishings and lighting are all from Isabelina.

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The guest bedroom features a headboard manufactured in high-quality vinyl, which is also found in the main bedroom. The walls are all white, with colour introduced in the form of glitzy furnishings, lighting and other decor items. The freestanding multi-bevelled Athena mirror was made by hand.

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A Venus hand-cut beveled mirror adds dramatic effect to this bathroom. The mirror is from Isabelina and the wood and rattan stool was sourced in the East.

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The spacious deck overlooking pastures and the river is a great place for outdoor entertaining, or to simply kick back and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

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Black Angus graze near Heaven’s Door house on the 30-hectare farm in the Goukou River valley.

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FOR THOSE WHO LIVE AT THE BEACH, SUCH AS KERRYN AND MORNÉ FISCHER, HOLIDAYS ARE MEASURED

BY LEISURELY LUNCHES, SWIMS IN THE SEA AND NAPS IN THE HAMMOCK.

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SURFBOARDS LINE THE DRIVEWAY, AND THE INTERIOR IS FILLED WITH COLOUR, PATTERN AND ECLECTIC FINDS. E

hen you live in a beach bungalow on the southern tip of Africa, Christmastime has a decidedly different flavour than it does in the northern hemisphere. The 1950s wooden bungalow that journalist and editor Kerryn Fischer shares with her 01 husband Morné and their two young sons, Luc and Guy, is a laidback space. Surfboards and paddleboards line the driveway, and the interior is filled with colour, pattern and eclectic finds. It’s a family home in the true sense of the word.

The houses on this side of the Cape Peninsula are not only protected from the strong southeaster, the prevailing wind in summer, but also command panoramic views of Lion’s Head, Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles. Beneath their gaze sit Clifton’s white sandy beaches, dotted with granitic boulders. As a result, property here is pricey, despite dinky erf sizes and little off-street parking. So, when Kerryn and Morné found the house five years ago on a rental website, they jumped at the opportunity to live here. The house was a find not just for its location but also for the erf size – 550 m2 is big for Clifton – and the tree-filled garden.

Located on the headland that extends into the sea and forms the protected cove of Clifton, the house is flanked on the one side by tennis courts built in 1925, and on the other side by the sea. “We have a gate in our back garden that leads directly onto the tennis courts, and our front gate is just a few steps from the beach,” says Kerryn. “It’s crazy.”

And when the holidays roll around, there’s no place they’d rather be.

“Our kitchen is tiny and not conducive to large-scale catering, so we tend to have long lunches where the table is loaded with drinks and lots of nuts, cheeses and breads to ensure no one goes hungry.”

Typically, the main meal of a festive “lunchtime” get-together will be served at sunset so that everyone has had time to fit in a swim in the sea, a snooze in the hammock or a game of tennis. A starter of fresh prawns tossed in olive oil and fried with ginger and garlic is usually served with squid ink pasta. This would be followed by a whole kabeljou or geelbek, doused in lemon juice, stuffed with herbs and capers, and cooked on the braai. A black fig and goat’s cheese salad has become a festive favourite.

As a stylist, Kerryn sees Christmastime as an opportunity to style up her home anew.

“I have been collecting Christmas decorations since I was in my teens, and since we’ve had the boys I’ve leaned towards a marine and animal theme – I suppose to reference our surroundings.” This year she has spray-painted toy

lions, giraffes and rhinos a fluorescent orange to match the origami fish and stars hung from a light fitting above the kids’ table. “I do a separate table for the children, as they don’t like to linger as long as the adults do.”

“It’s a great time of year to catch up with friends and to do some proper parenting. And you certainly won’t find me slaving away in the kitchen; I’m more likely to be on the beach or in the hammock reading a book.”

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Kerryn’s love of green is evident throughout the house, most noticeably in a green cabinet that she had made for her old apartment in Dunkley Square that now works perfectly in the bungalow.

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The table on the stoep is laden for a long lunch. Hanging on the wall is a pair of wooden wings made by a Malawian carpenter.

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The house is located on the headland that extends into the sea at Clifton Fourth Beach.

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Wall-mounted coat racks by Xandre Kriel are an attempt to keep things tidy. The green velvet-upholstered bench was a find

by Morné’s mother, and the green barrel racquet holder is an old wine vat from Piér Rabe Antiques.

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A separate kiddies’ table with its own festive setting is a must, as the children tend to eat in fits and starts, and then run off to play.

The rug is by Marcel Wanders for Moooi.

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A house with young boys demands a simple colour palette. Kerryn tends towards green in everything, with lots of wood for warmth and plants in the mix.

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Guy is lending a hand in the kitchen. The spekboom wreath above the stove is

by Jean Badenhorst of Aspen Flowers, a friend of Kerryn’s.

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Hanging from the coat racks are masks for the kids to wear at the table (anything to keep them there as long as possible) and stockings – two of them are from Anthropologie in New York and the others were made in an African theme for the boys’ cousins.

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Luc tries out the props for the Christmas festivities.

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Kerryn inherited the two armchairs from her grandparents and had them reupholstered in yellow Dutch velvet from David Bellamy of bbellamy & bbellamy. The reloaded Persian rug is from Tirmah Interiors. In the background, a framed print by Frauke Stegmann (a 40th birthday gift from the artist) sits alongside a Lisa Brice (another 40th gift from special friends) and a beautiful black-and-white photograph of Bob Dylan, Morné’s favourite artist. Kerryn says it’s really just a collection of things that they like to look at every day.

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In the main bedroom, a trestle table by the window that overlooks the garden, a red chair from Moooi and a floor lamp from LIM make for a tranquil place to work.

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Wood panelling, an Indian bedcover from Pezula Interiors and family photographs in a variety of frames add warmth to the light-filled bedroom.

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The bathroom features mosaic tiles laid by hand in the ’70s. Kerryn says when she first saw the house, this timeless space sealed the deal. The collection of white objects on floating shelves happened organically; she likes how having everything in white makes a room seem less cluttered.

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ITALIAN ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS ROBERTO PALOMBA AND LUDOVICA SERAFINI ARE KNOWN TO SOUTH AFRICANS FOR THEIR COLLABORATIONS WITH THE LIKES OF KARTELL BY LAUFEN,AVAILABLE HERE AT ITALTILE. THE COUPLE’S HOLIDAY HOME IN PUGLIA, ITALY, IS THE EPITOME OF A RUSTIC ITALIAN COUNTRY HOUSE.

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P H OTO S F R A N C E S C O B O L I S / P H OTO D E PA R T M E N T S WO R D S S A R A PA N AG I OTO P O U LO U F O R YAT Z E R .C O M

alombaSerafini’s, Roberto and Ludovica’s holiday home near Lecce, Puglia, in south-eastern Italy, is in a romantic location on a peninsula between the Ionian and Adriatic seas. They had not been searching for such a property, but when a friend showed them the building, which had stood abandoned for 30 years, they immediately saw its potential. “We loved the space at first sight, and in a few minutes the project was born,” Roberto says, scrolling enthusiastically through images of the house on his phone.

Constructed in the 1600s as an oil mill, the 400 m² building possessed all the characteristics that would seem to make it unappealing to the less forward-thinking, including fire-blackened tuff ceilings, sloping walls and a lack of windows.

But the Palombas didn’t see it that way.

“It was really exciting upon first entering this house with its walls reaching over 6 m in height and its wide indoor spaces created by thick columns,” Roberto says.

They found most of the construction materials needed for the renovation in the immediate area. Thanks to the innate skills of local artisans, the whole project was completed in five months.

“We renovated with minimal work,” Roberto says, adding that he and Ludovica tapped into their backgrounds in architecture – they met in Rome while studying the craft more than 20 years ago. “We didn’t add any new walls so as not to break up the existing spaces. We used local stone for the floors and whitewash for the walls.”

Their biggest challenge was figuring out a way to bring more natural light into the fortresslike structure, as “it was illuminated only by oil lamps”. The problem was solved by carving out

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THEY IMMEDIATELY SAW THE POTENTIAL OF THE BUILDING. “WE LOVED THE SPACE AT FIRST SIGHT, AND IN A FEW MINUTES THE PROJECT WAS BORN.”

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a series of skylights and opening up the back of the building to allow the sun in.

“We used natural materials like white lime and stone as the only decorations, which expresses our idea of conceptual simplicity and honesty,” Roberto says. “No matter what we design, our designs are always ‘free’ in the sense that we are curious and consistently challenge ourselves. If somebody wants to understand us, they have to live in our architecture.” He notes that this personal project is one through which their greater interior design vision is perfectly exemplified.

The result is a house that provides the busy duo with a place for much-needed “personal decompression… physical and mental,” Roberto says. “We knew exactly the result we wanted to achieve and it all happened in a very fluid way. It’s actually been a great honour to design something for ourselves.”

• italtile.co.za • kartellbylaufen.com • palombaserafini.com Read our interview with Roberto Palomba on page 166.

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The natural-toned furnishings in the Palombas’ home include items from their extensive collaborations with well-known Italian and international design companies, as well as fixtures made specially for the house by local craftsmen.

In the centre is a Lama chaise longue, which they designed for Zanotta, customised with a rush seat.

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Roberto and Ludovica relax on a Pianoalto modular sofa, a design for Zanotta, with their greyhounds Zac and George. The Loto and Ninfea side tables are also their designs.

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In the dining room, Abanica chairs by Driade flank a Zen table

by Ludovica and Roberto for Exteta.

A Mod 265 wall lamp by Paolo Rizzato for Flos forms a modern counterpoint to a ceramic candleholder that belonged to Roberto’s aunt.

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Ludovica and Roberto designed the Pianoalto modular sofas and Loto and Ninfea side tables for Zanotta. The rugs are from Karpeta and the Zen screen was designed by the duo for Exteta.

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Plié outdoor sofa and Piaffé coffee table, designed by Ludovica and Roberto for Driade.

