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A large painting sourced by current owner Bernie Diedericks (who restored this home) from OnSite Gallery forms the backdrop of the dining space. The chair in the foreground is from Cape to Cuba. -
“The two tables next to each other were designed for the Cape Town Photographic Society ages ago, and were used to exhibit photographs,” says Bernie. Both chandeliers are from OnSite Gallery. -
The striking chandelier in the lounge is from Barn & Werf. -
“I like an orderly, curated space, where everything is in its place,” Bernie says. This meticulous approach makes Leeuwenhof not just a house, but a home, filled with stories, character and charm. -
Bernie’s appreciation for history is evident in every detail of the kitchen. -
Collected pieces come together beautifully to create this kitchen unit. -
The enamelware is from Koöperasie Stories, and old bath taps are used at the sink. -
During construction, Bernie was guided by the existing structure of the house and the original materials used. -
A red Smeg fridge adds colour to the pared-down kitchen. The cabinet on the wall is the top part of an old oak bureau, while the kitchen sink was fashioned from an antique sideboard. -
Bernie has a collection of more than 40 metal trunks, and he’s used some of them for display purposes – they work well with the patina on this cupboard. -
“The Sanderson linen bed throw on the antique painted brass bed was a gift from my late grandmother,” says Bernie. “The chariot sculpture is from the French Dispatch Company; I found the wardrobe in an old chicken coop on a farm where I rented a cottage years ago.” -
A sculpture of Mao Tse- tung by Bart van Vuuren from Sobeit Studio adorns the guest bathroom. -
Apart from the glass shower wall, everything in this bathroom is second-hand. -
The round window above the bathtub was sourced from Ross Demolition. -
Vintage prints – Bernie’s thrift store finds – hang on the walls of a guest bedroom. -
The antique wooden bed is from Koöperasie Stories.
WORDS Lynette Botha PRODUCTION Mark Serra PHOTOS Jan Ras
A Victorian gem in Villiersdorp has been lovingly restored and masterfully layered to create an enchanting country home filled with eclectic charm.
Located in the tranquil embrace of Villiersdorp in the Western Cape, Leeuwenhof is a beautifully restored Victorian home imagined by collector Bernie Diedericks. It’s full of character, mirroring the tastes and personality of its owner – the former owner/curator of The Treasury, a vintage decor store in Woodstock.
With a unique approach to interior design that’s grounded in slow consumerism and mindful collecting, Bernie believes there is an air of poetry and depth in gathered homes that branded items and mono-store interiors cannot touch. “The core of my philosophy is a return to Old World values, which is reflected in my choice of collections,” he says. “I’m constantly inspired by the past, and I enjoy reworking historical forms. My approach to restoring Leeuwenhof was to keep the building simple, like a blank canvas. The furniture and decor add colour, warmth and interest to the interior, creating a distinctive space. I like to juxtapose practical function with sculptural vision.”
Acknowledging the potential pitfalls of clutter, Bernie balances his passion for collecting with a discerning eye, ensuring that each piece finds its rightful place – something immediately evident at Leeuwenhof, a residence that exudes quirkiness and charm. In fact, reviving grande old dames is something that Bernie is extremely au fait with: this is his second restoration in Villiersdorp, preceded by homes in Riebeek-Kasteel, Greyton and Stellenbosch.
At the finish line of every project, Bernie swears it will be his last. “But this beautiful home on the corner of Kerk Street was love at first sight for me,” he says. “I love its elegant proportions and architectural character.” There was no way he could pass up the opportunity to restore it to its former glory, adding his unmistakeable flair and keen eye for detail along the way. As a result, Leeuwenhof is filled with treasures collected over time, and each piece tells a story. Bernie believes that every item “has a soul of its own”, and his extensive knowledge of old houses ensures that nothing needs attention within the cool, thick walls of this place.
Beyond its modest entrance, where a pair of lions guard the front stoep, Leeuwenhof retains a heritage layout. “I adore all members of the feline family – tigers, lions, leopards, caracal, cougar, cheetah, puma, all the way to domestic cats,” says Bernie. “I collect lion sculptures, and found it appropriate to house them at Leeuwenhof. There are five sculptures strewn around the garden, acting as majestic guardians of the property – and there are plenty inside, in all shapes and sizes.”
A long passageway leads to an expansive living area and an adjacent light-filled open-plan kitchen, where a fire- engine-red Smeg fridge and a range of old-school storage vessels in shades of red and green add pops of colour to an otherwise pared-down wood-and-white theme. Bernie’s favourite space in the home is the scullery: “The slate tops come from my antique snooker table, and I used antique doors for the panelling. The shelves are the scaffolding planks I used during the renovation, and the fixtures are vintage brass bath taps that I sourced,” he says. “The white floors and walls help to create a gallery-like space to accentuate the pieces.”
Throughout the five-bedroom home, sash windows and French glass doors invite in an abundance of light, while the plentiful greenery both inside and out offsets the layered interior style. The serene garden, with its mature trees providing plenty of cover, features a dining area, a firepit, a vegetable garden and two outdoor showers – one hot; the other, burrowed beneath an olive tree, refreshingly cold, the ideal spot to cool off on a swelteringly hot summer’s day in the country.
Like each of Bernie’s projects, this one has been a labour of love, and something that he’s poured all of his energy into. And while his time in this beautiful space may be coming to an end, Leeuwenhof ’s future owners will have a wonderfully layered base upon which to add their own memories and mementos. “This really is the last restoration project I’ll work on,” Bernie says. “I would prefer to build new, completely from scratch, next time. I don’t want to restore another old building ever again.” We’ll see…
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