Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i Home

I always enjoy writing the February editor’s note as this is the month in which we showcase the projects that scooped top honours in our annual Fix it with Flair competition. I have only one word to describe them: wonderful. In the truest sense of the word because apart from a sense of wonder at the end results, I also wonder: how did they do it? For the first time in years, it wasn’t an ‘entire house’ project that was awarded first prize. And for good reason. I think mother-of-three Victoria Zekveld summed it up best: “We wanted a high-end look at a budget price”. And that’s exactly what she and her husband, Andrew, managed to achieve. Many people – especially Home readers – love a rustic cement finish, whether…

[WATCH THIS SPACE] BUSINESS Heidi J Design WHO Heidi van der Westhuizen WHERE Cape Town HER WORK She might work from a small, increasingly packed room in her Bellville home but for Heidi van der Westhuizen, business is booming – nationally and internationally. Her charming décor range includes stick-on vinyl tiles, baby mobiles, cork maps, waterproof bunting and placemats as well as wooden and Perspex chandeliers. You’ll almost always find her work on display at markets such as Tierlantynkies in Pretoria, Stellenberg Feesmark and the CY Market in Cape Town. You can also check out Heidi’s beautiful caravan, which she single-handedly transformed, in the 2016 issue of Home Renovations on sale at major retailers nationwide. Go to facebook.com/heidijdesign. [SPLASH OUT!] We’re head over heels for this Margate wallpaper from St…

We love spending time in the kitchen. My husband cooks; I’m the storyteller, wine-pourer and kitchen-cleaner! – Mpho Who lives here? Mpho and Harald Vackier, their son Xavier and two Yorkshire Terriers, Lala and Zoe WHERE Centurion SIZE 450m² ORIENTATION North-east Slowly but surely, the Vackier family of Centurion were outgrowing their home. They wanted more room for guests, an open-plan kitchen, and more space for their growing son, Xavier (8). But they love the estate they live in so when a bigger home just around the corner came on the market, they arranged a meeting with the owners and put in an offer which was accepted – all in one weekend! Harald, a mechanical engineer from Belgium, and Mpho, owner of DesignPeo and theurbanative.com, saw loads of potential in…

PROJECT # 1 A stylish blind You will need TOOLS •  scissors• tape measure• L-square ruler• pencil• iron• sewing machine• overlocker•  pins• needle• jigsaw• glue gun• screwdriver• drill with 5mm wood and masonry drill bits SHOPPING LIST •  two pieces of fabric about 100mm wider and 300mm longer than the drop of your window• interfacing in the same size as the fabric• Velcro•  22 x 22mm pine plank• 13mm dowel stick• two extra-long belts• two 3mm x 16mm chipboard screws• 6mm x 36mm nail-in screws QUICK PROJECT GUIDE Hard labour 1/10 Skill level 3/10 Time needed 3 hours Do it yourself for ± R262: interfacing R60, Velcro R15, wood R20, dowel R37, belts R130 (fabric excluded) Get started... 1 Measure, mark and cut your fabric and interfacing 90mm wider than your window and 260mm longer than the drop of your window; use the L-square to make sure…

Bernina, a Swiss family-owned company, has been the world’s leading sewing and embroidery manufacturer for the past 120 years. The Bernina 215 sewing machine is user-friendly (ideal for sewing newbies) with a personal memory that can be used to store special stitch selections, as well as a built-in needle threader and an LCD display that clearly shows special instructions and stitch settings. The B 215 features the 11 most important stitch types to meet all your basic requirements. The Winon Fortune II Steamer is mobile, lightweight, compact and easy to use. It enables you to steam everything from evening wear and wedding dresses to suits and upholstered furniture. An additional advantage is that it turns off automatically when it runs dry. The Winon Portable Hand-held Steamer is compact and lightweight…

The challenge Vesna Fineberg writes As a cluster homeowner, I have a double-storey with a staircase that is 1m wide and more than 3m long. I feel like a large portion of our living area has been swallowed by this unattractive feature. I’ve thought about converting it into a spiral staircase so that it looks better but the prices are exorbitant! What can I do to better utilise the space around the stairs and is there anything else I can do to make them look less intimidating? THE SOLUTION Stylist and photographer Margaux Tait of mylifestyled.co.za offers the following advice This is a common dilemma for duplex homeowners, but you can definitely take some of the focus off the staircase and utilise that space more effectively. Firstly, before we tackle…

