Art Apartment

PHOTOS David Ross PRODUCTION Annemarie Meintjes WORDS Lisa Johnston

Downsizing doesn’t have to mean shedding the lifestyle you love. Francois Swart and Albie Niemandt let their passion for art and entertainment shape their space.

When deciding to downsize from their spacious Northcliff home to the lock-up-and-go convenience of an apartment, architect and design consultancy owner, Francois Swart, and finance and fine-art specialist, Albie Niemandt, had two main considerations. 

The space they chose needed to provide a comfortable entertainment area and enough wall space to showcase their impressive art collection. 

To the untrained eye, their choice – a double-storey apartment in Craighall Park – might not have appeared to meet those criteria, but they knew better. “I believe any house with good bones can successfully be transformed into a personal space with a few cosmetic changes,” says Francois. 

The Rothesay Avenue apartment may still have been decked in dowdy tiles, dated sliding doors and embellishments, but she had beautiful bones. Designed by Michael Sutton – key in the development of domestic architecture in South Africa during the building boom of the 1960s – the apartment already had a sense of grace, balance and material integrity, with a consideration for South Africa’s warm climate. 

“We were still faced with the challenge that we needed space for entertainment,” says Francois. “To create space in a small area, you generally knock down walls, but we needed the walls for our art, so what to do?”

Knocking out the walls enclosing the kitchen and turning the downstairs into a large open-plan area also proved to be a problem in terms of storage. The solution, however, was surprisingly simple. By creating an enclosed utility space for the “noisy” washing machine, and allowing the mostly floor-to-ceiling kitchen units to flow into the dining area, they successfully merged the two, while providing ergonomic work surfaces for cooking and serving.

“There’s a trick to downscaling,” says Francois. “It forces you to organise and sort out your life. Once you pare it down, life becomes simpler and easier.”

Reflection is used to create space, both in the floor tiles (to add depth), and the less fussy furnishings (to add dimension). “Another architectural element I like to use is light as a mood enhancer – sun during the day and candles or dimmers at night,” says Francois. 

“[When working with a space] I like to start with a blank canvas. In this case we wanted our paintings to feature more than a wall colour.”The dominant light-grey palette for the sweeping “canvas” came from the Angus Taylor sculpture gracing the centre of the room. The idea was that they wanted the sculpture “to melt into the space”. The bronze work – comprising what appears to be two rock-and-concrete cast figures reaching out to one another – divides the dining and sitting areas without disturbing the flow from the entrance to the folding doors opening on to the garden. 

Francois says the interplay of the characters in this piece, entitled Ek Het Wat Jy Nie Het Nie, Jy Het Wat Ek Nie Het Nie, tells a story that speaks to him directly. It is this emotional and intellectual resonance that
has proved key to the curation of Albie and Francois’ impressive collection of fine South African art, which started in the late 1990s and got serious when they bought their first Judith Mason painting Man Under A Bridge. The piece takes pride of place beneath the sweeping curve of the staircase. On the other side of the room Diane Victor’s large-scale etching and digital print, Baited, takes up a broad sweep of the wall. Both pieces are powerful and add drama, but they do, admits Francois, strike fear in the hearts of some of their guests. “I believe art should push you, broaden your horizons. You can only grow if you are uncomfortable.”

Says Albie: “Art is wonderfully addictive! It’s living with a glimpse into the world of a creative human being on your wall. It not only provides a focal point in a room, but stirs emotions on a personal level and stimulates conversation – especially after a glass of good wine! Then there is the added satisfaction that it is money well spent… or at least should be. Try it… Soon you will be hungry for more!”

That said, the collection – which includes works by Gerhard Marx, Rossouw van der Walt, Norman Catherine, Robert Hodgins, Jacobus Kloppers, Frikkie Eksteen, John Meyer and Willem Boshoff, among others – does include some “easier” pieces. 

Proof of humour in art and life can be found when climbing the stairs and rounding the corner to the upper level. Albie and Francois had the perfect spot at the top of the stairs to complement their recent purchase of Francois van Reenen’s Very Bored Girl. But when it arrived they “couldn’t believe its size”. Instead of popping neatly into the curve of the balustrade, the sculpture had to be placed where she wanted to stand – demanding a strong presence on the landing. An indication, perhaps, that art imitates life, and nothing should be taken too seriously.  

francois@padia.co.za, 082 784 7630 
albie@padia.co.za, 082 562 7625