Innehållsförteckning för March/April 2024 från Home

There's something about a homecoming. As exotic and fun as a holiday can be, whether it's to a faraway destination or your favourite Karoo or seaside town in our own beautiful country, home is home, and once you've unpacked your bags and everything's back where it should be… Well, as the saying goes: east, west, home's best. In December, I spent a month travelling in the glorious chaos that is India: delicious curry for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and an abundance of sound, colour and texture. It's an overwhelming, invigorating experience. But it's great to be home again. My own bed, my own linen, my own things. (And the dogs at my feet…) Not having to think about making food for a month was obviously a bonus. I love cooking,…

Send décor and lifestyle news to johane.neilson@tuis.co.za. Unbox your style PnP Home (pnphome.co.za) has some exciting finds, which include DAY flatpack and patio furniture designed in Denmark but sold at homegrown prices. PnP Home is dedicated to homeware and kitchenware, as well as large and small appliances – you'll find a wide variety of items and premium ranges, including exclusive online products and promotions. Check it out! Round the bend The neutral Cohan Chair (71cm H × 82.5cm W × 70cm D; R12 999, bash.com) with its trendy rounded shape is designed for both comfort and style. Armchair travel Explore unique locations, great architecture and fabulous interiors with the third edition of Perfect Hideaways in South Africa (R650, shop.perfecthideaways.co.za). AS SEEN AT KAMERS! Cyanotype is an alternative photography process, also…

READER HOME WHO LIVES HERE? Cornel and Neill Strydom WHERE 13km outside Colesberg, Northern Cape Karoo SIZE 644m², including outside room and verandas The clear blue Karoo sky, the green veld grass and the gravel road all show tell-tale signs that good rains fell here recently, and I'm convinced I can see a pink hue in the dust when photographer Greg and I swap the N1 for a dirt road near Colesberg. We're on our way to the Strydoms’ farm, Nagtegaalsfontein, where this exact shade of soft pink will pop up time and again in the farmstead's décor palette. But first we end up in a green oasis, which we later learn is Cornel's “food forest”, and then the farm track deposits us at the front of the homestead. The Strydoms bought…

Email your queries to experts@homemag.co.za. ASK US ON FACEBOOK Do you have an urgent question that just can't wait? Ask on Facebook so that the team, experts and other readers can help – and don't forget to include a photo! Bathroom dilemma Yvette van Zyl of Tulbagh writes Our home is 30 years old and we'd like to renovate our two bathrooms – on a limited budget. The house is built in a Spanish style and the walls are ‘Spanish plastered’ both inside and out. Both bathrooms have white tiles in the showers and there are terracotta tiles on the floors. MAIN EN SUITE: There is no window here and we can't fit one as this space borders the garage. However, a skylight is a possibility. The room is narrow and…

Email your queries to pets@homemag.co.za. How adorable! Aray of sunshine Finn knows how to turn on the charm. – Shannon Mackey, Cape Town Who needs a broomstick! Snow kindly gives Raven the cat a ride. – Martie van Deventer, Swellendam The new chairman Boetie the Pug is ready to convene a meeting. – Mari van der Merwe, Clanwilliam Same same, but different Can you spot the difference between Luna and London? – Leandri Meyer, Muizenberg Nifty! Made of high-quality stainless steel that's 100% hygienic and dishwasher-safe, the new range of dog and cat bowls from Dog's Life (from R170, dogslife.co.za) makes handling suppertime so much easier! Well, hello there! American Shorthair Sophie has come out to play. - Jonathan Elliott, East London Go Bokke! Stand aside Naas, here come Max…

ADVICE [ASK LUDWIG] Adele Potgieter of Randburg writes A friend has suggested using groundcover roses for a rosier effect in the garden. However, I don't want plants that creep along the ground. What would you suggest? Ludwig replies The term ‘groundcover’ for roses can be misleading. We use the term for roses that have a low, spreading growth that shades their roots, but there is a lot more variation in their height, spread and growth habit. They can be compact, low-growing floribunda or miniature roses, cushion groundcovers that grow up to knee height, informal shrub roses with arching canes and the true groundcovers – the scramblers that grow horizontally across the soil. The stems of the latter are generally short and twiggy. The blooms can be typical hybrid tea, floribunda cluster or…

Makes 12 slices • Preparation: 30 minutes • Cooking time: 5 minutes • about 250ml strong coffee • 80ml dark rum or brandy • 200g Boudoir finger biscuits FILLING • 3 egg yolks • 80ml castor sugar • 1 tub (250g) mascarpone, at room temperature • 200ml cream • 5ml vanilla essence • 2 Flake chocolates, crumbled* • 30ml cocoa • berries and whipped cream, to garnish 1 Line a baking tray with a double layer of cling wrap. Mix the coffee and rum in a shallow bowl. Dip the finger biscuits in it, one by one, until soaked but not mushy and arrange them on the cling wrap in two rows of an equal number of biscuits. 2 Mix the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat…

BACK PAGE M idsummer and our little world by the river under the Stellenbosch Mountain is teeming with all sorts of wildlife – beasties and bugs and snakes galore! At the early-morning pop-up coffee cart around the corner, someone is talking about the huge snake skin that the kids had brought home from the river the previous day. Probably a moult, he says, but massive. He's a young dad, all freshly shaved and showered for work, cappuccino in one hand and cellphone in the other. He opens his arms to indicate: thiiiis long. Boomslang, one guy declares. And dangerous, right? One of the most venomous in the world! On the farm I use my shotgun – on sight. Same goes for cobras, puffadders, the whole lot of them. The kids…