Poisonous pods Johann and Anita Vosser of Mokopane, Limpopo write We live on a farm and have two very big leopard trees with lots of pods that often fall to the ground. Can our cattle eat these pods or are they poisonous? JJ replies Pods from some species in the same tree family might be poisonous but as far as my research goes, the leopard tree pods are not. Finding the fiddle leaf fig tree Adelé van Heerden of Port Elizabeth writes I’ve been looking for a fiddle leaf fig tree for a while now and I’ve called many nurseries without much luck – so I was very happy to see one on page 54 of your October issue! Where can I get one? JJ replies The fiddle leaf fig…

Who lives here? Piet and Nan Steyn and their two Jack Russells, Lizzie and Nonnie WHERE Swellendam SIZE OF GARDEN 500m² Somewhat romantic, joyful, soft and tranquil. That’s how Nan Steyn describes her abundant rose garden in the beautiful town of Swellendam. Nan is a rose enthusiast, through and through. Although she also grows other shrubs and perennials, they often have to make way for more roses, she says. Nan designed her garden herself and hasn’t changed much of its basic structure over the past 11 years – but she has planted many new roses. “We previously lived on a smallholding in the Hermitage Valley just outside town. That was really the land of milk and honey as far as roses are concerned! The soil there was slightly clayey and…

Who lives here? Christine Veen, her husband Ton and their kids, Shaney (21) and Triston (20) WHERE Somerset West SIZE OF VEGGIE GARDEN 30m² Christine and Ton’s extensive garden provides a wonderful retreat from the world around them. And since transforming a small, unused patch of lawn next to their house into a kitchen garden, they also enjoy a bounty of fresh veggies and herbs. The kitchen garden – a makeover project that Christine entered in our annual Fix it with Flair competition – is only a few months old, but the Veens say they cannot imagine their life without it. “My husband and I, with the help of our gardener Gibson Msipha, tackled the garden makeover together. This part of the property was the last to receive attention. We…

Q: To use water wisely, I’d like to install drip irrigation in my bed of ‘Burning Sky’ and ‘Bewitched’ hybrid tea roses. Is this a good idea? Drip irrigation is not ideal for roses in gardens for several reasons. During a drought, the roots develop close to the dripper but with prolonged rain, new roots will develop and stretch into previously dry soil only to shrivel once the rainy period has ended. This can be overcome by having two or three emitters per rose bush. Spacing depends on the type of soil. In soil with a good clay content, the water will move sideways and the irrigated area will be much larger. In sandy soil, more drippers need to be installed. Drippers can get blocked and with a lot of…

In classic French cuisine, gratin Dauphinoise is a potato dish made with thinly-sliced potatoes slow-baked in the oven with cream, garlic and nutmeg. Purists question whether cheese should even be added, but a sprinkling of Parmesan really lifts the dish. Herbed garlic butter for steak Makes about 8 servings Preparation time: 10 minutes •  240g butter, at room temperature• 2 whole garlic bulbs, roasted*• 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped• 10ml Dijon mustard• 15ml small capers• 15ml each chopped fresh chives, flat-leaf parsley and basil• sea salt flakes and freshly-ground black pepper to taste Beat the butter for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Squeeze the soft, roasted garlic out of the skins and add it, along with the rest of the ingredients, to the butter; beat until blended. Spoon the butter onto a piece…

For meat-free Mondays Crumbed or Original Denny Mushroom Burgers (four portions per 320g box at R39.99 from major retailers) are the perfect convenience food – keep them in your freezer for a quick and easy dinner! Visit denny.co.za. Homemade with love Food for Friends & Family (R385; Human & Rousseau) by Nicky Stubbs is all about cooking from the heart for those you love; from simple meals and childhood favourites to sumptuous classics with a twist, the recipes are beautiful and easy to prepare. A creative collaboration Pichulik and Lady Bonin’s Tea now share a retail space at 44 Stanley in Jo’burg, so you can shop for bespoke accessories and beautifully crafted teas in one place! Visit ladyboninstea.com. Get set! Sagaform Oval Oak -piece steel with oak handles (R300, vendange.co.za)…

WINNING LETTER A place in my heart Dr EN Nokaneng of Milnerton in Cape Town writes On the eve of the cremation of my late Great Aunt Marriam (Koko as I used to call her) in November 2015, I went to the garage to look for something and there in the midst of all her stuff lay her coffee table with its legs turned up – it had gathered a lot of dust. I rushed back into the house to ask my uncle whether he had any use for it. “It’s useless!” was his response and he didn’t hesitate to say I could be the next owner. After all, I was Koko Marriam’s favourite great-niece and I suppose he knew that his mother wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d…

