Innehållsförteckning för January 2017 från Home

In December 2015, I decided I was going to enjoy a stay-at-home holiday. I was simply too exhausted to make arrangements or organise anything – and on top of it all, there were chores that still needed my attention. And we all know that the new year usually brings a whole new set of challenges. Big mistake. It eventually turned into a long, drawn-out Christmas break full of workers and paint tins and endless visits to the hardware store (often unsuccessful because at that time of the year everything is usually sold out and it’s a case of “Sorry sir, the suppliers are closed now...”). In fact, one of the doors in my house still has an old latch because by the time the end of the year rolled around…

[WATCH THIS SPACE!] WHO Donald Nxumalo WHERE Johannesburg HIS WORK Hertex Fabrics has joined forces with interior designer Donald Nxumalo to produce the A-List, a collection of fabrics that showcases rich textures, metallic hues and glittering embellishments. His inspiration? The City of Gold. “You can’t think of Jo’burg without glamorous metallics and sparkles,” Donald says. “The wonder of fabric is that it allows anyone to experience luxury; whether you cover an entire sofa or a scatter cushion, it allows you to completely transform a space and tap into a glamorous lifestyle – no matter your budget. That’s what I aim to achieve with this collection.” A-List fabric starts at R605/m; go to hertex.co.za. [HOT PRODUCTS] We love monoshop.co.za  for all things Scandi – like this minimalist…

 Who lives here? Bridget Impey and Maggie Davey We love the feeling of bringing the outdoors inside. – Bridget WHERE Suurbraak, Overberg SIZE 87m² ORIENTATION North For many years, going on holiday meant leaving one busy city (Johannesburg) for another (Cape Town). But Bridget Impey and Maggie Davey longed for a real escape, so they decided to build their own dream holiday home – a small and secluded off-the-grid cabin in the mountains surrounding Suurbraak. “Here, families still grow their own vegetables, young men ride bareback through the village and everyone swims together in the Buffeljags River,” says Bridget. The pair bought the 1 800m² plot surrounded by a grove of Boekenhout trees about 3km from the town centre in 2004. “We found the area wild and idyllic, and it…

 Who lives here? Johan and Madeleine Smuts and their three adult children WHERE Vleesbaai SIZE 292m2 What’s the one thing a house needs in order to feel like home? For Johan and Madeleine Smuts of George it’s a seamless flow between the interior and exterior – so synonymous with a South African lifestyle. “With an abundance of sunny days – and our love of braaiing – this was a top priority for us,” says Johan. The Smuts’ holiday home in Vleesbaai flows from the living room to the kitchen and out to the braai area. Huge sliding doors make the interior living areas and the exterior feel like one big space and with large windows that open onto a counter just outside the kitchen, no one is ever excluded from…

ANNIE SAYS “I sometimes come across really old, beaten-up pieces of furniture, particularly chests of drawers, which have layers of paint that often finish with a modern, brightly painted colour. They look as if someone has tried to scrape off the coloured paint, but given up halfway through, revealing all the layers underneath. I really appreciate these ‘chance’ layers, random markings, and hints of other colours in places. “This is quite different to the subtle, worn look of old painted pieces in muted colours. It is a much more robust and rugged look in clear colours. I find it particularly appealing when the colours are quite strong; perhaps it’s a little to do with an appreciation of modern abstract painting. “This old, mahogany-veneer piece was in very bad shape and…

Replanting pincushions Danie Zeelie of Reebok in the Western Cape writes I have two pincushion plants that are currently in full bloom but I need to move them – we’re erecting a wall at our home and they’re both in the way. Is it OK for me to move them now? I’m concerned that they won’t recover after replanting. JJ replies Pincushions, like proteas, don’t care much for replanting. If you have to do it, I’d suggest waiting until early winter when they enter a resting period. Cut away two-thirds of the branches to facilitate growth and water well after you’ve moved them to the new spot in your garden. An unruly mess! Patsy Crisp of Cape Town writes I live in a ground-floor flat and just outside is a…