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The house is filled with designs by the duo for Italian and international companies, such as the EL_01 Elmar work island in the modern industrial kitchen. “We have to design more ‘Italian’ for international companies and more ‘international’ for Italian companies,” Roberto says.

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During the renovation, the Palombas retained as many of the original features of the building as possible, including the window in this sun room. Abanica chairs by Driade surround a Random table, which the couple designed for Exteta.

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This huge bath was custom-made out of Salerno marble.

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bathroom, where a Faraway collection washbasin by Ludovica and Roberto for Zucchetti.Kos is juxtaposed against the rough surfaces of locally sourced stone.

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The mirrored wardrobe in the master bedroom was custom-made for the space and the rug is by Karpeta.

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In this en-suite bathroom, a freestanding Lab01 basin and a tap from the Faraway collection, both by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba for Zucchetti.Kos, are the stars of the show.

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PHOTO TAKEN BY MICKY HOYLE ON LOCATION AT CONSTANCE HALVELI IN THE MALDIVES

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by Tom Dixon These delicate vessels with subtle translucent pink and grey tones and solid black accents offer an elegant approach to the alchemical processes of tea making, mixology and flower arrangements.

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LOUIE BANANA LAMP by Studio Job for Seletti This is one of a series of three dimmable table lamps – called Huey, Dewey and Louie – by Studio Job for Seletti.

Looking like a half-peeled banana, each one features a polished-bronze peel and glass fruit filled with LED lights. The one pictured here made Annemarie think of King Louie, the orangutan character in The Jungle Book.

• seletti.it

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THE MAISON & OBJET TRADE FAIR IS A MEGA SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR ANYONE INVOLVED OR INTERESTED IN INTERIOR DESIGN AND THE HOME. DEPUTY EDITOR ANNEMARIE MEINTJES WAS AT THE SEPTEMBER 2017 EVENT IN PARIS. • maison-objet.com

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MATURIN THE DONKEY DESK by ibride This is a beautifully designed workstation made of matte-grey high-pressure laminate that features concealed storage behind sliding doors and secret drawers, and is equipped with an LED light, a USB port and a power outlet. It is one of a series of animal-shaped furniture pieces in a variety of colours and finishes.

• ibride.fr

THE OSTRICH FEATHER LAMP NATURAL by A Modern Grand Tour This exquisite 170 cmtall lamp comes with four base finishes – gold leaf, bronzedipped, brass-dipped and silver leaf – and is topped with ostrich plumes in eight colourways.

• amoderngrand tour.com

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by Studio Brichet Ziegler for Petite Friture This collection of outdoor furniture is available in black, white, yellow, blue and burgundy. It includes an armchair, a bench, a coffee table and a dining table, among other pieces. The chairs are stackable.

• petitefriture.com

SPHINX LOUNGE CHAIR by Lafuma Mobilier This lounge chair is reminiscent of the classic Butterfly chair. It has a patented folding system, ultra-hardwearing elastomeric expansion joints and near-indestructible metal frame

CROISETTE THREESEATER BENCH by Fermob The secret to this elegant threeseater’s featherweight design is a clever combination of aluminium and polyethylene fibres. Flat-woven threads hug your body while you are seated and contract back to the original sofa form once you stand up thanks to shape memory technology. It is understated and on-trend.

• fermob.com

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COMFY SOFA

by Marcantonio for Seletti The aptly named Comfy Sofa features a bunch of loose cushions in different fabrics, including cotton, linen and polyester. It has brass metal feet and comes in three colourways: white, turquoise and anthracite.

• seletti.it

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TUBULAR SEATING by Emu 1. The Vetta deck chair, designed by Chiaramonte/Marin, has a steel tubular frame that loops at the top to join the thick rope that is attached to the lower end. The backrest has two positions.

2. The Lyze armchair, designed by Florent Coirier, has a tubular framework in extruded aluminium, a seat made of die-cast aluminium, and a stainless steel mesh backrest.

3. The Yard armchair, designed by Stefan Diez, has a lightweight tubular frame in lacquered aluminium, and a seat and back made of elastic straps inserted into the frame.

• emu.it

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by Hey-Sign Hey-Sign, a pioneer in wool felt design, offers an individualised anti-slip seat pad for almost every designer chair out there.

The pads are available in 50 shades.

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OBJET DE CURIOSITÉ: CORAL, BIRDS AND SKELETAL STRUCTURES The precursor to the museum, the cabinet of curiosity concept is a Renaissance construct whereby strange or perceivably otherworldly items – curiosities – were grouped together and placed on display. “My first stop at Maison & Objet is always Objet de Curiosité, which draws inspiration from a passion for the extraordinary,” says Annemarie.

• objetdecuriosite.com

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by Studio Sebastian Herkner Sebastian Herkner travelled to Colombia to visit traditional artisans and find inspirations for his Ames Sala designs.

The result is a range of modern home accessories and furniture whose forms and colours reflect the diversity and characteristics of Colombia.

CARIBE is a new furniture line featuring woven plastic. In Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast, chairs are made out of plastic string and tubular steel.

Children are taught the traditional momposino weaving technique at school. Sebastian spent time with the artisans, testing how best to implement the round shapes of his designs and selecting fresh and cheerful colourways for the weaving.

NOBSA is a small town considered to be the centre for sheep wool in Colombia. It is also the namesake of the Nobsa range of hand-woven woollen rugs where Sebastian found artisans who could weave the rugs he had designed. The rugs, which have an elongated central section, creating an effect of one rug lying on top of another, were inspired by plastic bags used by local farmers to transport potatoes to the market. The choice of colours and the weaving technique give the carpets their singular appearance.

• amesdesign.de

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FOLLOWING A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH AT DESIGN INDABA 2014, THE HOMEWARE, STATIONERY AND APPAREL BRAND ALOVESUPREME IS STILL GOING STRONG. ITS LATEST RANGE, LIONISE, IS INSPIRED BY AFRICAN ANIMALS AND PATTERNS.

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“I illustrate – by hand – an array of elements eanne and Ryan Botha ran a design within a broad theme, and then select what I feel consultancy for 15 years before deciding will work the best. I play around with the various to take the leap and launch their own brand. parts until a design falls together,” Ryan says of “Skirting the edge of a mid-life crisis and his creative process. “A range usually includes frustrated by the restrictions of client briefs, Ryan about four designs and two colourways, and is wanted creative carte blanche to design a range often a series of happy accidents.” he was truly proud of. It was cheaper than There is a lot more to look forward to from buying a Porsche, so I was happy to join him for aLoveSupreme, most notably a range of the ride!” says Leanne, who runs the business T-shirts and trucker caps, which, say Ryan and and manages their 10 staff members, leaving Leanne, will make affordable gifts for those who Ryan to get on with his whimsical designs.

04 Leanne and Ryan Botha. appreciate local design.

“Whimsical” is an apt word to describe the There is also a heritage collection in the motifs in all aLoveSupreme collections, including making, which will include new bags and picnic blankets.

Lionise. Vibrant colours and African-inspired prints adorn lifestyle and homeware products, including scatter-cushion covers, place • alovesupreme.co.za mats, coasters, trays, pencil cases and – our favourite – notebooks.

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You could win two Lionise scatter cushions with goose down inners, worth R960. Visit VISI. co.za/win for details.

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A NEW GENERATION IN BRAAING AND HEATING [[[ MR½RMXM½VIW GS ^E L

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“The city’s visible range is quite sandcoloured and muted, and the mood is slightly melancholic,” Paul says.

“I wanted to create a human-friendly visual contrast. I was inspired by the omnipresent traditional stools to design a lively and cheerful stool against the background of the melancholic city vibe.”

The flexible yet firm seat is made of a polyurethane foam that Paul pours from the bottom of the steel wire frame so it expands upwards through the metal mesh before it solidifies.

Since he doesn’t use a mould, each seat is different. “The result also depends on external circumstances like the temperature or air pressure,” he says.

The stool comes in four colour combinations: Sugarpink (blue frame and pastel-pink seat), Licorice (black and light grey), Mint (white and mint green) and Tennislove (chrome and pastel yellow).

The Marshmallow stool features in the Kinder Modern collection of luxury furniture and accessories for children.

THE MARSHMALLOW STOOL BY PRODUCT DESIGNER PAUL KETZ IS A WHIMSICAL PIECE OF FURNITURE THAT APPEALS TO THE INNER CHILD IN EVERYONE… AND TO CHILDREN, OF COURSE.

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erman design is generally known for precision and reliability.

Now, the wonderfully quirky Marshmallow stool by German product designer Paul Ketz adds originality and creativity to the mix.

Studio Paul Ketz is, in fact, based in Istanbul, Turkey.

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• About R4 600 • artsy.net/artist/ paul-ketz • paulketz.com

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PHOTO ANNA JAISSLE ART DIRECTION DANIEL ANGERMANN WORDS MARY GARNER

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KLEINOOD EAU DE PARFUM IS THE LATEST INNOVATION TO COME FROM THE DE VILLIERS FAMILY’S KLEINOOD FARM, PRODUCER OF TAMBOERSKLOOF WINES AND DE BOERIN OLIVE OIL.

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Kleinood Eau de Parfum (R2 200).

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Kleinood owner Gerard is a direct descendant of Jacques (Jacob) de Villiers, a French Huguenot who bought the farm Boschendal in 1717.

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The greening of the farm Kleinood was captured in these illustrations by Rohan Etsebeth of Stellenbosch design studio Fanakalo.

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ness, respect for the land and its inhabitants and oodles of passion are just some of the factors that go into making the farm Kleinood, owned by Libby and Gerard de Villiers, something rather special.

Libby, who is always “busy with plants”, began to dream of capturing the essence of the fynbos, grasses and other indigenous plants on the farm, the scents of which perfume the air.

This dream was the beginning of a new venture for Libby, who called on perfumer Agata Karolina of House of Gozdawa to capture the spirit of Kleinood in a perfume.

