Tabla de contenidos para Sarie Decor en SARIE

I am fortunate to love what I do – I don’t consider it work and that allows me to put all my energy into our hotels. I have an idea and a mental image of what might work, and what follows just happens. Nothing is intentional, nothing planned. I’m not a decorator. My style is my own. I don’t work to any rules and I never chase trends. I start with the premise that each room must be different, and the ensuing design process is kick-started by something as random as a piece of fabric, a corner of carpet or even a painting. We’ve used so much silk in our various hotels because you don’t get better colour in a fabric. It’s not the most practical of materials to use…

HOW LONG HAS PERFECT HIDEAWAYS BEEN GOING? Perfect Hideaways started completely organically about 11 years ago. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA? I didn’t! It was never our intention to open a holiday rental company. It came about after I fell in love with the beauty, tranquility and isolation of Churchhaven, a little fisherman’s village set on the lagoon within the West Coast National Park. I decided I wanted a house there … but at that stage, with a young family, we had no way of affording it. But once I set my heart on something, I make a plan! My husband, David, and I managed to buy a plot, then got a fabulous interior designer, Salome Gunther, to help with mood boards to create a simple but…

Everyone in town knows where this house is. It is, after all, the oldest one in Kleinmond. The Reverend Pieter Kuypers Albertyn built the residence with its thatched roof at the mouth of the Bot River in 1860. It is currently owned by a family whose ancestors have been enjoying their summer holidays in the Kleinmond area since the turn of the previous century. Oliver, a member of the younger generation, tells us their great-grandparents used to travel to Bot River by steam train, from where they would take an ox wagon to Palmiet Beach for a few weeks of camping. Because of this long and significant bond with the Overstrand, the family decided to buy the house 17 years ago. Each December, as many members of the large extended…

It took them quite some time to weigh up the pros and cons before they finally decided to leave the city bustle behind and move to Hermanus, recalls Lizanne. They lived in Sea Point at the time, where she practised as an educational psychologist and her husband, Danie, worked in the financial sector. But they were both dreaming of a more peaceful and meaningful life. Her parents had already moved to Hermanus, where her mother, Sanmarie Swanepoel, has been running the popular bistro and bakery Oskars since 2007. Five years ago Lizanne, who is also passionate about cooking and baking, decided to join Sanmarie. When a house opposite the historical Hoy’s Koppie – named after Sir William Hoy, one of the town’s first charismatic figures – came on the market,…

Lekker water Beach Lodge face son to a sandy beach un touched by human interference, surrounded by fynbos, a rich fauna and wetlands, watched over by Potberg. The architect, Jonathan Hill (@jonathan_hill_architechts), had strict instructions to build the house in the most sustainable way. It had to respect nature and blend sensitively with the natural habitat. Hence the abundant use of glass and wood, with concrete kept to the minimum. Gas and solar power replace electricity, every drop of rainwater gets collected, invasive species are used for firewood, and the use of plastic is kept to the minimum. Interior architects Heather Bell and Karin Lategan from Formist (formist.co.za) drew their inspiration from the scenic surrounds and rich wildlife. Wherever possible, they supported local suppliers and artists to create this elegant…

TWO OCEANS PINOT GRIGIO(R50) Two Oceans, Stellenbosch Clean and brilliantly coloured with fruit flavours of pear, peach, apricot and banana and a touch of litchi. Two Oceans Pinot Grigio is a crisp and refreshing wine to enjoy with seafood, salads, cold cuts and pasta dishes – all our summertime favourites. Sunny days turn into warm nights, as seamlessly as two oceans merge at the most southern tip of Africa. www.twooceanswines.com…

Snuggling between the amazingly majestic mountains on the one side and the blue ocean on the other, this house was among the first in the Voëlklip area. It was built around 1925, as a holiday home for a Caledon farmer. In those days, people travelled here by horse wagon and brought along a cow and chickens. At the end of the vacation, humans and animals were packed up and carted home again. When there were more visitors than available beds, kids had to sleep on the stoep. The house stayed in the same family for three generations before it was sold in 1999. When the current owner bought the property in 2008, it had already been lovingly restored with the assistance of architect Wynand Wilsenach (w2.co.za). Later on she did…