Layla Basson of Johannesburg writes Which type of dog is most suitable for young children? Dr Quixi Sonntag, an animal behaviour specialist and member of the South African Veterinary Association, and Dr Magdie van Heerden, a human-animal interaction practitioner/veterinary social worker, offer the following advice: • Large and very boisterous dogs such as Labradors or Retrievers can easily knock over a small child and in spite of being very lovable, can cause trauma in a household if they’re too enthusiastic and aren’t taught how to exercise self-control. • A small dog isn’t necessarily better: some of the smaller terriers, for example, can be too lively and even snappy with little kids. • Small dog breeds such as miniature Pinschers, and rabbits, are often a bad choice for very young children…

How to grow This hardy, drought-tolerant plant likes full sun and fertile soil that drains well. Once acclimatised, plants grow quickly, up to 50cm high and 40cm wide. Use in the garden at the back of a flowerbed with Japanese anemones and campanulas or in the herb garden with garlic chives, oregano and thyme. They flower towards the end of summer into autumn. Established plants reseed freely and the seedlings transplant easily. Tip of the month Plants will do better over the winter months if they are not cut back until spring. Did you know? Bees and butterflies love the flowers of anise hyssop. Common problems They may suffer from mildew if over-watered or if there is poor drainage. Uses Attracts pollinators to the garden. The flowers dry easily and…

Summer rainfall If rain has fallen, trim roses back or thin out stems if growth is too dense. Water deeply two to three times a week, fertilise with Vigorosa and spray with Ludwig’s Insect Spray mixed with Chronos or Rose Protector to control fungal disease and pests. However, if there is no rain and water restrictions are in place, don’t trim roses. Irrigate them with grey water and apply mulch. Spray with Ludwig’s Insect Spray to control light infestations of red spider and other pests. Cape coastal Use grey water if Level 3 water restrictions are in place and follow the advice for summer rainfall areas. If you have no restrictions, give those roses that are well covered with leaves a light summer prune. Water two to three times a…

Pork sausage rolls •  1 roll (400g) good-quality puff pastry• 8 slices (about 125g) thin ham• 30ml wholegrain mustard• 6 fresh pork bangers, skinned• ½ small white onion, finely chopped• 4 marinated sun-dried tomatoes, chopped• 15ml flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped• 1 egg, whisked• 10ml sesame seeds 1 Roll the dough open on a floured work surface and cut it into two equal lengths. Arrange 4 slices of ham along the length of each strip of pastry and spread 15ml mustard on each strip. Combine all the pork banger meat and roll into two long sausages. Mix the onion, tomatoes and herbs and coat the meat with this mixture. 2 Place a length of sausage on each strip of prepared pastry. Gently roll the pastry over the meat to form two long sausage rolls. Cut each length into four…

Mediterranean tortillas Under R85 • Makes 32 pinwheels • Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes Rolling up tortillas so they don’t come apart and make a mess on hungry passengers’ laps can be quite a challenge! However, using toothpicks helps solve this problem. In a dry pan, lightly toast 8 tortillas, one at a time, on both sides – this makes it easier to handle them and improves the taste. Spread a thick layer of sweet pepper hummus, cream cheese or pesto on each one. Layer 3 slices of ham, thinly sliced cucumber, cheese and a sprinkling of rocket on each tortilla. Roll them up tightly, secure with toothpicks at four places and slice into pinwheels. Pasta salad with chorizo Under R120 • Makes 4 generous servings Preparation…

WINNING LETTER We did it our way Kelly Bayman of East London writes When my husband and I moved into our first home, we couldn’t find any reasonably priced pedestals. Kevin decided to make our floating bedside tables – and the cost was next to nothing! He also thinks I’m a Hollywood star and made this awesome mirror that fits perfectly at my built-in dressing table. Kevin’s décor style is modern and when I told him I wanted my mom’s wooden kist in our spare room, he looked horrified. I love the kist and wanted this sentimental piece in our home. I got inspiration from one of your issues and used grey chalk paint to update it. Needless to say, it’s now a treasured item! Thank you Home for all…