“Agata and I spent hours in the garden, picking, crushing leaves, smelling, developing ideas and discarding them for new ones,” says Libby. “At the end of each day we would meet and discuss what I knew and what she had discovered. She spoke in scents and I spoke in images, but somehow we understood and worked our way to something that made us both happy, and I could smell my garden, the mountain, the sky, the heat and every moment of every day on this little farm that is so dear to my heart.”

Agata took technical control of producing the perfume and Libby weighed in on what she calls the “smell-picture” of the farm.

The Kleinood Eau de Parfum bottle has an organic cork top made by Laurie Wiid van Heerden, hinting at the connection with the wines produced on the farm. The bottle comes in a hand-stitched, silk-lined black linen bag with a big black velvet bow.

• houseofgozdawa.com • kleinood.com

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practices, O rganic environmental aware-

WE HAVE FEATURED THE BOHEMIAN CREATIONS OF JUDITHA SAKINOFSKY IN VISI BEFORE. NOW, WE’VE TAKEN A FANCY TO HER SPECIAL TAKE ON THE MUCHMALIGNED SOAPONAROPE.

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her belt, inveterate traveller Juditha Sakinofsky was inspired by traditional soap makers in Syria to recreate her soap-on-a-rope concept.

Years ago, she moved from the local glossy magazine environment to Toronto and New York, where she honed her creative skills styling for magazines and television before moving into the gifting sector, where she began specialising in artisanal gifts made using materials sourced from as far afield as Turkey, Central Asia and North and West Africa. Tribal textiles are one of her great passions. Colourful, riotous prints adorn many of the textiles she uses to create the tote bags and smaller cosmetic bags in her range.

Now back in Cape Town, Juditha works with a small team from premises in Sea Point, creating gifts for local and international markets.

Her latest offering looks as wearable as it is functional. Cubes of soap made exclusively for Juditha by Wild Olive African Artisans are gently coaxed into shape using the sharp edges of credit cards and bone-handled butter

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knives before being threaded onto cord or leather thongs.

“It’s a heady, therapeutic process of creation,” says Juditha. “The soaps can be slung around your neck and used in the shower, but they are just as good kept in their hand-made textile bags and hung in your wardrobe, where they will emit their fragrance for up to two years.”

• R495 a string at Africa Nova at the Cape Quarter and The Yard in the Silo District in Cape Town, and Ark Afrika in Franschhoek • juditha.co.za

PHOTO JAN RAS WORDS TRACY GREENWOOD

ith more than 30 years’ experience in

Countertops, Furniture, Flooring, and Backsplash: CALACATTA Silk Sonia Peronaci Factory Milan, Italy Designed by Colombo Experience

NEOLITHÂŽ, Design, Durability, Versatility, Sustainability.

Interior and Exterior applications: Countertops, Cladding, Flooring and Furniture. Resistant to stains, chemicals, extreme temperatures.

Light and 100% natural. Maximum format, minimum thickness, different finishes. More than 20 selections available.

CONTACT INFORMATION: TheSize Surfaces South Africa I Caroline Beyleveld I hello@neolith.co.za I 076 771 6739 I www.neolith.co.za

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A SELECTION OF SOME OF TH SEASON’S MOST DESIRABL GOODIES.

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Bettie handbag, R1 540, sealandgear.com 02 Ray-Ban sunglasses, R2 590, sunglasshut.com 03 adidas Originals NMD R1, R2 299, adidas.co.za 04 Travel bag, R275, skinnylaminx.com 05 Studio.W cutlery set, R450, woolworths.co.za 06 Pool float, R129,99 and 07 Champagne coupe, R49,99, both mrphome.com

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Wall hook, R2 795, weylandts.co.za 09 Limited-edition spa wraps, R515 each, mungo.co.za 10 Daybed cushion with bolster, R3 450, Isabelina 11 Oak barrel corkscrew, R595, and 12 Paco occasional chair, R3 995, both weylandts.co.za 13 HAUS by Hertex Duchess rug in Rose, R5 000 (155 x 230 cm) and R8 800 (240 x 330 cm), hertex.co.za 14 Gabrielle Chanel EDP, R2 465 (100 ml), woolworths.co.za

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ONE OF THE HOTTEST BITS OF TECH AROUND, A DRONE ITH A CAMERA IS ON MANY A WISH LIST FOR CHRISTMAS. THE DJI SPARK MINI DRONE RECENTLY POPPED UP ON OUR RADAR.

Without using the remote controller, you can manoeuvre the Spark and take photos by using hand gestures, or navigate by tapping on your phone’s screen in the app.

The Spark’s take-off weight is 300 g and it can fly for up to 16 minutes non-stop if there’s no wind.

The Spark can fly at a speed of up to 50 km/h in zero-wind conditions.

It features facial recognition software, called FaceAware, and lifts off from the palm of your hand when it recognises your face.

Sharing your “very best life” couldn’t be easier. Download the DJI GO app (available for iOS and Android) and use the app’s editing options and filters before posting your creations straight to social media.

The DJI Spark is available in multiple colours from selected Cape Union Mart stores. It costs R8 699.

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A word of caution: The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) says every pilot of a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS), commonly known as a drone, must observe dos and don’ts like not flying in restricted air space, and regulations relating to privacy and liability. If the drone is used for commercial purposes, it must be registered with SACAA. Also chat to your insurance company. • caa.co.za/pages/rpas DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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The Spark may be a mini drone, but it boasts enough tech to keep you occupied for hours with its 12 MP camera and great video resolution.

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A summer holidays is highlight of

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To stand a chance to win a WAZ Outdoor Amphibious Lounger, worth R12 650, enter at VISI.co.za/win.

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CHILL TIME THE LUXURIOUS WAZ OUTDOOR AMPHIBIOUS LOUNGER IS THE ULTIMATE IN PRACTICAL COMFORT FOR RELAXING IN YOUR POOL OR GARDEN.

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the freedom to laze away the day outdoors. And for that most gratifying pastime, you need something comfortable to lounge on. The original WAZ Outdoor Amphibious Lounger is designed for both relaxing poolside and floating on the water.

The lounger’s clean lines are created from fabric and soft beaded filling only. Owner Sarah Wassell is very particular when it comes to selecting fabrics, applying an energetic and fervent approach to sourcing both locally and internationally.

The WAZ vision incorporates quality fabrics in both neutral and attention-grabbing colours such as bright orange and fuchsia.

“The fundamentals for my design have always been aesthetic appeal combined with absolute comfort,” Sarah says.

The Amphibious Lounger has exceptional outdoor specs, such as fade resistance.

“Thorough understanding of materials and how they respond to the harshest outdoor elements is important. There should always be meticulous attention to detail regarding the product and service to the client.”

Quality, versatility and constant reinvention are the hallmarks of each luxury piece by WAZ Outdoor.

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Upon hearing the name the LAZY Collection, we can’t help but dream about lazing away a summer’s day with a book in one hand and a tipple in the other. If you find this scenario appealing, you’ll agree that comfortable and stylish outdoor furniture is an integral part of it.

The LAZY Collection is a chic outdoor lounge set made out of anodised aluminium and

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all-weather upholstery (so, rain or shine…). Thanks to the modular design you can arrange it to fit your space, and rearrange it any time to suit any occasion.

The set comes in white Stamskin imitation leather, dark denim tuxedo linen and taupe polyester.

• canetime.com • royalbotania.com

WORDS ASHRAF BOOLEY

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YOU MAY BE READY FOR SUMMER, BUT IS YOUR PATIO? IF THE TIME HAS COME TO SPRUCE UP YOUR OUTDOOR LIVING AREA, WE HAVE THE ANSWER: THE LAZY COLLECTION FROM ROYAL BOTANIA.

Let the flames begin... www.firefox.co.za

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Ode to Hepworth earrings and Gathered choker.

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04 Nadya von Stein.

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Renowned for its organically formed jewellery, Pichulik needs no introduction.

For the new collection, called Harvest, founder Katherine-Mary Pichulik has once again teamed up with designer Nadya von Stein on a clothing range.

The garments are made of hand-dyed hemp, this time in white, stone and wheat yellow. The collection includes a collaboration with textile brand Mungo for the linen of a jumpsuit.

We asked KatherineMary about the inspiration behind the collection.

The apparel range was partly inspired by Britain’s Land Girls from World War II? The time of the Women’s Land Army, when women were recruited to do the work of men who were off fighting, was an amazing period in women’s liberation. It ushered in a new pragmatic tailoring fit for physical labour, and marked an important departure for womenswear.

How did the Mungo collab come about?

Mungo has the same values we do: locally produced hand-loomed textiles with an ethical and sustainable approach. They distil African palettes and design in a contemporary way, all the while empowering those involved in the process.

What is your favourite piece in this collection?

The Ode to Hepworth A set of earrings. I love the organic form of the cast brass, rope and motherof-pearl. This marks an exciting development in the structure of our earrings: These are statement pieces without too much weight on the ears.

What’s next for Pichulik?

We’re focusing on our presence in other countries, as well as further providing meaningful engagements and content for our community of women.

• mungo.co.za • pichulik.co.za

PHOTOS ANKE LOOTS STYLING ULRICA KNUTSDOTTER MODEL TRISH OF PULSE MODEL MANAGEMENT HAIR AND MAKE-UP AMORI BIRCH OF INFIDELS INTERVIEW MARY GARNER

THE LATEST PICHULIK COLLECTION REINFORCES THE BRAND’S COMMITMENT TO HANDMADE ARTISTRY AND NATURAL FIBRES.

OUTDOOR LIVING IN STYLE Gather family and friends and dine in style with the Grande extendable table. The table extends in seconds and provides four extra seating places. Made from high quality, powder coated aluminium, it is easy to maintain and can stay outside all year round.

For ultimate comfort pair with Net Relax chairs.