Prêt-à-pot A collection of flower-filled glass containers (left), instead of one central arrangement, is a smart way to decorate with what you have on hand. Choose containers with interesting shapes – big and small, tall and short – and put single stems or mini bunches of red blooms in each. We’ve grouped together gladioli, red roses, snapdragons, Hypericum berries and celosia, offset by greenery from bleeding hearts, bulbinella and sage. [ MAKE YOUR OWN TERRARIUM ] Defoliate a few pliable willow branches and line the inside of a glass jar with them (a little water at the bottom of the jar will prevent the branches from drying out). A mini terracotta pot planted up with a herb adds the finishing touch. Play it cool Your Valentine’s arrangement doesn’t have to…

We had an absolute blast at this year’s Fix it with Flair prize-giving with 150 guests all excitedly awaiting the big news. Tears of joy, plenty of inspiration and tons of fun – including a powerful performance by muso Heinz Winckler and his wife Aletté-Johanni – made a hot, sunny day in November one of the coolest in the Cape… Here, we showcase the Top 3 contenders and their prize-winning transformations. Feast your eyes on their renovations and be inspired to get stuck into your own makeovers – or enter your handiwork in this year’s competition if the hard slog is already done. Find details in our March issue.…

Dewald and Erika van Zyl Their entry CATEGORY Guest cottage WHERE Prince Albert SIZE 35.5m² In the quaint Karoo town of Prince Albert, Dewald and Erika van Zyl’s Ta Mala cottages have become a popular choice amongst city slickers. And judging by their latest addition, a clever renovation of what was once a poky flat-roofed “brakdak” (a mud-roofed house typical of the Karoo), it’s no wonder folks in search of starry skies choose to stop here. The 35m2 cottage, fondly referred to as Meerkat, is rustic yet comfy with oodles of platteland charm. With all the respect due to a 200-year-old heritage building, the structure’s original façade was kept largely intact, while the interior was transformed entirely – a labour of love that took them just under seven weeks. Walls…

PART # 1 Make your stamp You will need TOOLS • pen• carbon paper• masking tape• contact adhesive• wood-carving tools SHOPPING LIST • stamp template (download it at homemag.co.za)• 21 x 21cm lino (available at craft shops)• 21 x 21cm offcut timber QUICK PROJECT GUIDE Hard labour 3/10 Skill level 3/10 Time needed 3.5 hours Do it yourself for ± R1 730 (A4 lino R80, paint R250/L, 3 x 4m canvas R490, non-slip rug pad R159.99) Psst! If you don’t want to make your own stamp, you can buy one online from regular Home contributors, homeology.co.za. Get started... Secure the template to your lino with masking tape. Slip the carbon paper between the template and lino sheet and trace the design. Use the wood-cutting tools to carefully cut away all the negative space. Glue the lino onto the…

Wooden floor wisdom Klaas Mokaba of Polokwane writes We’re in the process of building a home and after seeing a picture of what looks like a wooden ceiling (and floor if it’s a double-storey) in one of your issues, we’re considering installing something similar. I’ve never used wooden flooring before and I’d like to know a bit more about it, such as how durable it is and how to maintain it. Can you help? Frikkie Greeff, managing director of Woodoc, replies The most common types of wood used for flooring in SA are South African pine, saligna or meranti but there are other options, depending on your budget. Depending on the type of wood you choose, it may be less expensive than the second most common flooring option: concrete, which…

Q: What colour are the door frames on page 38 of your October 2016 issue? – Marie-Claire Hand, East London A: Homeowner Sue Greef says they are painted in Plascon Stormy Forecast. Q: I love the use of various shades of grey on the furniture on page 24 of your October 2016 issue. Which colours were used? – Sonia Cupido, Bloemfontein A: The grey sofa is painted with Plascon Cashmere in Paris Paving, the coffee table with Annie Sloan Paris Grey and the dresser with Plascon V elvaglo in black.…

Love knows no bounds Jeffrey the Beagle and Jazzy the Jack Russell are inseparable. – Traci Viljoen, Fish Hoek Yin and Yang Bovril and Flower love to cuddle up. – Gerrida Lange, Durbanville Cuddling cuties Tori and Zara enjoy a nap under Granny’s blanket. – Ruda Wessels, Stellenbosch Snooze fest Just a few days old but Bilbo and Baloo are already BFFs. – Iwan Schoeman, Upington NEW on the market! This sturdy hammock (R455, apetslife.co.za) is sure to be your kitty’s favourite perch and scratching post. It’s infused with catnip, so your furry friend will love the scent! Ready for action Snoop Dog and Slush Puppy get all dressed up for Valentine’s Day. – Dean Naidoo, Johannesburg Close for comfort Lilac Point Tonkinese Kitkat (behind) and Siberian Forest cat Artikatz…