It really is such a joy to have everything at hand when cooking and still be able to enjoy our guests. – Linda Who lives here? Linda Evans and Almarie Mead, their dogs Savannah and Chloe, and a fish called Blue WHERE Sedgefield, Western Cape SIZE 152m² For years, they collected magazine cut-outs of what they wanted their dream home to look like. Their shared Pinterest board featured plenty of country-style décor, Victorian bathrooms, pops of colour against white backgrounds and open-plan spaces with exposed wooden trusses. But the home Linda, a graphic artist, and Almarie, a retired primary school principal, bought in 2014 was an old, wooden house with musty décor, lots of small, gloomy rooms and an unruly garden. “It was a wreck, but we fell in love…

Isabel Barends of Love Lemon Interiors and Liza Louw of Paint Effects reply The first step is to remove everything that doesn’t contribute to the purpose or atmosphere of the space. If construction is a possibility, close up the lapa with stacking doors and windows. This will allow sufficient light into the lapa and help keep dust out, making the space functional in winter and summer. Paint it pretty • For a modern look, plaster the brick walls and paint them: Dulux Sultana Spice 3 (a lovely sandy colour) will give the lapa a neutral appearance. Use bold colours in the finishes to brighten up the area. If you want to be more daring, consider Plascon Tibetan Cloak (a trendy dark grey). Use lots of lanterns, candles and sand-coloured furniture…

For fine dining Terrence Brits of Brackenfell in Cape Town writes I received this six-place dinner service from my aunt, including saucers, cups, side plates, dinner plates, pudding bowls and a couple of bigger bowls. Is it valuable? Ainsley Taylor of Stephan Welz & Co replies In the early 1920s, a company called Noritake, established by two Japanese brothers in 1904, introduced assembly-line techniques and began exporting mass-produced, high quality but affordable dinnerware worldwide. The company is still flourishing today. CIRCA 1920 VALUE R1 000 Keep your cool Rudi Swart of Lynnwood, Pretoria writes I bought this antique fridge in Pretoria in 1970. We used to use it to keep drinks cold at parties: you put ice in the top section and the cold water drips through the fridge, keeping…

We all know that plants have the ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2 ) from the atmosphere but few people realise that we have an indigenous plant in South Africa that absorbs more greenhouse gasses – the cause of global warming – than most other plants. Our indigenous spekboom (also known as porkbush or elephant’s food), from the Portulacaria genus, is more effective at CO2 uptake than even the trees in a tropical rainforest. If you plant this small tree, you’ll be doing the world a favour! Spekboom, with its succulent leaves, is waterwise and needs very little maintenance. And you couldn’t ask for an easier plant to propagate; even if just a leaf or small piece of the plant breaks off and lands on the soil, it will form…

Wild about orchids In summer, many of our indigenous orchids can be seen in forests, alongside streams and in fynbos, grassland and seasonal vleis as their peak flowering time is from the end of December to the beginning of February. They are either terrestrial (growing in the ground) or epiphytic (growing on shrubs or tree branches). If you have a keen interest in our indigenous orchids, don’t miss the Wild Orchids Southern Africa (WOSA) conference taking place at the Dunkeld Country Estate in Dullstroom, Mpumalanga from 20–22 January. The theme of the conference is ‘Getting to Know Our Orchids’ and includes field trips to the Verloren Vallei Nature Reserve, where as many as 55 species of terrestrial orchids have been recorded. Go to wildorchids.co.za for more information. Indoor plant of…

