The French owners of a 130-year-old cottage in Pniel, former GQ publisher Louis Orlianges and veterinarian Benoît Thomas, have renovated it with care to retain its architectural authenticity.

Travelling from Stellenbosch towards Franschhoek, you ascend Helshoogte Pass and then wind through Banhoek, a valley flanked by majestic mountains. It is arguably one of the most scenic parts of South Africa, but not the most obvious place for a Parisian couple to settle, despite frequent visits to the Western Cape for more than 20 years to catch up with many local friends.

We had been looking at houses along the coast for many years with an eye to buying a holiday home, but meeting OKASIE owners Chris Willemse and Dané Erwee led us to discover the charms of South African country living.

This house is the result of our friendship with Chris and Dané, and of the many discussions about the 130-year-old dwelling, as they wanted us to retain its soul and distinctive rural architecture.

Original openings were vertically enlarged with steel-framed windows and doors that connect every space to the outdoors, while respecting the proportions of the square pitch-roofed house. The former car port, or afdak, became a simple kitchen. The floor, which had no foundation, was transformed by hand using klompies (small hand-made Dutch bricks) and pieces of Delft found on the site. Now, the kitchen is the heart of the house, with an enormous cupboard as the main feature.

Ceiling boards were removed to reveal Oregon pine beams, which we kept dark brown, and paddle ceiling fans were installed in all the rooms.

In winter, the large central fireplace allows for cosiness in the lounge and kitchen, and underfloor heating makes the sleeping area comfortable. We sacrificed one bedroom to create an elongated lounge with doors to the north and south to accommodate the open fireplace on the kitchen side and a steel shelving unit on the garden side. Scaffolding planks were nailed to the existing cement floor as a cost-effective covering. The traditional entrance corridor was retained, with two generous bedrooms on either side.

French linen has been dyed and transformed into bedding. Likewise, every piece of furniture and every painting comes from French brocantes or local flea markets. Luxury oversized headboards form an intriguing contrast with the modesty of the rooms. The interior has a layered feeling with the assemblage of found and locally created items. The stoep with its corrugated roof and diamond-shaped windows was transformed into two bathrooms with floor-to-roof windows. In the one, a modern freestanding bath overlooks a magnificent dark-red camellia shrub, connecting this private space with the garden.

Our home is located in one of the richest and most diverse natural environments in the world. Having plants and flowers in the house is an acknowledgement of the environment in which we’ve chosen to settle.

Every window had to enable us to engage with a different natural experience, from the camellias to the constantly changing vista of the Groot Drakenstein Mountains.

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Anybody who’s been to the newly reopened Blueberry Café in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands will agree that its uncomplicated style and rustic edge is charming. VISI chatted to Andrea Kleinloog from Anatomy Design (read more here) about their design approach that spanned everything from the revamped interior to the new brand identity.

From some of the before images we have seen, you haven’t simply updated the interior but reinvented it. What was the brief that the client gave you?

The client realised that the restaurant and store needed a breath of fresh air and wanted to incorporate the beautiful and unique setting it was in. We were very privileged to be allowed to assess every element and, together with the incredible force of Wendy Dixon (graphics), Mia Widlake (product development and styling) and Bianca Davies (menu development), got an even better overview of the space and experience.

What inspired your interpretation of the brief?

We didn’t want the fact that Blueberry Cafe and The Winkel were located in the countryside to define it (read more of VISI’s articles about fresh country living). Rather, together with its refreshing approach to humble and truthful detailing in the branding, interior and food, that became a reason to set it apart.

How would you describe the new interior?

It’s an honest space. The detailing remained simple with layered desaturated tones and textures, in contrast to the relatively ornate, botanical elements.

Would you say it is better to revamp or work from scratch?

I think a combination, but every project is different. It is very difficult to reuse existing elements when trying to reinvent a space. In revamping, the key is to allow the preservation of the original details to occur organically and not let them dictate the process.

What is the greatest challenge you experienced in revamping this interior?

Logistics. Being four hours from Johannesburg, it required meticulous planning. And even then, there were numerous trips to the local (unfamiliar) hardware store. We were also “blessed” with the Midlands rain, which made moving the furniture and interior elements around an endless game of Tetris! 

What was the best part of revamping this interior? 

Working with an enormously talented team and seeing an undiluted vision unfold within a week.

If Blueberry Café were a person, how would you describe them?

Shy at first, but once he has a glass of chilled chardonnay, he begins to tell you remarkable tales of adventures and travels.

Do tell us about the product range you specifically developed for this project.

Almost every aspect of the interior and product ranges had some degree of extended detailing – from the custom shopping crates to the careful wine selection, even the plates with prints of 24 varieties of sheep and pigs.