Find us on...

Paarden Eiland | Sea Point | Illovo Fourways | Umhlanga | Menlyn Piazza

mobelli.co.za

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than a decade, stylist and creative FOR more director Bee Diamondhead has been carving out a career abroad and here in South Africa. After studying at London College of Fashion she did a stint as fashion assistant at Vanity Fair and then at Dazed & Confused magazine.

Fast-forward to 2017: Bee has a rich portfolio that includes work for a highly covetable client list as well as top fashion glossies.

One of her favourite collaborators is Zimbabwean artist Kudzanai Chiurai, whose work is exhibited at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town. For his recent exhibition at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg, he again called on Bee. “I’ve worked with Kudzi for more than 10 years,” she says.

“And since he started incorporating photographic pieces into his work, I’ve done the casting and styling, and featured in all the exhibitions.

The latest exhibition was the biggest we’ve worked on, because it had so many different aspects, including film.

It was basically the

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conclusion of this narrative that he’s been working on for the past 10 years, so it was a big deal.”

Fashion photographer Aart Verrips and Bee have created work for various clients, such as fashion titles, and they have done shoots for friends and artists whose work they believe in.

“Aart is a really hard worker,” says Bee. “He never stops. I love that in any human.”

Says Aart: “We collaborate on ‘love projects’, where money is the last thing we think about.

I personally think these projects are the best ones we create, where we have a sense of freedom. It’s about creating something beautiful that fuels our creative minds.”

Most recently, Bee has started collaborating with Woolworths on fashion shoots.

“My relationship with Woolworths started last year when I was appointed as a StylebySA ambassador, one of a few stylists chosen to collaborate on a Woolworths project.

“This year they got in touch again regarding a new project, where they send me their latest fashion styles and I come up with creative concepts and do the shoots.

“I just did the first one with Aart when I was in New York recently, and as soon as I land at home I will be doing more; we have a whole lot lined up.”

• @bee_diamondhead

1. SUNGLASSES: “My favourite style right now is the small cat-eye. Gigi Hadid owns great ones by Vogue Eyewear. I got the black and the rosetinted ones.”

2. A GOOD BOOK: “I’m currently reading Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and the Dune series.”

3. WITNESS THE FITNESS: “I always pack workout gear, good running shoes and a swimsuit for impromptu hikes, tennis matches or dips in pools.”

4. THE BEAT: “I really enjoy a gruelling solo workout. I’ve trained myself to work out while on holiday, so my wireless Bluetooth earphones and countless sexy mix tapes are essential.”

5. A FACEBEAT: “All that’s needed is a basic starter kit for that effortless lightcoverage glow, like the new Fenty Beauty make-up range by Rihanna. So whatever your pose, your selfie glow is always on point. Just because one is on holiday it does not mean one should ignore the ’gram.”

PHOTO AART VERRIPS WORDS MALIBONGWE TYILO

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY YOU FIND A STYLIST’S WORK EXHIBITED AT A PRESTIGIOUS ART GALLERY, BUT THEN BEE DIAMONDHEAD IS ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY.

BEE’S HOLIDAY SURVIVAL KIT As busy as she is, Bee loves some time out.

These are her holiday must-haves.

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DESIGNER KAT VAN DUINEN’S FLAGSHIP STORE AT CAPE TOWN’S SILO DISTRICT IS THE VERY PICTURE OF EXQUISITE DETAIL.

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The new boutique in the Silo District features select eveningwear.

store confidently straddles both worlds. Two walls feature striking large-scale artworks by hyperrealist Kelly John Gough. Elsewhere, multi-hued totes in exotic materials perch on bronze wall spikes, specially designed by German artist Gerrit Giebel, along with a semicircular bronze clothing rail. The remaining section of wall is a floor-to-ceiling drop of voluminous fabric that doubles as luxurious drapery and a screen for the changing rooms.

To execute the interior, Kat enlisted young architect Ivan McCarthy Peens, who also

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reconceptualised her shop at The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock. Long-time Kat van Duinen collaborator Alwijn Burger, alias BLOMBOY, was asked to lend his eye to the visual merchandising.

A pair of leather loungers beckon.

Books on art and fashion await… Like the clothing, and by extension the brand’s very DNA, the look is understated and elegant, and the experience has been carved with precision and care.

• katvanduinen.com

Kat van Duinen.

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in the host of new galleries, concept stores and restaurants that have formed an inner circle around the Zeitz MOCAA. One of these destination stores is fashion designer Kat van Duinen’s new flagship of the same name. Recently opened, it flies the pennant for the proudly South African luxury brand’s select range of eveningwear and superbly crafted leather accessories.

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A portrait by Kelly John Gough is “sheltered” by a semicircular rail of designer pieces.

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PORTRAIT DARREN GWYNN PHOTOS PEET MOCKE WORDS LAUREN SHANTALL

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Queens in Exile, which is centred on a new avatar called The Versatile Queen Ivy, who performs imaginary resurrections and has conversations with three historical figures: Senegalese dancer Feral Benga, Delmas Treason Trialist Simon Tseko Nkoli, and transgender civil rights activist Sylvia Rivera (to whom the title is attributed). After showing in Cape Town in its entirety at WHATIFTHEWORLD in Woodstock, the exhibition will move on for a European cycle in autumn.

Petit point is a form of embroidery using small diagonal stitches on fine canvas to create great detail.

IMAGES COURTESY ATHI-PATRA RUGA AND WHATIFTHEWORLD INTERVIEW ASHRAF BOOLEY

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WE TALK TO THE ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE ABOUT HIS INSPIRATION, HIS MEDIUMS, HIS LATEST WORK AND UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS. 03

What are some of the key hemes explored in your atest body of work?

My work explores the human body in relation to sensuality, culture and ideology.

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What is the exhibition composed of, and which mediums have you used? t is a continuation of my multimedia practice, which s based on performance art, photography, video, printmaking, sculpture and the argest petit point tapestries o be shown in this country.

Can we expect a lot of colour?

Well, it wouldn’t be an AthiPatra Ruga show without it!

Colour is a pacifier – it appeases. I wanted to make sure that my work is, at times, light-hearted. But I am mindful that there’s something dubious about too much colour, especially for adults. This vulnerability then becomes a subversive device through which I demonstrate the dystopian.

What inspired these pieces?

The drive for delivering superior critical concepts at a level of craftsmanship that cannot be duplicated, career stamina and impeccable work ethic. That is what inspires my objects.

What’s next for you?

Mastery.

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A Vigil for Mayibuye (from the Exile series), 2015, archival inkjet print on Photo Rag Baryta, 150 x 190 cm, edition of 10.

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Imini yoMjojo, 2017, wool and thread on tapestry canvas, 193 x 197 cm.

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Versatile Queen: A Transhuman Proposal, 2016, wool and thread on tapestry canvas, 144 x 99 cm.

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Selfie of the Walking Wound, 2016, wool and thread on tapestry canvas, 144 x 99 cm.

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Somagwaza: Queenz Herald, 2017, wool and thread on tapestry canvas, 186 x 185 cm.

Queens in Exile will run at WHATIFTHEWORLD gallery in Woodstock through December 2017 and January 2018.

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Kohler is creating one-of-a-kind artworks for bathrooms. The Artist Editions basins are made of the finest materials – glass, bronze, marble and ceramic – using methods that have been passed down for generations.

The designers take inspiration from architecture, textiles, crafts and fine art from around the world to create the patterns and textures. Each pattern is applied by hand before the vessels are fired in custom kilns.

The Persia Conical Bell Vessel in the Caravan Collection features a pattern suggestive of ancient motifs combined with a fresh interpretation of Middle Eastern and Indian design traditions.

Kohler’s reputation for design innovation and craftsmanship has been honed since the company’s founding in 1873. It has more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, and local stockists in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Ballito.

KOHLER’S BEAUTIFUL ARTIST EDITIONS BASINS ARE FUNCTIONAL WORKS OF ART, BALANCING ARTISTRY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH UTILITY.

• africa.kohler.com

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The Persia Vessel’s organic, open line work contrasts with the geometric patterns. The white background creates an effective canvas for the rich gold and platinum, and makes it easy to coordinate the basin with other sanitaryware.

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• hotcoffee.co.za 01

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You See Me, an original painting of a geisha by Harem, printed on a linen wall hanging.

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Harem, artist and co-founder of HOT COFFEE.

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HOT COFFEE IS GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, AND NOW SUPPLIES INTERIOR SHOPS, DECORATORS AND ARCHITECTS. WE CAUGHT UP WITH COFOUNDER HAREM.

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t’s been a year since we introduced you to HOT COFFEE and artist Harem, who cofounded the brand in 2015 with entrepreneurs Eed Sukonpongpao and Tim Harbich. The art-driven products under this label are now stocked by Loft Living and SHF (Sutherland Home Furnishings), among others.

Harem’s body of work over the past two decades has been rooted in natural history and a fascination with vintage images. “The obsession started when I found a box of old photographs in a house we’d bought and started experimenting with them,” he says.

His latest series of Japaneseinspired artworks for HOT COFFEE was a hit at the SARCDA Trade Exhibition earlier this year. “We started with the Japanese Tattoo image,” Harem says, pointing to a colour-edited photograph of a man with an intricate tattoo on his back and arms. “The image is from the late 1800s. I browsed antiques shops and other places for vintage photographs.

I manipulate them, add colour and paint directly on them.”

The collection features a combination of Japanese-inspired original paintings by Harem and reworked photos printed on linen wall hangings, cushion covers and tote bags.

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Mythological Rider

by Sydney Kumalo, bronze, 1970.

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THE ART MARKET IN SOUTH AFRICA IS CHANGING AS YOUNGER ART COLLECTORS ARE SHOWING AN INTEREST IN NEW ENDEAVOURS AND DIFFERENT MEDIA. art is both an investB uying ment and a personal

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The Commando Tree, On the Road to Sibasa

by JH Pierneef, oil on canvas, 1930.