By January, naturally tall-growing roses are towering over our heads, making it difficult to appreciate their blooms. One way of bringing them down to a more manageable size is to undercut the stems over two or three weeks. Undercutting literally means cutting under a current healthy stem. Before undercutting a stem, make sure that it will have healthy green leaves below the cut. Do not leave a bare stem as this will get burnt by the sun and die off. Cut into a stem below the starting point of the upper stem. If you look at a stem, you will see quite clearly how the stems have grown since pruning in July. Don’t undercut all the stems at once as this will reduce the amount of leaves too drastically which…

ON THE BOX The Paleo Way Season 1 (starts 7 January on the Home Channel, 176 on DStv) offers a fascinating look into the Paleo Diet. Celebrity chef Pete Evans will take you on a provocative, flavour-filled journey to discover the way our ancestors ate, with telling interviews from some of the top minds in nutrition today. The Great Moscow Circus is in town! 1; 5–8; 10; 13–14 January: The Mighty Big Top Tent, Montecasino, Jo’burg With a sensational programme featuring 65 circus superstars from Russia and the cream of the international circus world, the Great Moscow Circus is family fun at its best! Committed to a kinder world, the Great Moscow Circus South Africa features no animal acts. Tickets cost R195–R595 from computicket.com; go to greatmoscowcircus.co.za. Pssst! The Great…

On a pedestal Set a table with paper cones filled with flowers for each guest. Not only will they add a colourful touch, but they also make a lovely gift to take home. DIY Deon made the pedestals for the cones by gluing together three pieces of plywood (the one on top has a hole) and painting them white. Use stick-on labels or coat the pedestals with blackboard paint on which you can write each guest’s name. Stick-on labels from MRP Home A sweet deal Every home needs a bowl of candy on hand to satisfy those sweet cravings. In Rial Visagie and Daniel Swanepoel’s Robertson home the candy is displayed in a hanging glass container from Shades of Ngwenya in Johannesburg. Delicious décor! Say it with flowers “I love…

STOCKISTS @home 0860 576 576, home.co.za African Affair africanaffair.net Anne’s Collectables 071 450 6792 Ariella 044 873 4462 Bathroom Bizarre 0861 555 000, bathroom.co.za Bill’s Home Maintenance and Building Services 072 600 3985 Blitsdruk 044 382 2207, blitsdruk.co.za Coricraft 021 508 6200, coricraft.co.za CTM 0800 010 810, ctm.co.za Eagle Lighting 021 511 2640, eaglelighting.co.za Eurolux 011 608 2970, eurolux.co.za FurniT 044 871 45 87, furnit.co.za GC Concrete 044 695 0708, gcconcrete.co.za Hadeda 011 788 9859, hadedashop.com Hot Art 044 343 1123, hotart.co.za Knysna Pottery House 044 382 0259, knysnapotteryhouse.co.za Lula Fabrics 021 797 7472, lulafabrics.com MRP Home 0800 212 535, mrphome.com Pennypinchers 021 927 5000, pennypinchers.co.za Solid Grain 074 657 6260 Stodels 021 919 4040 stodels.com The Lighting Warehouse 011 201 2600, lightingwarehouse.co.za Victorian Side Bathrooms 021 982 0461, victoriansidebathrooms.co.za…

Comfort and convenience All the plans for the interior were carefully considered over several glasses of Gert’s homemade Merlot. Martie recalls: • Gert made steel frames for all the beds and cupboards to ensure that they would be sturdy enough to withstand travelling over rough terrain. • Electricity is Gert’s speciality, so the bus boasts many outlets for USB-, two- and three-point plugs. The ceiling lights presented a challenge due to the limited space between the ceiling and steel roof, but Gert searched long and hard for beautiful individual LED lights and installed them very neatly. • The miniature geyser works with gas, 12V and 220V. We camp in style with hot water in my kitchen and bathroom wherever we go. When we shower, we put up a screen. We…