However, we did design a range of furniture specifically for The Winkel – a range of deep and comfortable armchairs and sofas. The focus was to keep the cost down, but not compromise on the minimal detailing.

Mia Widlake also developed a gorgeous range of modern botanical textiles exclusively available at The Winkel.

You have also developed your own range of Anatomy smalls, launched at FoodWineDesign. Tell us about that range.

We launched a range of homeware elements that we hope to grow and extend as we observe gaps. We started with a range of simple but well structured and proportioned crockery. Our copper vessels sold out before we even opened the show, which was both a great feeling, and created a sense of mild panic!

What a great project to launch the year with! What else can we look forward to from you this year?

2013 was spent doing a lot of planning… It feels like 2014 will see a lot of the fruits of its labour. We have a few beautiful homes coming to completion after almost a full year of details, details and more details.

Blueberry Cafe and The Winkel, Notthingham Road, 033 266 7132, blueberrycafe.co.za

anatomydesign.co.za

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Our winter VISI 67 features 80 pages of divine out-of-town hideaways – the breathtaking views, toasty fireplaces, decadent baths and snuggly beds. Here VISI content director Sumien Brink shows us what escaping to the country means to her.

I was born on a farm in Komatipoort, very near the Mozambique border, and started school in Perdekop in the Standerton district. When I finished school in White River, Mpumalanga, I was more than ready to escape my rural roots.

A few weeks ago my daughter, born and educated in Cape Town, left to make a new life on a farm in Namibia. The night before she set off, we watched Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa, featuring a very young Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Yes, I know it’s super-cheesy, but we cried when Meryl said: “I had a farm in Africa…” The next morning, living in the country was a new reality for her, and a very distant memory for me.

For this Collector’s Edition, we photographed three very different country homes and compiled the definitive style guide to make it easy for you to introduce the country into your home. If you’re not quite ready to trade the city lights for wide-open country spaces, don’t worry, you don’t have to go all out! You can simply bring the outdoors into your home – by covering a feature wall with your favourite country picture – like we did on the cover.

With winter keeping us home, turn those extra hours spent indoors into a festive feast by trying out VISI’s selection of winter dishes. Download your own winter warmer recipe book here. With this small gem in hand, you are sure to chase away the chills – even without an Aga!

I hope you enjoy this country-inspired issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together, and do enter our competitions to win some fabulous books, designer watches, or a two-night stay at the magnificent Babylonstoren.

Fill your belly with our winter warmers and your mind with the new VISI 67. Look out for the print version at selected retail outlets or buy the digital version right now.

While you’re at it, complete the readers survey and you could win one of 21 stylish watches, including a R21k Raymond Weil must-have and 20 Obaku ones (10 for ladies + 10 for men). Entry is only possible with the magazine in hand.

The hottest read the chill has blown your way, expect 6 celebrated authors going wild, 80 pages of divine out-of-town hideaways, 30 reasons to chill out and nest, and over 30 prizes to be won, including a R9 000 weekend at Babylonstoren.

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Lees in Afrikaans.

Looking for a taste of the good country life with icing on top? Eccentric finery has just popped out of the oven at the Old Mac Daddy luxury trailer park, which unveiled two new Airstreams decorated by the gals from Charly’s Bakery.

“We always wanted to work with Charly’s, from right back when we used to order their cupcakes for high tea at Daddy Long Legs,” said Old Mac Daddy owner, Jody Aufrichtig.

To fulfil the design brief, Charly’s Bakery owner Jacqui Biess roped in her daughter, Alexandra, and the two of them called on their good friend Carin Cronje of Vanilla Concrete to take the helm as production manager. Says Jacqui: “After all, what is cake decorating but design-by-sugar?”

The trailers are called “Love Cake…? I Do” and “Love Cake…? Me Too” respectively. Although perfect for a family holiday with folks in the “Love Cake…? I Do” Mama trailer and kids in the “Love Cake…? Me Too” Baba trailer, there will undoubtedly be adults throwing their toys to stay in the seemingly edible cupcake fantasy that is the Baby trailer. Designed to look like the inside of a Charly’s Bakery cake box, the walls are papered with fat pink-and-white stripes. Graffiti artist Mak1one painted the Charly’s Bakery logo, parachuting cupcakes and 3D rainbow-burst over the couch.

Boldly appliqued bedding and scatters cover the custom-curved queen-size bed and plush couch. Quirky touches included the Cookie Monster scatters and mat, the birthday candle backing of the couch, stuffed felt gingerbread men and a cupcake pouf made of soccer balls.