NUTRIENTS • If your soil is healthy, your roses will grow well. I give my roses good homemade compost once a year in winter. In addition, each rose gets a handful of composted poultry manure such as Atlantic Fertiliser’s Bio Ocean. Every three months thereafter the roses are fed with an organic fertiliser such as Bio Ganic All Purpose. • Apply a foliar feed such as Nitrosol, Seagro, earthworm tea or the liquid fertiliser Go Organic Guano every two weeks. Mix it with a preventative fungicide (see right). This is especially important at the beginning of the season when the leaves are still soft and the nutrients are easily absorbed. • It is harmful to the soil to constantly apply only chemical fertilisers without adding organic matter such as compost,…

Tasks for February By Kay Montgomery 1 A Valentine’s patio The patio is the perfect place for evening romance. The sound of water trickling from a freestanding or wall fountain will add to the ambience. Use trellis panels as screens to provide privacy, protection from wind and vertical support for climbing plants such as scented star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides). Suspend hanging baskets filled with pretty annuals such as pansies, include pots on pedestals to add height, and troughs that help define the edges of the patio with white and pale-coloured flowers and silvery-grey foliage. Don’t forget evening stock (Matthiola bicornis), tuberose, hosta, nicotiana and liliums that release their fragrance in the evening. 2 Autumn colour Let late summer become one of the richest and most colourful seasons in your garden…

Summer rainfall Keep beds mulched and water deeply twice a week, if possible. On hot nights, watering in the evening cools everything down, the leaves dry quickly and won’t develop fungal diseases. Wait until the end of the month, when it is cooler, to fertilise with Vigorosa. Should there be extended rainy weather, spray with Chronos or Rose Protector to prevent black spot. Cape coastal Mulch and water deeply twice a week. Deadhead if necessary but don’t remove too many leaves; they help to shade and cool the roses. Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal coast Mulch beds and water deeply twice a week, if possible. Control pests and fungal disease caused by high humidity by spraying with Ludwig’s Insect Spray mixed with Chronos or Rose Care.…

Chicken korma Under R95 • Serves 4 • Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes •  30ml oil• 1 onion, chopped• 2 carrots, chopped• 5ml each ground cumin, coriander and mustard seeds• 2 green chillies, chopped• 15ml desiccated coconut•  60ml almonds, coarsely chopped• 15ml tomato paste• 4 chicken breasts, cubed• 250ml cream• fresh coriander• steamed jasmine rice, to serve Heat the oil and sauté the onion and carrots until glossy. Mix all the seasoning, coconut, almonds and tomato paste with the chicken. Fry the chicken with the onion, then simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and heat until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has thickened slightly. Sprinkle with coriander and spoon onto the steamed rice. Chicken patties with tomato relish Under R90 • Serves 4 • Preparation time: 35 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes • …

February. We’re celebrating love. If there’s something to be celebrated in a fun way, I’m always first in line to put on my earrings and shoes and The Dress. But at the same time, I also get immensely annoyed at the inane commercial exploitation of that self-same celebration. Valentine’s Day is no exception. The buckets of red roses and shockingly expensive chocolates and other paraphernalia overflowing on store shelves is just as bad as Boney M’s Little Drummer Boy blaring over supermarket speakers from October until late in January. The main reason why I get so irritated with February’s red roses, or red chocolate hearts, is the utterly mundane, unimaginative thinking behind them. Millions of red roses are sold and they all look exactly the same. Millions of red chocolate…

ON THE BOX In season 1 of Critical Listing (starts 7 February on the Home Channel, 176 on DStv), property expert Lisa Colalillo, together with interior and exterior pros Jo Alcorn and Carson Arthur, shares ingenious ideas with homeowners to help them sell their properties for a price that will allow them to buy the real home of their dreams. Check it out! Jo’burg Homemakers Expo 23–26 February: Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg If you’re thinking about renovating, building or redecorating and could do with some advice and inspiration, pop in at the Johannesburg Homemakers Expo. You’ll also find plenty of great new décor ideas and amazing products so you can show your home some love. Now in its 24th year, the expo still promises all the best exhibitors under one roof!…