Repurpose an old tin bucket or a milk can as a comfy, quirky seat... ... or get out your toolkit and build a romantic garden bench for two! PROJECT # 1 Milk can stool What you need SHOPPING LIST • old milk can • 0.5m fabric of your choice • piping in contrasting colour • 60mm high-density foam cut to 320mm diameter • offcut piece of chipboard • contact adhesive • 1m batting • two 4 x 40mm self-cutting screws • two 5 x 20mm penny washers TOOLS • sewing machine • jigsaw • screwdriver • tape measure • scissors • staple gun • pins QUICK PROJECT GUIDE Hard labour 1/10 Skill level 2/10 Time needed 2 hours Do it yourself for ± R305: milk can R200, foam…

Q: Where can I buy the shower arm and head as featured on page 32 of your October issue? – Shelli Palframan A: On Tap (033 345 1647, ontap.co.za) says the shower arm (code: SAC05) is from their supplier Stunning Bathrooms. The shower head is a Croma 100 multi shower rose (code: 28460000) from Hansgrohe. Q: In your November 2015 issue, you did a gardening story featuring St Joseph’s lilies. I’ve looked everywhere for the bulbs – where can I find them? – Leigh Bowker A: JJ van Rensburg, our gardening expert, says that while the plants can be found at most nurseries, the bulbs are usually only available in June. Q: I want to use shades of grey, such as the grey on the wall on page 59 of…

On tap Spikey is a big fan of water – just not sea water! – Estelle Zamudio, Great Brak River Rinse, spin, repeat! Rocket is the poster pooch for wet and messy at Kommetjie beach. – Sarah Cornwell, Cape Town Brain freeze Bella finds a cool spot to chill. – Soretha Botha, Cape Town Up close and personal Brandy’s first encounter with a crab at King’s Beach was hilarious! – Gentle du Plessis, Port Elizabeth Fetch! Molly, Georgie, Daisy and Riley line up for the next tennis ball… – Tanja Bruce, Linden Look into my eyes Mia doesn’t like the beach, but she does have ocean-blue eyes. – Nerina Hayward, Steytlerville NEW! Just like us, pets also need protection from the sun! PetScreen SPF23 (R75, shingavet.co.za) is a broad-spectrum sun-filter…

 Who lives here? Sally Pretorius and Pierre Roode I don’t like digging my flowerbeds over because it disturbs the soil organisms – and my earthworms. – Sally WHERE Heidelberg, Western Cape SIZE 3 200m2 Plump, healthy earthworms are Sally Pretorius’s biggest success. “When I started my garden, some parts of it didn’t even have a single earthworm. Today, they are so big and fat that I sometimes have to look twice to make sure they aren’t tiny snakes!” It may have taken Sally five years to establish her garden in the Western Cape town of Heidelberg but it has become a highly sought-after spot for local residents who want to take photographs for weddings and matric dances. “Ever since I can remember, my mother, Monica van Eck, had a beautiful…

Tasks for January By Kay Montgomery 1 Water-savvy ways Whether you’re experiencing low-rainfall conditions, or have had water restrictions imposed in your area, there are ways to conserve this precious resource in your garden. Try these tips: • Choose the right plants It will take time and money to replace mature trees and shrubs, so these should be given priority in times of water restrictions. Most plants that originate from the winter rainfall region, such as fynbos, and Mediterranean countries, such as lavender, cope with dry summers, while plants that come from regions that receive rain in summer will need watering more regularly. • Group plants with similar water needs together to create different water-use zones. Instead of grouping plants according to their colour or texture, group plants according to…

Q: I want to transplant my ‘Purple Glow’ rose but it’s full of buds. Is this a problem? It’s much better to transplant an established rose in winter when the plant’s water requirements are minimal as it takes a few days for the plant to make new hair roots. Transplanting an older rose in summer is dicey as its widespread root system will be severed during the process and the leaves will wilt within minutes of being dug up – there’s a very slim chance it will regrow in the new position. Younger roses will withstand transplanting a bit better as long as they are dug up with a good root ball that retains a lot of hair roots. Even so, a week before transplanting, cut off all flower buds…