Mmatsie by Moshekwa Langa, mixed media, gouache and watercolour, 2012.

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passion,” says Aspire Art Auctions Director Mary-Jane Darroll.

“While the market is dominated by canonical historical and modern works by the likes of J H Pierneef, Irma Stern and Alexis Preller, the focus is also shifting to contemporary work.”

Aspire Art Auctions has been actively acquiring works by South African artists and African artists in the diaspora who are relatively under-represented, but whose work will gain in value. Recent auction sales have proven the validity of this approach, with top prices being fetched by artists such as Dumile Feni, Moshekwa Langa and Peter Clarke.

Aspire Art is also seeing increased interest in its online auctions, Timed Online. “The online space is much more amenable for a younger demographic, who are used to the online buying experience and are not averse to buying art without physically seeing it,” says Mary-Jane.

“This fits well with our aim to bring important but underrepresented works by black South Africans and other African artists to the secondary market in both live and online auctions, and to nurture and develop the standing and value of these works.”

• aspireart.net

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Children under Apartheid by Dumile Feni, charcoal, 1987.

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Tesselaarsdal by Peter Clarke, gouache on paper, 1958.

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A and illustrator Lucie

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Cape Point Frenemies.

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Boulders Beach Penguins.

Lucie de Moyencourt.

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When Facebook bought Instagram in 2012, Instagram had only 13 employees.

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de Moyencourt’s latest show, Sunday Drive, continues her theme of exploring her love of the Cape Peninsula.

“I’ve called the show Sunday Drive because I start at the V&A Waterfront, then travel along the Atlantic Seaboard and all the way around the peninsula to Hout Bay, Chapman’s Peak, Cape Point and Muizenberg,” she says, describing one of Cape Town’s most scenic and popular drives.

When we meet up with her, she’s already been doing the drive regularly, each time taking loads of pictures of iconic scenes along the way, some of which she has already painted. “I am looking for a spirit of the times, to sort of capture us as South Africans and how we live in cities, almost like the illustrations that are done for newspapers,” she says.

Lucie’s Instagram account, with nearly 50 000 dedicated

PORTRAIT NIEL BEKKER WORDS MALIBONGWE TYILO

LUCIE DE MOYENCOURT’S FAVOURITE CITY INSPIRED HER TO TAKE ARTISTIC SUNDAY DRIVES. HER INK DRAWINGS CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF CAPE TOWN.

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Sea Point Promenade.

followers, is brimming with topical illustrations that document her experiences, be it the opening of the new Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town or holidays in the country of her birth, France.

Sunday Drive certainly is not the end of her exploration of the Mother City. Lucie was born in Paris but raised in Cape Town, and she says there is still so much more of the city she would love to draw.

“The Cape Flats, Bellville and the Winelands, those are the three areas that I haven’t yet captured; they will definitely be in future exhibitions.”

• luciedemoyencourt.com 05

Kloof Nek Drive. All these illustrations are done in Indian ink on 420 x 297 mm Fabriano Tiepolo paper.

Sunday Drive opens at Kleinsky’s Delicatessen in Sea Point in early December.

Follow Lucie on Instagram @lucie.in.wonderlands for details.

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he Owl House in NieuBethesda is as unexpected as it is moving. What was once an ordinary house, the home in which Helen Martins grew up and lived until her death, was transformed over many years into a strange and intense art world.

Her work challenges definitions of art, just as “Miss Helen” herself challenged conventional notions of the artist. She had no formal training in art. She employed others to help her build her sculptures. Her materials were cement and other people’s rubbish, such as discarded bottles. With these

she created a space that speaks movingly about the human predicament. She was able, through her art, to transcend her limited circumstances.

The Owl House is not an easy environment to preserve. The cement mixture she used has not withstood the ravages of time very well. Many sculptures have crumbled; others have collapsed. The glass work, too, has deteriorated significantly.

Whether it can be preserved indefinitely is uncertain.

The book The Owl House, first published by Viking (an imprint

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A selection of sculptures at the Owl House in Nieu-Bethesda.

PHOTOS SAMANTHA REINDERS EXTRACT FROM THE OWL HOUSE BY ANNE GRAAFF, SNEEUBERG, 2017

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AN EXPANDED EDITION OF THE OWL HOUSE BY ANNE GRAAFF IS NOW ON THE SHELVES AT BOOKSHOPS. IT PAYS TRIBUTE TO OUTSIDER ARTIST HELEN MARTINS AND HER LEGACY.

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Photographer Samantha Reinders took new photos for this edition of the book.

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And these days the residents of Nieu-Bethesda know and appreciate a great deal more about Helen Martins’ art than they did when Anne Graaff first began researching it all those years ago. There has been a huge change of heart and perception in the community about her: She is now acknowledged as an artist of merit.

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of the Penguin Group) in 1991, was written to record for posterity, in images and in words, an environmental art experience that ultimately may not survive. At the time, not much research had been done on Helen’s art and her world. In her small community, she remained unrecognised as an artist.

Now, an expanded edition of the book, published

by Sneeuberg, is available at bookshops countrywide.

• The Owl House by Anne Graaff, Sneeuberg, R340

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

• abigailborg.com • lovefrankie.com • silkco.co.za

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19 UK-BASED ILLUSTRATOR AND PATTERN DESIGNER ABIGAIL BORG HAS LAUNCHED A STRIKING NEW WALLPAPER AND FABRIC COLLECTION NAMED FEVERFEW.

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Feverfew wallpaper (R3 250 excl VAT/ 10 m roll) in Midnight (left) and Coral (below). The Silhouette lampshades by Love Frankie are not sold in South Africa.

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Abigail Borg is known for her nature-inspired wallpaper and fabric designs. Her nostalgic new range, reminiscent of vintage floral design, features a delicate hand-drawn arrangement of blossoming feverfew, wildflowers and trailing foliage.

The design is printed on wallpaper and a cotton/linen blend. It also features on a range of lampshades made in collaboration with UK-based lighting and interiors brand Love Frankie.

“Feverfew is a light, elegant design that will bring the English countryside into your home,” says Sally Ives, owner of The Silk and Cotton Co, which stocks the collection in South Africa. “It’s perfect for summer decorating.”

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THE LUXURIOUS GRACE COLLECTION FROM @HOME TAPS INTO OUR COLLECTIVE LOVE OF HERITAGE AND FINELY CRAFTED HOMEWARE.

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ased on the notion that quality homeware should be passed on from one generation to the next, the Grace Collection from @home was designed to reflect old-world glamour. “Quality materials such as glass, silver, linen and knitwear never date,” says @home Head of Buying Karen Brumfield.

On the trends front, says @home Trends Researcher Louise Vorster, “Grace feels like old money, and that’s the point! Even though some pieces are new, they feel like they could have been handed down from another era. We based our tableware on that concept, so we used a Victorian design on the dinnerware and flatware, and all the embroideries have been taken from historical inspiration.”

Key colours and materials in the range hinge on modern neutrals like soft putty and crisp whites, offset by shimmering metallics, some of which have an undertone of green. The fabrics are imported, but a large percentage of the pieces in the collection were made right here in South Africa. “Our air sprays and soaps are made by local pharmaceutical companies, and all the botanicals used come straight out of South African soil,” says Senior Buyer Terry Foulkes.

WORDS TRACY GREENWOOD

• home.co.za

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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“Great design lies in the philosophy of simplicity.”

Eddie Da Silva Quinquennial Award winning architect

CENTURY - Proxima Grigio & Proxima Olivia 30cm x 30cm / 60cm x 60cm / 80cm x 80cm MONOCIBEC - Woodtime Carpino 20cm x 160cm / 26.6cm x 160cm

STILES - Cape Town 37 Paarden Eiland Road Cape Town, 7405 T: 021 510 8310 F: 021 510 8317 info@stiles.co.za

STILES - George 12 Commercial Close George, 6529 T: +27 44 8713222 F: +27 44 8710721 info@stiles.co.za

STILES - Mossel Bay Bolton Street Mossel Bay, 6506 T: +27 44 6951800 F: +27 44 6951877 info@stiles.co.za

www.stiles.co.za

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H a technological advancement that’s improving how we cook

oliday entertaining just got a little easier and a lot more stylish with

with gas. Gas is undoubtedly a wonderful cooking tool: It’s what you need when there’s the potential for power outages, and it offers immediate, evenly distributed and better conserved heat. Arguably it’s biggest detraction, however, is that the temperature cannot be precisely regulated, which is why the patented stepFlame technology in the newly launched Siemens range of gas cooktops is so revolutionary. It offers nine different flame levels to allow you to precisely adjust the flame height, which means you’re assured consistent, repeatable results. It’s exactly the kind of German engineering you need when you want to impress guests with your cooking.

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The new Siemens range of gas cookers with stepFlame technology gives you precision heat control.

INNOVATIVE ADVANCEMENTS FROM TWO TRUSTED BRANDS NOT ONLY DELIVER IN THE STYLE STAKES BUT ALSO MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD IN THE KITCHEN.

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Bosch has just introduced a new OptiMum kitchen machine in South Africa with an extra-powerful 1 500 W motor. It’s like having your own personal sous-chef – but one that never takes time off. Not only does it shred, grate and slice a wide variety of ingredients, but it also offers an integrated scale that weighs ingredients as they’re added to the bowl, accurately displaying weight and measurements on the panel.

SensorControl Plus is an intelligent feature that senses when to stop mixing ingredients like egg whites, cream and dough. A clever timer also lets you set individual stirring times, so you no longer need to watch your ingredients while they’re being mixed. The Bosch Optimum comes with a range of accessories and add-ons, which will let you add a whole range of ideas to your cooking and baking repertoire.

• bsh-group.com

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The brushed stainless steel body of the super-smart Bosch OptiMum fits into any kitchen decor scheme.