Who lives here? Nelia de Wet, her daughter Jane, son Stephen and their terrier, Emma WHERE Somerset West SIZE 180m² ORIENTATION North Mirrors create a sense of space and their own pictures. – Nelia When Nelia de Wet bought her house 15 years ago, she realised that the plot provided the perfect opportunity for her to pursue her passion. The then stay-at-home mom of two and part-time painter converted the outbuilding on her plot into a workshop and store – and so Gister, a well-known vintage furniture and décor store in Somerset West, was born. These days, it’s filled with intriguing collectables sourced, and often revamped, by Nelia. A creative at heart, Nelia is living her dream. “Every now and then, I ask myself if I would retire if I…

Clever conversion #1 WHO Abrie and Hanneke Pretorius WHERE Green Point, Cape Town SIZE 35m² OCCUPANCY About 30% in winter and 60% in summer After living in their home in Green Point, Cape Town for one and a half years, Abrie and Hanneke Pretorius decided it was time for a new laundry and garage. And, they reckoned, seeing as they would have to deal with construction work anyway, they might as well convert their basement into a guest room at the same time. “Many of the old Edwardian homes in Green Point have an area about 1m deep under the floor,” says Hanneke. “It’s unused space and we felt that if we could excavate further to add depth – under the supervision of an engineer, naturally – we’d be able…

You will need SHOPPING LIST • one sheet of 18mm plywood, cut to: two pieces of 1 000 x 350mm (base and top) two pieces of 410 x 350mm (sides) one piece of 964 x 410mm (rear) one piece of 450 x 330mm (shelf) one piece of 250 x 330mm (shelf) one piece of 160 x 330mm (strut) one piece of 120 x 330mm (strut) one piece of 410 x 330mm (centre strut) • one packet of 6mm x 40mm chipboard screws • one packet of 8mm x 16mm chipboard screws • wood filler • 150-grit sandpaper • varnish or paint • four 50mm castors with joint plate TOOLS • cordless drill and 3mm drill bit • pencil • tape measure • tri-square • sander • brush • scraper Project…

Q: Where was the red standing lamp on page 24 of your October 2016 issue bought? – Angela McQueen, Meadowridge, Cape Town A: Homeowner Kim Black bought it in the UK from a shop called HomeSense. You can find similar at Illumina (illumina.co.za), K. Light (klight.co.za), Eurolux (eurolux.co.za) and The Lighting Warehouse (lightingwarehouse.co.za). Q: Where can I find the toile wallpaper featured on page 42 of your November 2016 issue and how much does it cost? – Jenny Nichol A: The vinyl wallpaper is Pastoral Theme in Grey from Wallpaper Inn and it costs R699.95 for a 53cm x 10m roll; go to wallpaperinn.co.za. Q: We’re renovating our pool house and I’d love to have the bar stools featured on page 50 of your November 2014 issue; where can I…

A classic claret Cheryl Henwood of Pietermaritzburg writes This wine jug was given to us by my husband’s grandmother many years ago. I’d love to know a bit more about it and how much it might be worth? Karen Shean of Stephan Welz & Co replies It’s called a claret jug and this one boasts a typical shape with its glass body and silver collar and handle. The numbers on the inside of the lid, probably the factory number, suggest that it’s electroplated. CIRCA Unfortunately, I’m not able to give a date or location as there are no hallmarks. VALUE R400 – R600 A question of time Mos van Schoor of Somerset West writes We inherited this wall clock and it still works but the only detail on it is…

These annuals and perennials will add colour and height to your garden with their showy flowers on long, slender stems. Lamb’s tail Once you have lamb’s tail (Verbascum) in your garden, you’ll always have it. This annual or perennial self-seeds readily; leave the seedlings where they come up or transplant to your desired flowerbeds. From late spring into summer, Verbascum’s long stalks are covered with small flowers that open up from the base of the stem. Yellow- or white-flowered Verbascums are more common than those in shades of pink. Get seeds from a friend or buy plants at your local nursery. Plant them in a sunny spot in well-drained soil. The good news is that poor soil is not a problem for this plant – it will flower well without…

Roses are tough and very little kills them, except if they lose their leaves because of black spot or red spider infestation. What kills roses is sunburn on the bare stems that turns into stem canker. Spider mite activity is a sure sign of drought or, rather, a slowing down of sap flow. However, it can also occur after rainy weather if the water doesn’t drain away, which causes the hair roots to die. The uptake of water is immediately reduced and the sap flow becomes more concentrated with sugars etc. This is the signal to the spider mite to start laying eggs. What to look for… • The leaves start to become finely stippled with yellow from the base of the bush upwards. When you notice this, pick a…