SA Garden and Home

home comforts

As I’m writing this, it’s still not clear whether we’ll be returning to work as normal at the end of the month. Although, will anything be quite normal again? Everyone has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting global economic downturn. We apologise for the absence of our May issue. In order to keep the printing and distribution staff out of harm’s way, Caxton Magazines decided not to print it. But we hope that our free digital mini-magazines made up for this in some small way. However, the lockdown has had a few benefits. Most of us have had to master new computer skills in order to communicate, especially those of us working remotely. And I discovered that you have to be aware of what you’re doing and looking…

home front

LIGHT FANTASTIC Online store Modern Gesture’s contemporary light fittings mix timber, metal and woven threads in standout pieces that add a touch of modern African style. Their new range of wall lights are ideal for a study or reading corner and double as art.moderngesture.co.za DESIGN Icon The new Signature II wallpaper collection epitomises GP & J Baker’s rich design heritage. Take the archival Chifu ‒ inspired by an 18th-century dragon robe. This statement design is offset by gorgeous ikats, trellis patterns and stunning florals. See the range at St Leger & Viney.stleger.co.za I’ll meet you in SEVILLE Capturing all the ebullience of southern Spain, Cole & Son’s Seville wallcoverings are a sheer delight. From flamenco fans and Mudéjar architecture to tile motifs and vibrant botanicals, each detailed design creates a bold, graphic statement. Available from…

steeling the limelight

AT A GLANCE THE ARCHITECT AND CLIENT: Marcus Smit of Marcus Smit Jacobs Architects. THE BRIEF: To explore the architect’s creativity within the confines of a simple, steel-framed structure. THE HOUSE: A single storey with open-plan dining and kitchen area as well as a sunken living room. A mezzanine floor accommodates two of the four bedrooms and a study. This country home in Grabouw, designed by architect Marcus Smit, has won a wealth of accolades. There are several key elements that have assured its success, first of which was careful consideration of the site. “I built the house with Albert Venter, a talented landscape architect now practising in Nelspruit,” says Marcus. “We decided to set the house fairly far back on the 5 000m² property in order to have a large front garden onto which…

land and sky

Tell us about your artistic background. I’ve always wanted to be an artist, so every decision in my life has led to becoming one. While raising my four children, art was mostly on the side. I used it as a way to illustrate the songs I sang to my children or poems and stories I wrote. I quit my job in May last year to paint full time and haven’t looked back. Describe your style. It’s exploratory and unhibited. I don’t like to be precious about it; I have let go of the pressure to create ‘great’ art, allowing myself freedom and experimentation. I use pen and ink, as well as oil paint, which I use in thin layers called ‘washes’, building up in stages until I’ve achieved the effect I’m…

season of mists

SOURCES Bespoke Home bespokehome.co.za Designers Guild designersguild.com Home Fabrics homefabrics.co.za KARE kare-design.com KNUS knus.co Mwanzo Lifestyle mwanzolifestyle.com SHF shf.co.za The Lighting Warehouse lightingwarehouse.co.za Volpes volpes.co.za WIN! We’re giving away a copy of Out of the Blue, Fifty Years of Designers Guild. To enter, visit gardenandhome.co.za and click on WIN. SUPPLIED PRODUCTS ARE SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY ANDPRICES WERE CHECKED AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT. SEE PAGE 2.…

expert tips

Tricia Guild OBE, founder and creative director of Designers Guild, has these tips for using wallpaper murals Always balance bold colours and prints with white. In my view, highly decorated walls require masses of white and neutrals throughout the room. Use a clean-lined, white sofa to add modernity. The large white expanse allows the pattern and the palette to sing and balances richness perfectly. Identify your favourite colours in the wallpaper and use these as counterpoints in the room. Shades should dance off one another in a variety of textures, patterns and plains. If you are wary of large-scale prints and patterns, I suggest a design that isn’t completely plain, but mimics texture with beautiful washes of tonal colour, like our hand-painted Suisai design. This features open skies with rich colour towards the…