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AT THE NEW MATHÉO BLINDS AND AWNINGS LUXAFLEX GALLERY VISITORS CAN EXPERIENCE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF QUALITY WINDOW SOLUTIONS FIRSTHAND. 02

he award-winning Luxaflex brand has been perfecting blinds, shades and shutters since 1951. Recently, a new shopin-shop concept was launched at Mathéo Blinds and Awnings in Pretoria, the local distributor of Luxaflex collections.

Visitors can experience more than 50 window-covering products first-hand in the 50 m2 showroom, which has been designed and creatively lit to provide an authentic impression of how the blinds will look and work in a home.

“The new Luxaflex shop-in-shop concept is in a class of its own. We have received so many compliments from customers,” says Ellana Delport, owner of Mathéo Blinds and Awnings. “It is great to have everything together in one space, and to be able to show the customer any type of bracket, blind, operating method and fixing method available.”

Luxaflex predicts many curtains will be taken down in 2018 in favour of blinds and shutters, particularly in the field of hospitality.

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Duette Shade in the colour number 9216 – these shades come in more than 20 colours.

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From left, Silhouette Shade, 50 mm Aluminium Venetian Blind with deco tape, Sheer Roller Blind and 50 mm Aluminium Venetian Blind with ladder tape.

WORDS MARY GARNER

• luxaflex.co.za • matheoblinds.co.za

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Ludovica and Roberto Palomba.

We caught up with Roberto on a recent visit to Cape Town.

How did you and Ludovica start out?

While I studied architecture, one of my lecturers introduced me to design and I fell in love with it.

My wife, who was involved with garden design in the early days, came on this journey with me.

We started designing Murano glass vases, which soon became trendy, and so we found our path.

Do you do mostly product design now?

No, I love architecture too. Ludovica and I travel the world doing all sorts of projects. I spend more time in the air than a bird. We are busy designing houses, resorts and hotels around the world. There are also about 20 brands with which we are associated, designing things.

Bathrooms are one of your specialities.

What are the most important elements of modern functional design?

When I started designing bathrooms 25 years ago, a bathroom was a place where functions had to be displayed. We worked hard to bring this mental wall down and bring design into this space. Bathrooms have become cosier.

In the Internet age, everyone can have the bathroom style they want.

Do you have a five-year plan?

My dream is to find a business partner here in the Cape. I would love to live here.

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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Kartell by Laufen exhibited new ceramic pieces and finishes at Milan Design Week in April.

• The Kartell by Laufen range is available locally at Italtile • italtile.co.za • kartell.com • laufen.com • palombaserafini.com Turn to page 108 for our feature on Roberto and Ludovica’s Italian holiday home.

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LUDOVICA AND ROBERTO PALOMBA ARE BEHIND SOME OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE WORK IN PRODUCT DESIGN, INCLUDING SANITARYWARE FOR KARTELL

BY LAUFEN, AVAILABLE AT ITALTILE.

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BUITENVERWACHTING Est. 2016 (main tasting room); 2017 (vintage wine library, Enotecca) Interior and architecture Nic Tamlin Open Daily from 10 am to 5 pm in season. The main tasting room offers charcuterie platters and quiches; reservation is not required.

The recently opened Enotecca requires booking; it offers snacks and the full restaurant menu.

Experience… A tasting of pre-selected vintages at Enotecca, normally a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay and a red wine.

• buitenverwachting.com

BABYLONSTOREN Est. 2015 Interior and architecture Project-managed by TV3 Architects Open Daily from 10 am to 6 pm in season. Enjoy charcuterie and cheese platters with fresh fruit and vegetables from the garden.

Booking is advised for groups of more than 11 people.

Experience… Daily cellar tours every hour on the hour from 11 am to 3 pm, which includes a tasting of five wines at R50 per person.

• babylonstoren.com

CAVALLI Est. 2013 Interior Cavalli’s owner and managing director Lauren Smith Architecture Lauren Smith and Bouwer Architects Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, and for lunch on Sunday.

Experience…

Outrides and stable tours.

• cavalliestate.com

DELAIRE GRAFF WINE LOUNGE Est. 2009 Interior David Collins Studio Architecture Derick Henstra, DHK Open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5pm and Sunday from 10 am to 4pm. Snacks are available and booking is not required.

Experience… Grab a map at reception and explore Delaire Graff Estate at your leisure.

• delaire.co.za

PHOTOS JOHN MACGREGOR (BUITENVERWACHTING), DANIE NEL (MULLINEUX & LEEU FAMILY WINES), CHARLES RUSSEL (DELAIRE GRAFF)

WE’VE COMPILED A SELECTION OF SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TASTING ROOMS IN THE WESTERN CAPE TO WHILE AWAY THE HOURS DURING THE HOLIDAY.

L’AVENIR Est. 2014 Interior and architecure In-house Open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Charcuterie and cheese platters are available. No reservation is required, except for the exclusive older vertical tastings.

Experience… The popular carpaccio pairing featuring ostrich, springbok and crocodile. Stay at the four-star lodge.

• lavenirestate.co.za

MAISON MULLINEUX & LEEU FAMILY WINES Est. 2016 Interior Analjit Singh Architecure Tomeu Esteva Open Daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Booking is essential.

Experience… Mullineux Single Terroir Tasting (R300): Taste highly rated terroir-specific wines from the Swartland. Some may be sold out but are still available for tasting should you wish to get your name on an allocation list for future releases.

• mlfwines.com

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Est. 2011 Interior and architecture Spaces (the interior design division of Weylandts Home Outfitters, overseen by Chris Weylandt, owner of Maison Estate) Open Daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Deli menu available.

Reservations required for large groups.

Experience… The new Chefs Warehouse at Maison, Liam Tomlin’s fourth restaurant, opened in December. Booking is essential. It is open Wednesday to Monday for lunch and Wednesday to Saturday for dinner.

• maisonestate.co.za

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OFFERING MORE THAN JUST TASTINGS, OUR TOP PICKS PROVIDE LEAN-BACK LUXURY

RUPERT & ROTHSCHILD

NEWSTEAD Est. 2013 Interior and architecture Owners Sue and Doug Lund, with assistance from Draftech Open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm in season.

Tastings don’t require reservations, but lunches do. (They start taking bookings for high season a year in advance.)

Experience… The legendary 11-egg chocolate cake and the double-gold award-winning Rosé and Brut bubbles, which are pre-sold.

• newsteadwines.com

RUST EN VREDE Est. 1985, with a revamp in 2014 Interior and architecture In-house (cellar roof designed by Gawie Fagan) Open Daily from 9 am to 5 pm.

Experience… The Winemaker’s Lunch, a daily first-come, first-served twooption menu to accompany the wines, served between 12 pm and 3 pm in the tasting room.

• rustenvrede.com

PHOTO CHARLES RUSSELL (RUPERT & ROTHSCHILD) COMPILED BY AMELIA BROWN

Est. 1998 Interior and architecture Malherbe Rust Architects Open Monday to Friday 10 am to 4.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm.

Experience… The Rupert & Rothschild Wine and Food Pairing (Tuesday to Sunday from 12 pm to 3 pm). Booking is essential.

• rupert-rothschildvignerons.com

AND BEAUTIFUL SOUTH AFRICAN WINES IN STYLISH LOCAL SETTINGS.

SARONSBERG Est. 2004 Interior In-house Architecture John Doyle Open Weekdays 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 2 pm and Sunday 10 am to 1 pm.

Experience… A BYO picnic under the oak trees in front of the cellar. Stay over at one of the self-catering cottages.

• saronsberg.com

STEENBERG Est. 2009 Interior and architecture Richard Perfect Architecture Christof Albertyn Open Daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Booking required for groups of more than 10 people.

Cheese and wine pairings available upon request.

Experience… The Flagship Tasting of the estate’s four flagship wines.

• steenbergfarm.com

SPRINGFIELD Est. 2005 Interior In-house Architecture Christof Albertyn Open Weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday and public holidays from 9 am to 3 pm.

Experience… The classic Life from Stone Sauvignon Blanc while enjoying a leisurely BYO picnic.

• springfieldestate.com

WATERKLOOF Est. 2009 Interior Frank Böhm Studio Architecture Castle Rock Design Open Daily from 10 am to 5 pm in season. The Waterkloof Platter for two has a selection of cured meats, cheeses and preserves.

Experience… Groups of 10 to 15 can be accommodated in the Private Dining Room, which is on the top floor and has a private balcony and beautiful views.

• waterkloofwines.co.za 171

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IN THE HOTTEST BUBBLY COLLABORATION SINCE, WELL, EVER, DOM PÉRIGNON AND RENOWNED JAPANESE ARTIST AND DESIGNER TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA JOINED FORCES TO CREATE A UNIQUE LOOK FOR A LIMITEDEDITION DOM PÉRIGNON CHAMPAGNE. The limitededition Dom Pérignon X Tokujin Yoshioka 2009 Champagne is available from Norman Goodfellows, Ultraliquors and Makro, from R2 100.

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We have a bottle of Dom Pérignon X Tokujin Yoshioka 2009, worth R2 100, to gift one lucky reader. Enter at VISI. co.za/win.

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Tel: 012 346 3102 | Tel: 021 461 7840

gillesbotbyl.com

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MOËT & CHANDON GOLDEN SPARKLE COLLECTION It’s not hard to understand why a bottle of Moët is sold every minute around the world! The Moët & Chandon Golden Sparkle Gift Box will rock your party table.

• From R530 • moet.com

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We have a variety of drinks represented on this page to give away. Enter at VISI. co.za/win and prepare to be surprised and delighted.

BOLLINGER ROSÉ 2006 This limited-edition Champagne is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – the grapes came from nine top vineyards – that was aged for more than 10 years. We love the latticework of the metallic rose gold packaging.

