Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2015 i Home

And that’s how it was with the Calitzdorp house, one of the eco homes featured in this, our annual ‘green’ issue. A colleague brought the house to our attention months ago and it was unanimous: time to climb into the Home bakkie, drive to the Karoo and photograph it. And this was long before Eskom started load-shedding again. Little did we know how appropriate it would be to tell the story of a family that lives completely off the grid with no municipal services – instead, everything is provided by Mother Nature. It’s a combination of factors that makes this Calitzdorp home so appealing to me. Firstly, the glorious stoep with its views of the Karoo; secondly, the décor – just look at the wonderful sofas made of recycled pallets…

Watch this space! BUSINESS Mariaan Kotze Art WHO Mariaan Kotze WHERE Parys, Free State HER WORK Mariaan describes her work as functional art – and don’t be surprised if you find a side table with wings or a cabinet with human-like legs among her pieces. “I try to keep to playful, unique designs with a tongue-in-cheek approach – I never take myself too seriously!” she says. Other work includes notebooks, handbags, vintage prints on steel plates and scatter cushions – and she paints original artworks on canvas and furniture. Best of all? You can also commission Mariaan to make you something special – for yourself or as the perfect gift! • Find her at the En Style building in Parys, Free State or visit mariaankotzeart.co.za. Hot products New from Ambiente…

By far the most important aspect of their home is the passive solar design and orientation of the house, says Dave. In winter, the windows and roof overhangs let maximum sunlight in, which warms the structure. In summer, the overhangs keep the sun out and the interior remains lovely and cool. Other ‘green’ elements include Building materials with low embodied energy This term describes the amount of energy used in the production and delivery of building materials – in the Mullers’ case, they kept it low by sourcing timber from local sawmills and using earth from their plot for the walls. Good natural lighting No supplementary daytime lighting is required. Minimal impact on vegetation No indigenous trees were felled to build the house, and all new plants are indigenous. They…

QUICK PROJECT GUIDE Hard labour 3/10 Skill level 4/10 Time needed ± 2 hours Finished size ± 600mm (H) x 625mm (W) x 420mm (D) Do it yourself for less than R50: rope, screws and sandpaper (pallets excluded) Project notes • Remember to drill pilot holes.• Sanding the pallet wood ahead of time will make the project so much easier.• Look out for old pallets at markets or greengrocers and make your entire rack from recycled wood. Shopping list • pallet wood (± 20 x 80mm); cut to:· ten 400mm lengths (drawer runners)· four 600mm lengths (legs)· two 550mm lengths (bottom spacers)· two 530mm lengths (drawer stops)· five 590mm lengths (top)· one 625mm length (top front)· two 420mm lengths (top sides)· six 500mm and six 350mm lengths, as well as fifteen 390mm lengths (drawers)• one…

Some like it hot Gill Dewar of Johannesburg writes I recently bought a wood-burning cast-iron stove and I’ve heard varying opinions on its installation and whether or not I need a fireplace surround. Some say the flue should be exposed for the heat to be more evenly distributed around the room; others maintain it should be built into a decorative fireplace surround. I prefer the surround, but I don’t want to compromise the heat distribution. It seems all wood-burners in the UK are built with a surround, but in SA they’re freestanding. What should I do? Andrew Balding from Morsø Fireplaces replies A closed-system wood-burning stove such as yours is far more effective when positioned freestanding in a room – it will radiate heat from all its surface areas, including…

Where the grass is greener Elzette writes I planted LM grass in my garden and it’s now well established. As the trees have grown bigger, the grass beneath them has died. I tried Shade Over but with little success. Can you tell me what type of grass will grow in the shade beneath the trees – I want something robust. JJ replies If Shade Over and kikuyu didn’t work, it’s probably the tree that’s the problem. Trim some of the branches to allow more light through, dig out some of the superficial roots, mix compost into the soil and try again. Winter woes Sarie Coffee of Klerksdorp writes I’d really appreciate some advice on watering my garden during the winter months. We have a large garden with a borehole. In…