Granadilla squares These delicious treats should still be slightly fudgy on the inside. Makes 23 x 23cm cake Preparation time: 30 minutes Baking time: 45 minutes •  100g butter• 50ml light brown sugar• 1 extra-large egg• 250ml cake flour• 5ml baking powder• 180ml almond flour• 45ml coconut milk TOP LAYER • 150g butter• 200ml brown sugar• 50ml honey• 30ml granadilla pulp• 1 extra-large egg• 100ml cream cheese• 5ml vanilla essence• 200g raspberries• icing sugar, to garnish 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 23 x 23cm rectangular cake tin with baking paper. Whisk the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and whisk until combined. Add the cake flour, baking powder, almond flour and coconut milk and whisk until just combined. Spread the batter on the bottom of the prepared tin. 2 Make the top layer Whisk the butter, sugar…

Marinated calamari salad Serves 4 Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus marinating time Cooking time: less than 1 minute per batch •  1kg fresh or frozen medium calamari tubes and heads• 500ml milk• 15ml lemon juice• 3 bay leaves• 90g baby spinach• 15ml sesame seeds, toasted• 200g baby marrow spaghetti• 2 carrots, cut into ribbons• wasabi mayonnaise (optional) MARINADE • 2 red chillies, seeded and chopped• 15ml sesame oil• 15ml fish sauce• 15ml rice wine vinegar• 30ml lime juice• zest of 1 lime• pinch of brown sugar• 5ml chopped fresh ginger• 1 small clove garlic, chopped (optional)• a handful each of mint and coriander• 3 spring onions, chopped• 15ml low salt soy sauce, or to taste 1 Soak the calamari (fresh or frozen) in the milk for a few hours to tenderise it. 2 Rinse the calamari and pat dry (discard the milk). Bring a pot of water to the boil…

Location, location! The pretty vintage treasures in our ‘Taste of the tropics’ feature (page 108) are from Nerf-Af Waterbankie; they’ve moved to 168 Durban Road, Bellville. Pop in for one-of-a-kind furniture and much more. Find them on facebook.com/ nerf-afvintage. A royal recipe I can’t get enough of the flavoursome new Pesto Princess Sundried Tomato pesto (from R46, pesto.co.za) on sandwiches, pasta, bakes, burgers… Look out for it at supermarkets and delis nationwide. Spice of life Love to cook or know someone who does? The new Nomu Cooks Collection of spices (from R31.95 – R69.95 each) and spice racks (small R399; large R499) will inspire you to punch up the flavour in your kitchen. Visit nomu.co.za. Secret sauce Find Nataniël’s new Apricot products & , such Chimichurri as the Braai Sauce…

HOW TO DO IT 1 Join mysubs.co.za by registering an account or log in if you already have one. 2 Search for ‘Home’, select the issue you are interested in and click on ‘Buy Now’. 3 Click on ‘Add to Cart’ and then ‘Checkout’. 4 On the checkout page, follow the prompts to complete your address details then click on ‘Pay Now’. You can either pay by credit card, debit order, PayU or EFT. 5 Once payment is complete, download the MySubs+ app from the Apple or Google Play store and log in with your MySubs details. Go to ‘My Library’, download the latest issue and read your publication on your tablet or cellphone. For digital queries, call 0861 697 827 or email support@mysubs.co.za. If you subscribe for a year…

A long-held dream of mine recently came true: a a trip to Russia. My initial dream about this mighty country was a teenage fantasy, romantic and completely unrealistic. In my mind’s eye, I was on a train journey across Russia’s endless steppes. I was svelte and stunning with high, Slavic cheekbones. To match my exotic appearance, I had long red nails, an elegant cigarette holder (though I don’t smoke), and a hat with black Chantilly lace casting a shadow of mystery over my eyes. I was tragic and beautiful, just like Tolstoy’s unforgettable heroine, Anna Karenina. During this journey through the snow I was reading Anna Achmatowa’s poetry, staring melancholically out at the winter landscape. There wasn’t a handsome Russian in this flight of fancy, because as a teenager I…