When renovating her Waterfront apartment, property developer Karin de Klerk fused her love of minimalist architecture and design with he need to create a home that’s warm and welcoming.

Relocating from Pietermaritzberg to Cape Town in 2018 was something homeowner Karin de Klerk had always dreamed of doing. But it also provided the perfect opportunity for her as a developer, working with her daughter Elzanne le Roux-Preis – who is an interior designer – to mastermind a light-filled sanctuary in which to live. From the start, Karin says, it was all about striking a balance – between light and dark; sophistication and ease; minimalism and richness – and this is something this top-floor, three-bedroom apartment in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront has definitely managed to do.

Undertaking the total revamp of her newly acquired apartment was exciting yet a trifle daunting, says Karin. “I knew I just wanted a place I could feel relaxed in, something modern that shows off my love of minimalism,” she says. She and her daughter had to start from scratch on the interiors, but collaborating with Elzanne was something that “made sense”, Karin says – and doing so has certainly produced spectacular results.

Entering the foyer of the apartment, you’re immediately enveloped in the subtle, moody atmosphere created by a marble-clad wall and floor-to-ceiling mirrors, contrasted by a light, slatted-wood ceiling as you move to the stairwell … to heaven. At the top of these stairs is the main attraction: drenched in light, you are immediately surrounded by panoramic views of Cape Town. Here, everything feels illuminated.

Clean lines, Asian-inspired architecture and minimalist elements are central to the apartment’s look and feel. It’s modern, yet it still feels welcoming.

This is the centre of the home, a spacious living room with a fireplace embedded into slatted-wood wall cladding. The adjacent kitchen is where you get a feel for Karin’s taste for the finer things; it includes a dining table and chairs paired with a contemporary pendant light, as well as stunning marble countertops with matte-black accents for balance. “I love the colour black, and I wear grey and black often. Much of the interior is inspired by these colours,” says Karin. White-painted walls play a role in enhancing the feeling of spaciousness and creating an uninterrupted, easy flow from the lounge to the main bedroom and bathroom. In minimalist style, most of the walls are kept free of art, but the slatted-wood cladding used on accent walls and ceilings adds a feeling of warmth, and gives the home a bit of an Eastern feel architecturally. Throughout, sliding glass doors and expansive windows provide unobstructed views. Combine all this with the careful detailing in every space, and the apartment exudes a seemingly effortless charm.

Karin’s personal haven is the master suite, which is understated yet stylish. The glass façade means that spending time here feels almost as though you’re bathing in light. Even the shower offers a view of the sky and ocean.

The interiors of the apartment project an overall sense of calm, the rationale being that there is so much to look at outside that the indoor spaces should remain as tranquil as possible. In keeping with this theme of simplicity, the main feature on the large balcony is a long wooden table with a bench and chairs – designed by Elzanne – that speaks both to simple design and the convivial meals shared here with family and friends.

Combining modernity and minimalism with light, warmth and sheer good taste – the soundtrack on the day we visited was provided by the smooth, soulful sounds of Sam Cooke – Karin’s sanctuary is a tranquil haven from the constant buzz and bustle of the V&A Waterfront and the city beyond.

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The 2020 festive period is preceded by months of global upheaval, extended moments of isolation and change that few of us could predict or control. This year, the V&A Waterfront is creating a sense of neighbourly belonging and shared thanksgiving, marking it with a symbolic African Tree of Hope as the centrepiece of its message. “The Tree of Hope will be presented as our symbol of joy and outreach to our community with a lighting of its lanterns,” explains Tinyiko Mageza, Executive Manager for Marketing at the V&A Waterfront.

Continuing the theme of Joy from Africa to the World, the internationally renowned destination, which became the first in the world to produce sustainable festive decor last year, has now recycled it once again for this year’s festive displays and installations to delight visitors. Decor will come to life under the creative direction of Platform Creative Agency who are this year’s Business and Arts South Africa’s Innovation Awards winners, as well as South African Council of Shopping Centres Footprint Awards’ Bronze Award winners for Community Relations. Platform Creative Agency is a company focused on growing and promoting the South African design, lifestyle and cultural industries, and this year, 134 crafters and designers have contributed to spreading hope and light through festive decor.

“Our ambition when we announced our commitment to sustainability in 2017 was to reduce the use of single-use plastic across the precinct by 40% by 2020,” says Tinyiko. “We are some way to achieving this working together with our tenants.” This year’s festive decorations are once again the result of a collaborative effort between local artists, makers, tenants and children from community programmes, who will use the platform to showcase their work to the large number of visitors expected to pass through the precinct during the festive season.