Enquire at your nursery 1 Trees of the Year Celebrate Arbor Week (1–7 September) by planting one or both Trees of the Year. The common Tree of the Year is forest bushwillow (Combretum kraussii), a small to medium, fast-growing tree. It grows best in shady areas in gardens with a mild to warm climate. Its non-invasive root system makes it ideal for small gardens and planting along driveways and avenues. It bears dense spikes of small creamy-white flowers from August to November, followed by clusters of pinkish-red fruits in autumn and bright red to purple leaves in winter. The rare Tree of the Year is parsley tree (Heteromorpha arborescens), so called because when its leaves are crushed, they smell similar to parsley or parsnip. It is also a small to…

Mealie pap tart Under R90 • Makes 1 square tart Preparation time: 15 minutes • Cooking time: 40 minutes • 1 litre milk• 3–5ml salt or to taste• 250ml maize meal• 60ml sour cream• 250ml cooked corn kernels• 50g Parmesan cheese, grated• 15ml olive oil• 250g bacon, chopped• 250g baby marrows, cut into ribbons• 150g mushrooms 1 Line a square dish with wax paper. Bring the milk and salt to the boil in a medium-sized pot. Stir in the maize meal, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer slowly for 30 minutes (or follow the instructions on the packet). Stir occasionally. Stir in the sour cream, corn and Parmesan cheese. Spoon into the prepared dish. 2 Fry the bacon until crispy, followed by the baby marrow ribbons and mushrooms. Spoon over the pap. Lift the tart out of…

WINNING LETTER Bright and cheerful Daphne Bennett of Hartbeespoort writes I’ve been a fan of Home magazine for years and I have shelves and shelves of back copies. In recent years, however, I have enjoyed getting my magazine electronically on my tablet which I carry around with me for quick inspiration when I have a few spare minutes to browse. A friend popped over for coffee one morning and instead of sitting and chatting, she rolled up her sleeves and we pulled out my sample pots of Annie Sloan paint and got creative in a corner of my farmhouse kitchen. I’d bought the paint quite a while ago and my friend, knowing my tendency to procrastinate, really helped to get me going! I love how bright and colourful this area…

Colour and fragrance Nasturtiums, fennel, daffodils and roses – even blossoms and flowers from the trees in your spring garden – are the ideal starting point for a striking arrangement in your home. Add some tulips or peonies to create a colourful focal point in celebration of spring. “Choose flowers with different shapes and colours,” advises Hermien Coetzee of Flowers in the Foyer in Stellenbosch. And don’t be in a hurry to trim long-stemmed flowers; a few blooms standing out above the rest make for an interesting informal arrangement. I believe in pink...– Audrey Hepburn Blushing beauties Peonies come in shades of white, blush pink, cerise, deep red, coral and yellow. Their flowering season in South Africa is very short, usually only from late spring to mid-November. Spoil yourself, but…

Living off the grid is something the Lowes have always been interested in. “We’ve always wanted to build an off-the-grid ecofriendly home,” explains Jackie. “Shannon saw it as a personal challenge! We had the river right there and the Karoo sun to work with, so it seemed like a logical step. Plus the site was incredibly remote, so we had no other option.” The eco features they incorporated include a self-contained solar power system, solar e-glazed glass, French drains, grey-water usage, a 4m-high single-pitched roofline with extraction windows on the elevated side, and wood cladding on the sun-exposed portions of the house. This eliminates direct sunlight onto the brick and cement structure, which helps keep the house cool. Their water comes from the river. Shannon says that installing the solar…

Granny Goose’s sumptuous range of feather and down duvets will keep you warm in winter and cool in summer, so you don’t need any additional heating or cooling systems for your bedroom. All duvets and pillows come with a 100% cotton down-proof casing with a thread count of 230 or higher, making your duvet durable while allowing your skin to breathe. Natural-fill bed linen will always look puffed up and inviting, and quality fillings like those sourced by Granny Goose ensure that the bedding lasts a lifetime. This durability is also lighter on the environment as you won’t need to replace your purchases for the next 30 years! “All Granny Goose feathers and down are sourced from ethical suppliers and are a by-product of the meat industry, so no animals…