In turn, the “Love Cake…? I Do” Mama trailer is more like the steampunk honeymoon homage to the romance of baking. Carin was responsible for the Mad Hatter’s ceramics, as well as repurposing all the old cake tins and other Milnerton Market junk into quirky steampunk lighting and decor fixtures. Carin, Jacqui and Alexandra worked on the chandeliers together, which have a crazy gypsy chic feel. A trailer with chandeliers, you ask, not to mention the pressed-ceiling wallpaper from Robin Sprong? Well, only in Elgin.

A printer’s tray table made by Katie Thompson of Recreate is filled with miniatures made with sugar and vintage metal icing nibs, which Jacqui says they got on Gumtree by swapping them for cupcakes! The upholstery and bedding boasts embroidery by Lauren Fowler. Adding further texture to the environment are cushions covered in novel T-shirt tapestries by Alex Daniel of the Kraal Gallery and others sheathed in inner-tube rubber ingeniously repurposed by Roche van den Berg.

The Mama trailer is also the only one at Old Mac Daddy that is self-catering and has an indoor shower for those particularly nippy evenings. Mama and Baby can be rented as a pair or separately, and share an outdoor patio that looks out across apple country and a picturesque dam.

Pastoral living at its finest and most eccentric, which is just perfect considering it’s the closest that you’ll ever get most of us town mice to camping! Now as for how close you’ll get us to Charly’s Bakery’s cupcakes…

Charly’s Bakery, 021 461 518, www.charlysbakery.co.za
Old Mac Daddy, 021 844 0241, www.oldmacdaddy.co.za

Read more about what VISI has to say about the Old Mac Daddy here.

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Mud Studio’s Werner and Philippa du Toit live in a one-of-a-kind house on a farm in the eastern Free State.

A conversion such as this can be described as nothing short of miraculous. What was once a dark, disused Catholic-mission church is now a bright and airy open-plan haven where Werner and Philippa du Toit live with their two young daughters, Catherine and Ella Rose.
    
The successful couple are known both locally and internationally for their handmade ceramics and beaded chandeliers produced in the studio at the bottom of their garden, and their work can be found in homes and shops everywhere from Los Angeles to London and Milan.

Werner and Philippa’s design philosophy of creating simple pieces that resonate with the senses is more than evident in the design and decoration of their home, described by Werner, a former graphic designer, as “simple and sparingly furnished – always with room for improvement!”

He says he doesn’t particularly think of himself as someone with a personal style and likes to approach design by “touching, looking, hearing, tasting… building, breaking down and rebuilding until it’s just right for all my senses.”

The Du Toits say the six-month conversion process, undertaken by Werner with a team of builders, was easy and – leaky roof aside – presented no great challenges. All went according to schedule and May 2008 saw the family move in without any delay.

Essentialy still one room

The floor-plan remains true to the original layout of the church. It is essentially still one room, with the three walls of the children’s rooms separating the living and dining areas from the generous master bedroom – a clever and considered demarcation of spaces.

At one end the former apse is now the kitchen, presided over by an impressive cross, which flows into the expansive dining and living areas. At the other end of the house, where the congregation once entered the church, one finds a bathroom, while what used to be the coat-room has been converted into a second bathroom.

The home has a powerful relationship with the surrounding rural landscape. Large glass-paned doors allow natural light to flood into the interior and reflect off the surfaces, especially the gleaming floor, which has been painted in low-maintenance white road paint. Another advantage of the site is that it captures the last of the sun’s rays each day.

Three elements created the point of departure for the decor: the heavy wooden ten-seater dining table made by Werner, the family’s books and the Morsø fireplace. (Werner says no home is complete with at least one of the latter, as well as a Nguni rug.)

The lofty ceiling adds to the airy effect while a neutral palette and tactile materials and finishes, including skimmed concrete walls and stools of Lesotho sandstone, create an inviting warmth and sense of restrained comfort combined with functionality – important in this rural family environment.

Family heirlooms, own creations combined

These aspects are complemented by a collection of family heirlooms combined with Mud Studio’s own creations, including two of their beaded chandeliers, which have been stocked by the Ralph Lauren shop in New York, in the living area and one in the main bedroom.

Philippa, who runs a successful empowerment bead project in nearby Clocolan that supplies clay beads to interiors shops and lodges including Singita, says her favourite aspect of the home is the wonderful, changing views from every door and window over the farm they have lived on for the past eight years.

Werner, on the other hand is fond of the bathroom, which features a bath with a view, concrete shelves and rectangular basins also handmade from Lesotho sandstone – the product of a local job-creation project. Empowerment is important to the Du Toits who, aware of the high unemployment figures in their area, train local residents for each available position at their studio.

This creative couple’s approach to the principles of life and work – integrity and simplicity – are one and the same. The result is an environment that serves as a retreat from the world and, at the same time, a space from where their influence flows to the surrounding community and on those who buy and live with their unique creations.

Mud Studio mudstudio@mweb.co.za, www.mudstudio.net

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