Collaborators this year include the likes of illustrator and graphic designer Phathu Nembilwi; Janet Ormond of Bokke & Blomme, who creates inspirational wooden words, decor accessories and patchwork designs that are all locally produced in Cape Town; sustainable textile designer Sindiso Khumalo, who will bring joy on the children’s walkway with bold and distinctly African mannequin designs; and Davis Ndungu, whose unique creations, such as recycled flip flop garlands will delight visitors to the Watershed.

Decor features will not only continue in the bold direction of expressing the aesthetic of holiday joy through a distinctly African lens but will also introduce tech-forward ways to enjoy them, such as QR-coded installations that tell the story of each piece and its creator, virtual tours of the shopping centre’s festive displays and live streaming of activities and events. This year, everyone from Hong Kong to Hout Bay can enjoy Africa’s take on the meaning of festive joy.

The year 2020 has reminded us as a collective that sometimes the intangible is the most valuable, that joy is the fuel of life. Now that we come back together to rebuild and to reconnect, the V&A Waterfront looks forward to sharing the best of local design, art and culture within its neighbourhood.

The V&A Waterfront will be operating under the latest COVID-19 protocols and guidelines as issued by the National Government under Lockdown Level 1. Visitors are reminded to at all times keep their safety and health and that of others around them in mind, to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth while in public spaces, to practice social distancing, and to sanitise their hands frequently.

For more information and to view a full list of this year’s activities, visit the V&A Waterfront website.

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Faced with no longer being able to hold its popular artisan market, KAMERS/Makers has had to adapt to the current conditions, opening new pop-up retail spaces filled with locally made goods.

Faced with the choice to either close its doors and negatively impact hundreds of SME artisans or to innovate and reimagine its platform entirely, the KAMERS/Makers team has chosen to open a series of KAMERS/Makers SPACEs across the country.

The first KAMERS/Makers SPACE, launched in Stellenbosch on 22 June and running until 29 August, stocks products created by 70+ Makers, with new products and Makers featured every second week. The second KAMERS/Makers SPACE will open on Monday 27 July next to Exclusive Books at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and a Johannesburg SPACE is in the final planning stages.

The SPACEs are COVID-19 screened and certified and offer a cashless system with a single central pay-point, while the KAMERS/Makers online store allows buyers to order any of the 9000+ products 24/7 for collection or delivery.

Keep an eye on @kamersvol on Facebook and Instagram to see when and where the next SPACE will pop up. To shop online, visit shop.kamersvol.com.

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On Saturday 20 May, two groups of VISI readers got the opportunity to explore the brand-new Silo Hotel in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront.

The Silo Hotel, run by The Royal Portfolio, is currently featured in our Autumn Issue. Guests were taken on a tour through the Thomas Heatherwick-designed building by the owner of The Royal Portfolio, Liz Biden. Guests were treated to 360-degree rooftop views from the 11th floor, where you’ll find a bar overlooking the harbour, Table Mountain and Lion’s Head and a glass-walled swimming pool.

Apart from a selection of deluxe rooms and the two-storey family suite, readers gained access to both the Penthouse Suite and the Royal Suite, boasting the hotel’s most luxurious amenities, including massage rooms, walk-in wardrobes and private dining rooms.

Guests were also treated to delicious snacks and Graham Beck bubbly, as well as goodie bags, which included the latest issue of VISI and a bottle of Graham Beck Gorgeous Pinot Noir Chardonnay.

Keep up to date with our latest tours here.

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Are you a collector? The exciting Art Africa Fair is set to take place at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town from 24 February to 5 March 2017.

The fair is curated by the internationally acclaimed curator and artistic director Salimata Diop, photographer Uche Okpa-Iroha, designer and photographer Pierre-Christophe Gam, artist Thembinkosi Goniwe and artist Ruzy Rusike.

The exhibition draws on individual experiences, highlighting local culture and African ideas, while creating a platform for emerging and established artists to exhibit, network and build their names.

The 10-day event will involve the following:

• Bright Young Things Award and Exhibition

Eight finalists have been chosen to create and exhibit new work at the exhibition. Three finalists will then be chosen for residency awards.

• Photography and Lens-Based Media

Curated by award-winning photographer Uche Okpa-Iroha, this exhibition is to counter preconceived notions of Africa in Western media by looking at works that aim to rewrite African histories.

• A Flagrant Arcade in Contemporary Art

A curatorial duologue between Thembinkosi Goniwe and Ruzy Rusike, A Flagrant Arcade seeks to contribute to the appreciation of the contemporary art of African artists.

• Consume What You Produce!