Do you have an old piece of furniture like this cupboard that needs a new lease on life? Tuis | Home Dirty Hands Chalky Décor Paint is just what you need to get the job done! This tired cupboard was revamped with four of the colours in our new paint range. You can do the same. Simply brush on the paint, apply some wax – and voila! • Find the order form on page 77. We used these four colours... Carbon Fern Metal Scarlet Get started... 1 Paint the cupboard frame with a coat of Slate. This dark base colour will accentuate the aged appearance when the lighter colour is applied over it. One coat of paint should be enough, but you can apply two coats if you prefer. 2…

Q: Where did Diaan Naude get the painting of the two boys on page 25 of your June 2015 issue and who is the artist? – Carla Rossouw, Cape Town A: The painting is of Diaan’s sons and it was done by Rache Gerber. Buy her art at Absolut Art (021 914 2846, absolutart.co.za). Q: Where can I find the strip of faces featured in the kitchen on page 17 of Home Paint It? – Yvette Enslin, Pretoria A: The homeowner kept these vinyl stickers of the Fornasetti faces for years until she found the right spot for them. Take a look at Smart Art (021 447 0872, smartart.co.za). Q: I absolutely love the French flair in your May 2015 issue; which floor tiles were used on page 66 for…

Sweeten the pot Pepper’s not keen to give up her special pot just for some silly greenery. – Alé Smal, Potchefstroom Rockin’ ’n rollin’ Siamese cat Spike inspects the perfect pink blooms in the rockery. – Tercha Hansen, Hartbeespoort Poppy love Sabrina’s found her favourite spot in the garden. – Belinda Stevens, Johannesburg Queen of the veld Border Collie Khaleesi strikes the perfect pose among the wildflowers. – Ruda Wessels, Vleesbaai Look him up on Instagram for more fun images – just search for ‘Knoffel’! Hashtag hound Miniature Bull Terrier Knoffel adds some spring cheer to his Instagram account. – Andrea Kuhn, Cape Town Head above water Time to water the garden… Oops, not if Dolsie has anything to do with it! – Martjie du Plessis, Potchefstroom New on the…

Indian hawthorn Indian hawthorn provides a spectacle of flowers from August to October. Two favourites in this species are Rhaphiolepis indica, which bears white flowers with a pale pink blush, and Rhaphiolepis X delacourii ‘Kruschenia’, which bears pink blooms. Even when it isn’t flowering, the foliage of this shrub is beautiful. Plant these hardy shrubs in fairly fertile soil and keep well-watered initially during dry spells. When the shrub is well established, it will need little water. Prune just after the flowering season to keep it neat. Also plant Rhaphiolepis X delacourii ‘Enchantress’ in a small garden. Plant guide Common name Indian hawthorn Botanical name Rhaphiolepis spp. Full sun to semi-shade Drought resistant Frost hardy Wind resistant Evergreen 2m x 1.5–2m (height x width) White confetti bush Its fragrant, delicate…

How to finger-prune roses In September, hybrid tea roses benefit from finger-pruning. This simply entails snapping off the tips or immature buds of a third of the new shoots. This is done to encourage new basal growth and spread out the flowering cycle so there’s an almost continual supply of blooms instead of flushes every two months. It also prevents ‘root shock’ which occurs when most blooms are cut off with long stems within a week. Here’s how to do it: 1 Soft pinch The soft pinch just removes the very tip of still undeveloped folded-up leaves. Using the thumb and pointing finger, pinch out the terminal point of about a third of the new shoots on a bush (five out of 15 stems on a bush). Expect one new…

Curried offal Serves 4 Preparation time: 1 hour (depending on how clean the offal is) Cooking time: 3–4 hours • 1 sheep offal (head, tripe and 4 feet, cleaned)• 2 pig’s trotters, each cut into 3 pieces• zest and juice of 1 lemon• 2 bay leaves• 6 allspice pods• 4 cloves• 4 sheep tongues• 4 slices lamb neck• 3 potatoes CURRY PASTE • 30ml oil• 2 onions, chopped• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed• 1 knob ginger, peeled and finely chopped• 2 cinnamon sticks• 2 star anise• 2 red chillies, finely chopped• 6 cardamom pods, cut open• 15ml coriander• 10ml cumin• 5ml fennel• 15ml turmeric• 1ml cloves 1 Using a spoon, scoop out the brains from the sheep’s head and set aside in a bowl. Remove the honeycomb tripe from the offal and wrap it around the brains. Fasten this bundle with string; not too tight, otherwise it will tear. Soak the rest…