• R1 500 • champagne-bollinger.com

WORDS TRACY GREENWOOD

THE SILLY SEASON IS UPON US, SO WE’VE PUT TOGETHER A SELECTION OF CHAMPAGNES, MÉTHODE CAP CLASSIQUES, AND WHITE AND RED WINES THAT WILL MAKE YOUR PARTY THE TALK OF THE TOWN.

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C H A M P A G N E GRAHAM BECK BRUT ROSÉ NON VINTAGE The Graham Beck Brut Rosé has all the hallmarks of a traditional bubbly, with the added appeal of being flirtatious and fun.

Elegant and structured, it truly is a sparkling wine for all seasons.

• R150 • grahambeckwines.co.za

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BABYLONSTOREN SPRANKEL 2012 A fruity, crisp MCC, this beauty is made of 100% Chardonnay grapes that were carefully selected from vineyards at varying altitudes. Buy Sprankel online at babylonstoren.com/shop and have it delivered to your door. • R605 • babylonstoren.com

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LABORIE BLANC DE BLANC MCC 2010 Zesty lime, toasted bread and hazelnut on the nose make this the perfect party pleaser.

• R103 • laboriewines.co.za

STEENBERG 1682 BRUT CHARDONNAY MCC The crispiness of a green apple, the zestiness of lemon and the loveliness of buttery toast give this richly layered MCC our stamp of approval.

• R175 (750 ml), R395 (1,5 ℓ magnum) • steenberg farm.com

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PONGRÁCZ DESIDERIUS 2009 This complex MCC, a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, has hints of fresh fruit, almonds, citrus and rich buttery bread, and it comes in a truly elegant bottle.

• R430 • pongracz.co.za

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Woolworths has put together a Signature Series of competitively priced wines to suit all palates – and cuisines – just in time for the festive season. The range includes three reds (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) and three whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay).

• Reds R159,99 and whites R129,99 per bottle • woolworths.co.za

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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IT the original one stood, but it is different. is only a few minutes’ walk from where

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Not unrecognisably so. Sophisticated and authentic. The well-appointed glass entrance hall offers both glamour and striking views of the magnificent Franschhoek Mountains. The art on the brick walls is South African, and the old airplane wing now forms part of the courtyard bar. Like the restaurant, the menu is eclectic, featuring some Asian influences and great local ingredients. Some familiar flavours and some new ones. This is the food that Reuben likes to eat.

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This looks and feels like the home Reuben and his wife Maryke share.

“I have always wanted to have my own place,” Reuben says. “I needed to feel that this is mine. Not just the building, but also the ideas and what we do.

I wanted something that was created by and owned by us. Something that truly reflects who we are.”

This is best understood in the painting of Reuben’s beloved grandfather, Oupa Abel Riffel, painted by Eugenia Campbell from a treasured old photo. “I wanted my Oupa to be here. My grandparents once lived in this part of Franschhoek

PHOTOS SANDRO TASSO OF WIDE ANGLE PHOTO STUDIO WORDS SAM WOULIDGE

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We have a copy of Reuben Riffel’s latest book, Reuben at Home, worth R295, to give away. Go to VISI.co.za/win for details.

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THERE ARE MANY GOOD REASONS TO VISIT THE NEW REUBEN’S RESTAURANT & BAR IN FRANSCHHOEK BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE WOULD BE THAT THIS IS THE RESTAURANT REUBEN RIFFEL ALWAYS DREAMT OF. THIS ONE IS PERSONAL. THIS IS THE ONE HE OWNS.

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but then, because of apartheid, they had to move to Groendal, so I wanted to bring him back to this part of the valley. It is important to me that my Oupa’s face has pride of place here.

In this way I can honour him, and what he meant to me. This is also my way of sharing my measure of success with my family, so they can also feel part of all this.”

Reuben Riffel. The boy from Groendal owning his own space in Franschhoek and doing what he loves, on his own terms. His grandpa, having taught him well, would be so proud.

• reubens.co.za 03

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Reuben and Maryke Riffel.

The interior of the new restaurant. On the wall is the painting by Eugenia Campbell of Reuben’s grandfather, Abel Riffel.

03 Spiced crème brûlée with roasted pear sorbet, roasted pears, white chocolate soil, whipped crème fraîche and a pear chip.

04 The well-stocked (of course!) wine cellar.

05 Beef tartare with roasted celeriac, parmesan and gherkins.

06 The impressive entrance hall as you enter Reuben’s is filled with light, reflections and mountain views. The sculpture is by Vincent da Silva.

THE INNOVATIVE NEW MIELE DIALOG OVEN IS SET TO REVOLUTIONISE THE WAY WE COOK.

• miele.co.za

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GO MOBILE The Miele@mobile app lets you control your network-enabled Miele appliances from your phone. And if you want to experiment in the kitchen, it now also features recipes specifically for the Dialog oven.

WORDS ASHRAF BOOLEY

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The Miele Dialog oven looks a little like a conventional oven, but that’s where the similarity ends. Imagine cooking a leg of lamb, potatoes, sweet peppers and asparagus, all in the same tray, for about 45 minutes. You’d be excused for thinking the lamb won’t be done, the potatoes would still be a bit hard and the asparagus would be mushy, but you’d be wrong.

In a Dialog oven, the result is succulent, evenly cooked lamb, tender potatoes and veggies that are still al dente. The secret lies in the technology, which Miele calls M Chef: It works with broad-spectrum electromagnetic waves – not the same as in a microwave oven – that respond to the texture of the food intelligently. The oven makes adjustments as it gets feedback about the amount of energy that has been absorbed by the food. It also employs radiant heat for browning the meat.

Fast, convenient and innovative, this oven takes cooking to a whole new level.

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IT’S

one of th summer days in Germany and I am in a topless Porsche Boxster on a narrow, winding strip of tarmac. Snaking through forest, gliding past blooming meadows. Smelling the flowers, the grass and the moist earth. Accompanied by a wellness treatment for my ears emitted from the double chrome pipes in the rear of the 718, intensified by having pushed the

MOTORING JOURNALIST DIETER LOSSKARN FELL IN LUST WITH THE THIRD-GENERATION PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER S IN ELECTRIC MIAMI BLUE. Sport Exhaust button in the middle console.

The deep mighty roar of the six-cylinder in the previous-generation Boxster might be gone, but the new snotty and defiant crackle is still of a very pleasing kind.

Instead of the naturally aspirated sixcylinder, a turbo-charged four-cylinder heart is now beating in the middle of the newest Boxster. The car industry is in a downsizing trend. In a rather clever move, Porsche added

a 718 to its name. The historical reference is to remind fans of the legendary mid-engine four-cylinder Porsche 718 race car of the 1950s and 1960s.

The 718 borrows numerous parts from its bigger sibling, the 911, including steering and chassis components. Together with the traditional mid-engine Boxster configuration, just like an F1 car, the Porsche feels glued to the tarmac like the smashed flies to its

Mad about cars? Check out these sites: • The Porsche Museum: porsche.com/museum/en • V8 Hotel: v8hotel.de/en

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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PHOTOS DIRK PATSCHKOWSKI WORDS DIETER LOSSKARN

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windscreen. Perfect weight balance.

The Boxster has stepped out of the shadow of the 911. It’s a proper sport scar in its own right, not just for those who “cannot afford a 911”.

I used to be a diehard 911 fan.

But I must admit the nimble lightness of the 718 has greatly impressed me.

As in the new 911, the 718 now features a Sport Response button.

Pushing it sharpens up the engine and gearbox for 20 seconds, allowing lightning-fast overtaking.

The overall design job is a stellar one. I can’t stop admiring this beauty, wherever it is parked: in front of the architectural

masterpiece that is The Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen or here at my destination next to the very special MAC, the Museum of Art & Cars, in Singen.

The 718 has presence and street cred. It feels strongly masculine, and the pronounced front bumper is an obvious homage to its greatgrandfather, the original 718 race car. And the new gorgeous colour Miami Blue leaves me weak at the knees. With a surcharge of R40 260, it doesn’t come cheap, but then, real art is priceless.

• R1 015 000 • porsche.com

• Museum of Art & Cars: museum-art-cars.com

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The Porsche 911 Carrera S in Lava Orange and the 718 Boxster S in Miami Blue.

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urfers are not defined by their homes, but rather by the experiences they gather in the water and around the world. Those experiences are captured through art and photographs, mementos and artefacts – and homes that reflect both the places they’ve been and the lifestyle they choose to lead. The term “surf shack”, therefore, is not defined by a specific type of architecture or interior design style; it is each surfer’s unique definition of “home.”

Located in a remote nook of the Hawaiian island chain is the dream home of filmmaker Jess and jewellery designer Malia Grace, built by San Francisco-based artist Jay Nelson. You can’t help but be in total awe of the artful craftsmanship, attention to detail and great taste in materials and decor. It’s like being in an adult fort – a modern Swiss Family Robinson compound that reflects the sophisticated taste of its free-spirited, creative owners.

PHOTOS MATT TITONE

• Surf Shacks, Gestalten, US$60 (about R850) • indoek.com

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SURF SHACKS EXTRACT PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION, COURTESY OF GESTALTEN, 2017

JESS BIANCHI AND MALIA GRACE MAU, HAWAII

32 REASONS

A COLLECTION OF PHOTOS OF SURFERS’ DWELLINGS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE SURFING BLOG INDOEK, THIS BOOK IS ONE OF THE COOLEST TOMES WE’VE COME ACROSS FOR SOME TIME.

HIROMI MATSUBARA, JAPAN Hiromi, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation, is a free-spirited yoga instructor, macrobiotic vegan chef, environmentalist and all-round amazing human being who embodies the generosity and hospitality of the Japanese people. She lives in the woods in Chiba close to the beach, in an artist community, where she hosts many a wandering traveller, showing them the best that Japan has to offer.