On a bright sunny day, Susie Bailey-Potgieter was taking a drive when she came across the charming town of Stanford. What started out as a day trip to the Overstrand area resulted in a love story that would be extended over seventeen years. The small town captivated her heart and soul, and when she came across a cottage on the market, it was not a difficult decision to make. The sale was concluded, and they could start renovating the special weekend house. Susie, who studied fine arts and is an accomplished artist, couldn’t wait to tackle the garden and interior. The structure was in good condition, but a few interior walls were knocked down to create a lovely large open-plan living area and kitchen. In the earlier years, she’d gone…

A @home 0860 834 834 home.co.za AMC Cookware 0861 111 262 amcsa.co.za Ashanti Design 021 461 0367 ashantidesign.com Ashley Furniture Homestore 012 749 3100 ashleyfurniturehomestore.co.za B Block & Chisel 011 442 0809, 010 593 9308, 021 712 5193 blockandchisel.co.za BLUM South Africa 0861 325 4773 blum.com C Caesarstone 083 608 5810 caesarstone.co.za Coricraft coricraft.co.za D Design Afrika 021 448 9761 market.designafrika.co.za Dulux 011 861 1000 dulux.co.za E Eurolux 021 528 8400 eurolux.co.za F Flush Bathrooms 021 511 7888 flushbathrooms.co.za Freakalee Ceramics 082 651 7722 @freakaleeceramics G Gonsenhausers Fine Rugs 021 462 4819 finerugs.co.za H Haldane Martin 087 898 4678 haldane.co.za HAUS by Hertex 021 914 3390, 0860 437 839 hertexhaus.co.za Houtlander 010 447 6509 houtlander.co.za I Incanda incanda.co.za Infinity Surfaces 011 822 1350 infinitysurfaces.co.za Italtile 010 271 2272 italtile.co.za K…

The globetrotting couple, both Swiss-born, moved to South Africa seven years ago. They had always loved Africa and wanted to expose their two children (both under three years old, at the time) to different cultures and languages. Markus is an orthopaedic surgeon who still mainly practises in his native Switzerland and Christine left a legal career behind to start her own business, Little Gipsy Boutique, in Franschhoek, their hometown. These citizens of the world still travel wide and far to exotic destinations, as illustrated by the various artefacts and unusual pieces of furniture adorning their home. After previously renovating residences in Switzerland and Majorca, they were eager for a new challenge. And they both had this dream of a haven by the sea. They were captivated by the splendid surrounds…

The Creation Wines Estate (creationwines.com) is nestled in the picturesque Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The owner of this house with a difference, known as Voormanshuis (Foreman’s Cottage), is a close friend of the farm owners. When the opportunity to buy a piece of land arose, he jumped at it. From the word go he passionately wanted to play a role in the social development of the region’s farm labourers. On a more personal level he wanted to help rid the area of invasive plant species and rehabilitate the natural vlei habitat. Architect Andrew Finlayson from FVDM Architects (fvdm.co.za) recalls the many hours he and the owner had spent on the premises in order to find the perfect spot for the impressive structure. The house had to be an intimate and romantic retreat…

It was during the late 90s when Ford, an American, was on holiday in Franschhoek that he met Ronelle, a Bloemfontein native, who had been working in the town at the time. It was love at first sight, and nine months later, he packed his bags to move to South Africa and start a life with Ronelle. Ronelle says she had regularly spent holidays in Hermanus throughout her life. To her, the Overstrand has always been one of the most beautiful regions in the country. Thus, five years ago, after a wonderful weekend in Hermanus, she and Ford decided to explore and took an unfamiliar route back to Cape Town. This is how they discovered Tesselaarsdal: unspoiled, quiet and peaceful. There was a seven-hectare farm with an exquisite house on…

While still a student, Rudi started to develop the concept of designing and building eco-friendly accommodation. Because his parents owned a plot of land in Botrivier, this is where he spent his varsity holidays and weekends to build the first log cabin. That was fifteen years ago and they have since added nine more cabins to the KolKol Mountain Lodge. But Rudi had another idea as well, and this culminated in the KolKol Fynbos Pods: concrete “cocoons” clad with wood. He and Karen visualised overnight lodgings where guests could feel close to nature; isolated from the hustle and bustle of daily life, out of reach of all-absorbing technology. Solar panel systems provide hot water for these cosy pods. While the design of the cabins ensures maximum protection against the blazing…