Café crowd The Hertex Fabrics showroom in Kramerville, Jo’burg now has a brand new Munch Café where you can browse home décor products with the aroma of fresh coffee and bread in the air. Open for breakfast, lunch and teatime treats, find them at 16 Kramer Road, Kramerville, Gauteng or call 011 463 7056. Check out hertex.co.za. Spring fresh Celebrate spring by adding a touch of Cool Mint – the fresh new addition to the Le Creuset colour family – to your kitchen. Available in stores from 1 September. Side show Get these beautiful Ruan Hoffmann side plates for R95 each at Woolworths. Named Josephine, Louis and Anna, it’s like having friends over! Au naturel Almond Breeze (from R34.95, available at leading supermarkets), an all-natural alternative to dairy, is low-fat…

Join Le Creuset at their grand Cuppa for CANSA tea parties: 12 September in Johannesburg at the Polo Room, Inanda Club; 26 September in Cape Town at the Mount Nelson Hotel. Tickets cost R350; go to lecreuset.co.za/events. Madame Zingara: The Celebration 1–26 September: Grand Parade, Cape Town The award-winning dinner theatre is back in Cape Town! Madame Zingara celebrates 15 years of magic with a brand new show, new upper-level balconies, opulent interiors and dazzling pyrotechnic displays. Ticket prices vary from R650 to R1 250 and include canapés, welcome drinks, and a four-course dinner. Call 0861 623 263 or visit theatreofdreams.madamezingara.com. Heads up ! The Jo’burg show opens 4 November at Montecasino. 2015 Pretoria Homemakers Expo 17–20 September: Parkview Shopping Centre, Pretoria East It’s back and even better than before…

The house HOMEOWNERS Dawie Human and Henning de Bruin WHERE Bloemfontein SIZE 100m2 ORIENTATION North BUILDING MATERIALS Steel frame construction, bricks and concrete CONSTRUCTION COSTS R5 800/m2 With its red clay finish and organic lines, Dawie Human and Henning de Bruin’s home outside Bloemfontein feels as if it quietly rose from the earth one morning and, just like the hills surrounding it, has been a part of these plains for years. But it is only once you enter the front door of their home, next to their guesthouse ‘Liedjiesbos’, that the house reveals its intriguing features: a kitchen made from recycled wood, galvanised steel sheeting separating the rooms, a central living area in the middle of two circular rooms that house the main bedroom and study. And that’s exactly how…

The house HOMEOWNERS Dave and Sandy Muller WHERE Close to Gonubie, 20km north of East London SIZE 200m2 on a 1 020m2 plot ORIENTATION North BUILDING MATERIALS Rammed earth walls and timber CONSTRUCTION COSTS R7 400/m2 “Eventually” is a rather unusual name for a seaside home, but it all makes perfect sense when you discover that homeowner Dave Muller built it over a five-year period – with his own two hands! The foundations of Dave and his wife Sandy’s home were laid way back in 2009, but it was only in April last year that they could finally move in. A firm believer that the house should not only be sustainable but look good too, Dave, a semi-retired architect, approached its design meticulously, taking into consideration its impact on the…

Susan took on the role of project manager and moved from Cape Town to Jeffreys Bay for two years. She drew up plans for the L-shaped house with assistance from a free internet program called Google SketchUp, then enlisted the help of architect Marco Bezzoli of Archilab. “He improved my design 100%,” she says, laughing. Susan is writing a manual on sandbag homes that will be available on her blog at sandbaghouseinjbay.wordpress.com in October. 1 The first step is to dig the foundations, as you would for a regular house. The foundations of Jakkie’s home were packed with sandbags filled with ordinary building sand and cement in a ratio of 9:1. However, Cape eco architect and consultant Andy Horn recommends a regular masonry foundation. 2 The walls consist of an…