PHOTOS MATT TITONE

RAIMANA VAN BASTOLAER, TAHITI Known as the unofficial ambassador of Tahiti, Raimana lives in a beach house on the water in Papara on the south side of Tahiti. Every year, when that south swell starts to ramp up, this slice of paradise teems with pro surfers, photographers, industry folks and celebrities.

And the one person whom everyone calls upon to show them a good time and tow them into monster slabs is Raimana.

PHOTOS RON THOMPSON

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32 REASONS

Edited by Ekow Eshun, KT Wong Foundation in association with Wallpaper* Lady Linda Wong Davies writes in her foreword that architect Thomas Heatherwick first called her from London in April 2017 to discuss the idea of a book that would represent his ideas and design for the new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, and would introduce readers to the burgeoning art scene in South Africa. The foundation normally sponsors the commissioning and production of music, theatre and film, but she was convinced, and they put this book together in four months.

It features essays about the Zeitz MOCAA and African contemporary art; profiles of artists and influential people on the local art scene; and projects by 11 artists.

The projects include Justin Dingwall’s photographic series Albus, which explores perceptions of beauty through the aesthetics of albinism. His photos speak for themselves, and so do Mary Sibande’s installations and Ayana V Jackson’s portraits. Short descriptions of their work are included in the artists’ biographies. The profile of William Kentridge is in the form of a Q&A, and Pieter Hugo elaborates on his own photographs.

The book’s publication was timed to coincide with the opening of the museum, and it gives a good introduction to some of the works currently on exhibit.

Edited by Felix Burrichter, Rizzoli Subtitled “Thoughts and Photographs about the Future of Interiors”, this lavishly illustrated book explores concepts of living through the creation of five ideal interiors curated by Felix Burrichter, the editor of an avantgarde magazine on architecture, PIN-UP. It was published to mark the 90th anniversary of Italian furniture brand Cassina.

The book is divided into two parts: The first examines questions of evolving tastes and the dynamics of contemporary lifestyles. Five interiors are proposed, differentiated by style, material and area of origin. These concepts are then defined by leading figures from the design world, such as Konstantin Grcic and Beatriz Colomina.

The second part takes a more visual approach, in which the five building types are presented through a photographic panorama created in locations such as Spain, Sicily and Italy. These living environments are furnished with beautiful pieces from Cassina.

CHIC STAYS Curated by Melinda Stevens, edited by Fiona Kerr and Matthew Buck, Assouline Chic Stays offers a visual tour of 36 of the loveliest accommodation spots in the world in the form of personal tales by actors, writers, musicians and models – Condé Nast’s “favourite people on their favourite places”. There’s Sofia Coppola’s family retreat in Bernalda, Southern Italy; Kate Winslet’s secret Scottish hideaway on the Hebridean island of Eilean Shona; and Kate Moss’s favourite beach in the Maldives.

And aren’t you curious to know where Guy Ritchie, Eddie Redmayne, Cara Delevingne and Florence Welch go when they want to get away from their fans?

The photographs are envyinducing, of course, and the personal anecdotes by celebrities add to the allure. The people who put the book together work for Condé Nast Traveller Britain, so they know a thing or two about beautiful destinations.

WORDS KAY-ANN VAN ROOYEN

AFRICA MODERN: CREATING THE CONTEMPORARY ART OF A CONTINENT

CASSINA: THIS WILL BE THE PLACE

JANE’S DELICIOUS A-Z OF VEGETABLES

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We have a few of the books featured here to give away; visit VISI.co.za/win.

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WE HAVE BEEN PAGING THROUGH SOME AWESOME BOOKS WITH SUPERB PHOTOGRAPHS FOR HOLIDAY INSPIRATION. HERE’S A ROUNDUP.

F O R Y

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LIVING IN STYLE: PARIS Edited by Caroline Sarkozy, photographs by Jean-François Jaussaud, text by Caroline Clavier, teNeues Caroline Sarkozy, who lives and works in Paris, takes the reader around the living spaces of the beautiful neighbourhoods of the city, like Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Jardin des Tuileries. From timeless to edgy, refined to ornate, these interiors of 22 homes of the rich and famous offer inspiration on a grand scale. The photographs are the main attraction – and they are spectacular.

Walking around Paris, you may get a glimpse of the exterior of these dwellings, but chances are your only opportunity to see the furnishings and artworks inside is in paging through this sumptuous book.

By Jane Griffiths, Sunbird Visit janesdelicousgarden.co.za and you’ll know why Jane Griffiths’ books – this is her fifth – have found such a loyal readership.

She has been growing herbs and vegetables for more than two decades. What started as a small patch of converted lawn on her Johannesburg property soon grew into an extensive organic garden.

Her self-professed ”addiction“ to vegetable and herb gardening has led to her becoming a wellrespected author on the subject.

Jane’s Delicious A-Z of Vegetables: A Guide to Growing Organic Vegetables in South Africa is a detailed organic growing guide to the most common vegetables plus unusual ones, like some of the heirloom varieties that are now available. The book contains information about how and when to sow, plant, feed, water, protect and harvest them, and how to save seed for future generations.

Packed with practical information and tips, this book is bound to inspire you to start growing your own food.

IBIZA BOHEMIA

By Maya Boyd, produced by Renu Kashyap, Assouline The island of Ibiza in the Mediterranean off the east coast of Spain is known for its beaches, its nightlife, and as a long-time retreat of musicians, artists, intellectuals and other bohemians. This book captures the island’s scenic landscape, the architecture, the interiors of houses, and the cast of characters who’ve frequented the island or has made it their home.

The book was conceptualised by Renu Kashyap, who lives on the island with her family. She says it’s not just about the style of the people or the island, but also about capturing emotion – “The images should touch you.” And that they certainly do.

PERFECT HIDEAWAYS IN SOUTH AFRICA – BOOK 2

By Paul Duncan and Helen Untiedt, Africa Press This book is published in association with Perfect Hideaways, which manages a portfolio of about 200 handpicked beach houses, country villas, boutique hotels and other out-of-the-ordinary South African holiday homes.

If you’re looking to take your family on a digital-detox getaway, there’s a remote farmhouse in the Eastern Cape Karoo with the best of bed linens, air conditioning, game drives and more, but without TV and Wi-Fi. Or maybe an apartment in Clifton, a cottage in Misty Cliffs or an architect-designed house in Plettenberg Bay is more your idea of the perfect holiday hideaway. They’re all for rent!

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DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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VISI COMPETITION RULES • VISI competitions are open to all South African residents excluding employees of New Media Publishing, employees of the companies supplying the prizes, associated companies and advertising and promotion agencies, and their immediate family members.

2 3

• The winner will be chosen at the sole discretion of the judges, whose decision will be final.

No correspondence will be entered into.

One lucky VISI reader will win the ultimate LE CREUSET STAINLESS STEEL PROFESSIONAL HAMPER, WORTH R22 880.

Do you consider yourself to be a serious cook? The Le Creuset Stainless Steel Professional range, which combines top quality, rigorously crafted materials and functional design, is for those who find their passion in the kitchen.

The range has performance at its core, aiming to make it easier to execute any cooking technique with flair, whether it’s sautéeing, shallow-frying, braising, steaming, blanching, searing or poaching.

The (seriously) cool hamper that’s up for grabs comprises eight essential Le Creuset cookware pieces:

• Winners will not be eligible for other prizes for three months after winning a competition.

• The prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash.

• Neither New Media Publishing nor any of its partners can be held responsible for disputes in connection with prizes or for any loss, damage or injury that may be suffered or incurred by prize winners.

• Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and agree to be bound by them when entering VISI competitions.

• Data collected may be shared with the prize sponsor company, but will not be sold or passed on to third parties.

• 26 cm pasta pot (R4 100) • 26 cm uncoated frying pan (R1 800) • 20 cm deep casserole (R2 750) • 24 cm chef’s pan (R2 950) • 18 cm saucepan (R2 580) • 30 cm non-stick frying pan (R2 300) • 28 cm stockpot (R3 600) • 24 cm sauté pan (R2 800) All items in the range are backed by a lifetime guarantee. To stand a chance to win, go to VISI.co.za/win.

• lecreuset.co.za

DEC 2017/JAN 2018

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• New Media Publishing reserves the right to cancel, modify or amend competitions at any time if deemed necessary.

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Here it is XL GRANITO, a new product to complete the wide series of GRANITO steak pans by Risoli. Thick cast aluminium, fully externally and internally covered by best non-stick materials, for healthy, dietary and no fats cooking.

Versatility, easy cleaning and perfect cooking are the specific features of new multiple cooking history! Combine together various types of meat, meat and veggies or meat and fish and free for your cuisine creativity.

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9. – 12. 1. 2018

MAD ABOUT

TEXTILES

EXPERIENCE THE ENTIRE WORLD OF HOME AND CONTRACT TEXTILES.

Around 3,000 exhibitors, 69,000 trade visitors and the whole trade fair team all share the same passion at Heimtextil in Frankfurt!

Discover the latest trends in colours, patterns and materials. Be inspired and fascinated at the world’s largest trade fair for home and contract textiles.

TICKETS NOW AT ADVANCE SALE PRICES: heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com

SMART IDEA

BEHOLD, A PRACTICAL, ECOFRIENDLY WAY TO REPURPOSE POLYSTYRENE PACKAGING. P H OTO M A R I J K E W I L L E M S P R O D U C T I O N & WO R D S A N N E M A R I E M E I N TJ E S

With the festive season come electronic gifts that are boxed and secured with foam packaging moulded into interesting shapes. Instead of discarding it, use the bigger pieces as planters.

We planted dwarf cotton lavender, a shrub with silvery grey foliage and yellow flowers in summer.

The best thing about it, however, is that it is a natural insect repellent. Use it to keep flies and mozzies away from the festive table; it’s so much better than spoiling your drinks with the pungent smell of citronella candles!

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TIME IS THE ESSENCE WE ARE MADE OF