This structure will act as a performance space, a talk platform and a food counter serving exclusively African-inspired cuisine.

• VIP Lounge and Social Hub

Pierre-Christophe Gam will be curating the fair’s VIP Lounge and Social Hub spaces. Created for the exchange of ideas, these spaces will encourage a relaxed, engaging environment for artists, gallerists, collectors, and thought-leaders to interact, with open access to the media.

• THAT ART PARTY

THAT ART PARTY provides a space to interact and listen to African music after the event.

Held at Jubilee Hall, Watershed, V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, the Art Africa Fair will run from 24 February 2017 until 5 March 2017. Tickets are available via webtickets.co.za. The event runs from Monday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm. Entry is R100 for adults, R80 for pensioners and students and children under 12 are free.

Visit artafricafair.com for more information.

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The latest addition to the Kove Collection is the trendy Dalliance restaurant situated on the V&A Waterfront’s golden mile in Cape Town.

This contemporary eatery uses copper, wood and brick as signature features, complemented by shades of red and blue. Bare retro bulbs complete the stylish setting. An exterior-facing bar counter also boasts beautiful views of the harbour.

The open-plan kitchen adds an element of drama to the dining experience, as guests are able to watch their food being prepared.

The restaurant offers pairing concepts as well as tasting plates perfect for sharing among groups.

Dalliance is open Monday to Sunday from 11am to 11pm.

For more information and to book, visit dalliancerestaurant.co.za.

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Interior design company ARRCC has created a fresh look for popular Cape Town eatery Balducci.

The transformed space, which was a finalist at this year’s Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, focuses on a fusion of African graphics mixed with a contemporary monochrome interior comprised of industrial and raw elements.

Leather and sheet metal are juxtaposed against light blonde wood. Warm bronze and mirrored accents create a homely, yet edgy effect, with the majority of furniture supplied by renowned decor brand, OKHA. Vintage accessories, including old books, telephones and typewriters are used to offset the modern feel of the space. ARRCC also added a timber pergola to give the illusion of a terrace.

Balducci is open Monday to Sunday from 11am until 11pm.

For more information, visit balduccis.co.za.

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Come February 2017, the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town will be home to the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. A first for the continent, it will house the world’s largest collection of African contemporary art. The project will see the 90-year-old grain silos at the V&A Waterfront transformed by acclaimed English designer Thomas Heatherwick. We talked to him during his latest visit to the building site.

What attracted you to this project?

In my studio, we try and find projects where it feels possible to make a difference. It was fascinating to find that Cape Town had no institute where contemporary African artists could show their work, and then to find the whole of South Africa had no museum of contemporary African art. It was motivating.

I am also interested in finding authenticity for each place. New buildings can look great on a postcard, but when you stand there and feel all those materials and ingredients, they might not give off any spirit or character. So, here was a building full of spirit and character. That’s where it was deeply moving.

What are some of the challenges of turning the 42 silos into a fully functional building?

The biggest artistic and technically most challenging aspect was cutting the silos – a central detail you will notice the minute you walk in because the cut needs to feel immaculate, like a hot wire going through butter. Of course, that isn’t actually how we achieve it, so the craftsmanship is important.

Plans have also been revealed for a hotel in the building?

It’s an orthogonal, simple square building, but we didn’t want to just put clear sheets of glass as walls so we got pillow glass, which makes the building feel like it’s breathing. The glass catches the light and acts like a lantern to draw people to the museum.

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Between the Two Oceans Aquarium and an impressive food market at the V&A Waterfront you’ll find the Watershed, a craft and design market that provides a space for more than 150 tenants to exhibit their wares, curated by the inimitable Trevyn McGowan.

Trevyn and her husband-cum-business-partner Julian McGowan have been key players in the promotion of South African design on international platforms through their agency Source.

There’s so much to see at the Watershed we’ll keep going back, but these five must-visit stalls are some of our favourites…

The Cape Craft and Design Institute

The CCDI stall works on a quarterly rotation, so every three months four new entrepreneurs have the opportunity to get their products out into the market.

Michelle Ludek

This fashion designer’s stall is among the best designed. White fringing hangs from the roof in varying lengths, creating a dramatic and glamorous backdrop to the clothing.

African Image

This merchant has always been king of the Afro-kitsch aesthetic, and the stall is undoubtedly one the most colourful and impressive ones at the Watershed.

Odeon

Featuring a wide selection of tableware and homeware, the Odeon collection is curated by Source, giving it the benefit of Trevyn’s experience.

Helon Melon

This label is known for its exquisite bed linen, and we love the range of homeware and bags available at the Watershed stall.

For more information on traders, visit waterfront.co.za.

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