Stretch the canvas over the frame Get started 1 Make a simple pine frame or buy one at a craft store. 2 Cut the canvas bigger than the frame; leave enough surplus so that you can pull the canvas tightly over the frame and staple it to the back of the frame. 3 First pull the canvas over the long sides of the frame. Staple it in the middle of each side. 4 Then pull the canvas over the short sides. Tip If your frame is bigger than A4, you will also have to staple the canvas on either side of the central staples before you do the corners. 5 Start at one corner. Fold the canvas at the corner of the frame (like you would when wrapping a gift).…

What a find! Mathilda Botha of Albertinia writes I’m very fond of antiques and bought this small box a while ago from a lady who was moving. Can you tell me anything about it? Jo-Marie Rabe, furniture historian and co-owner of Piér Rabe Antiques, replies What an interesting find! These boxes are very popular with collectors of Anglo-Boer War memorabilia. During the Anglo-Boer War, captured Boer soldiers were detained in POW camps. The English feared the prisoners would escape with the help of sympathetic members of the public, so they sent them to camps in other English colonies, including St Helena. There were also camps in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Bermuda and India. By the end of the war there were a total of 9 000 prisoners in the 14…

Gardening tips for September • In the winter rainfall region, as rains come to an end, conserve moisture in the soil and reduce dust by growing groundcovers and adding a layer of mulch around plants. • Prune fuchsias once danger of frost has passed by cutting out any frost-damaged stems; leave three to four healthy leaf buds per stem. Continue to pinch back growing tips to encourage more flowers. • As blossoms appear on citrus trees, water deeply once a week, making sure water extends to the drip line of the branches. • For patches of bright colour in the summer garden, scatter seed of cosmos, linaria, marigold, zinnia, dwarf nasturtium and sunflower, or buy ready-mix packets of summer annuals. Sprinkle seed sparingly in a sunny position in soil that’s…

Buttermilk fried chicken The taste of deep-fried crispy chicken always reminds me of my Granny Magda; it was a special treat for her grandchildren. Makes 16 drumsticks Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus overnight to marinate Cooking time: 40 minutes • 16 chicken drumsticks• 500ml self-raising flour• 15ml each ground cumin and coriander• 5ml each salt and cayenne pepper• oil for deep-frying MARINADE • 500ml buttermilk• 25ml Dijon mustard• 5ml salt• pinch black pepper• pinch cayenne pepper 1 Put the chicken and marinade ingredients in a plastic bag and rub all over. Tie a knot in the bag and refrigerate overnight. Remember to let the chicken get back to room temperature before you cook it. 2 Heat the oil for deep-frying. Mix the flour and spices together in another plastic bag. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, one by one,…

Once upon a time, in the basement of a young Cavendish Square in Cape Town, was a little room where kids could watch movies and cartoons while mothers rode escalators and shopped. Outside this little ‘theatre’ was Millie’s Sweet and Chocolate Shop. While other kids counted cents (and rands?) for Tex Bars, Chocolate Logs and later Caramello Bears, I saved mine for the Belgian Truffles. I would have to save up more, giving up the boxes of Smarties and Bar-Ones for a single bite into the chocolate from another world! It’s not exactly that I’m a chocolate snob. But I enjoy chocolate the way I enjoy reading or watching an epic movie – I want to be immersed in another world. Chocolate does that for me. It takes me to…

I was born under the star sign of Sagittarius. According to astrologers, all Sagittarians are insatiable travellers, and yes, that is true. We always have a restlessness in our bones, a restive mind, a melancholic longing for a different destination. We always want to be elsewhere, to be drinking other water, hearing other languages, listening to other music. We have a need to travel. For years, I travelled alone. I sat in old, dark pubs listening to Irish music, in overheated Polish restaurants eating cold borscht, travelled by train with a group of unruly gypsies through the Czech Republic. In the streets of Buenos Aires, I watched beautiful women with smouldering eyes and high heels dancing the tango; flitting over the cobblestones, never putting a foot wrong. After many years,…