WINNING LETTER A for the A-frame! Lisa Barkhuisen of Pretoria East writes I love your magazine – I don't think I've ever missed an issue. I've considered entering some of your competitions over the years, but I don't really fit into any category. However, I thought you might be interested in our unusual A-frame home which we've built over the past seven years. Let me know what you think. A great accomplishment Trudy Pentz of Cape Town writes I've been a fan of Home for close on two decades. My love for design and upcycling (especially as my budget doesn't allow for new purchases) has brought me great joy and an immense sense of accomplishment over the years. In 2021, my husband and I bought a house in Bothasig. It…

READER HOME WHO LIVES HERE? Laureen and Koos Rossouw WHERE Oranjezicht, Cape Town SIZE 280m2 Cape Town-based magazine editor and stylist Laureen Rossouw first saw this house five years ago. She and her husband Koos were about to move out of their City Bowl apartment when Laureen spotted a picture of “a dilapidated house with classic Bauhaus lines” in the newspaper. “I thought it might be wishful thinking,” she says. Nonetheless, she hot-footed it to Oranjezicht to take a look for herself. As soon as Laureen set eyes on the characterful mid-20th century building, which did indeed have Bauhaus ‘bones', she was smitten. “I immediately called Koos to tell him I had found my dream home. Although he also fell in love with it, when he saw how much work…

STOCKISTS Builders builders.co.za Iconomy iconomyonline.com Italtile italtile.co.za Milestone Kitchens milestonekitchens.co.za Stiles stiles.co.za Superbalist superbalist.com…

Louise Magni of Johannesburg writes I'm a first-time cat owner and I've heard that it's very difficult to detect when a cat is sick as they don't necessarily show symptoms. What should I look out for? Dr Esmaré van der Walt, senior veterinarian at EberVet Pet Clinic, Strand replies Most veterinarians will tell you that when a sick cat is brought in, it's likely that the owners only noticed the symptoms when the animal was already seriously ill. This is thanks to evolution. Domestic cats are predators but in the wild, larger beasts would have preyed on them and sick or weaker animals are easy targets, so cats have evolved to hide signs of illness and pain. There are, however, subtle changes that pet owners can look out for that might…

[ASK JJ] June Withers of Somerset West writes This summer, both of my granadilla creepers were covered with a horrible white infestation all along the stems, and the one plant seems to be dying now. What is it, and what can I do to fix it? The plants have hardly borne any fruit too, so is this infestation possibly affecting their fruiting as well? JJ replies Your plants are infested with mealy bug, which will definitely affect fruiting. Use a strong jet of water to disrupt the bugs from feeding, and spray the plants with neem oil to discourage them from coming back. Neem oil spray will not affect bees, making it ideal for the pollinator-friendly landscape. You can also kill mealy bugs directly by wiping them with a cotton swab…

QUICK FOOD Pork banger and bean nachos Under R180 • Serves 4 • Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes • 15ml olive oil • 500g chipolatas, casings removed and rolled into meatballs • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced • 2 tins (400g each) baked beans • 250g nachos • 300ml grated cheese (mozzarella or Cheddar) • a sprinkling of micro herbs or coriander 1 Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan and fry the meatballs. Stir in the onions and stir-fry for another minute or two until fragrant. 2 Add the baked beans and a little water and simmer until heated through. Preheat the oven grill. 3 Remove half of the filling mixture from the pan. Take half of the nachos and push them into the pan mixture so that there…

FRESH IDEAS A new take on tradition The Manor House on the picturesque Keerweer Farm outside Stellenbosch boasts a fresh interpretation of the architecture of a traditional farm outbuilding. The original, red-roofed structure was mindfully renovated by architect Simon McCullagh to maintain a heritage feel. Original features such as clay bricks and wooden beams were retained and combined with modern materials. Tall glass doors open out onto a lovely courtyard, which is tucked between the bedroom wing, a mudroom and the living areas. The bedroom wing (opposite) is clad in corrugated sheeting. Cast in stone The mudroom (this picture) links the private spaces, such as the two bedrooms, to the communal living areas. The choice to extend the natural stone floor from the courtyard into the mudroom brings the outdoors…

READER HOME WHO LIVES HERE? Heike and Ivar Hayward with their brood, Indya (13), Luca (11), Levi (9), Beau (5) and Ariyah (3) WHERE Paarl SIZE 400m² Beautiful things make her heart skip a beat. “I want to walk into my home and find joy in what I see. It must be beautiful and interesting,“ says Paarl florist and businesswoman Heike Hayward. But at the same time, the space should be comfortable: “It must ‘live well’ and feel good.” Consequently, the Haywards’ breathtaking oasis is full of colour, pattern and texture – just some of the elements that make their Paarl heritage home a delight for the eye and the soul. ‘'I can't live with just white around me, and our kids also need to be at ease – they…

COMPETITION Get inspired! Explore the Milestone Kitchens gallery at milestonekitchens.co.za, reader homes in Tuis|Home, Instagram and Pinterest to find a look you like. 'Third time lucky!' This could be you if you entered our popular Milestone Kitchens Dream Design competition in 2022 and 2023, but without success. We can't wait to see the clever designs our readers come up with in 2024. This is your chance to shine! Simply go to milestonekitchens.co.za, click on “Design Your Own Kitchen” in the “Get a Quote” section, and start planning a kitchen design that ticks all the boxes. The reader who submits the best design and motivation as to why a kitchen update with Milestone Kitchens’ stunning freestanding units is the perfect solution for them, will get R100 000 off their ultimate makeover.…

Q: I love the tasteful dining room chairs featured on page 51 of your December 2023 issue; where are they from? – Nachana Fishman, Johannesburg A: They are from Pierre Cronje (pierrecronje.co.za); they're made from oak and pigskin. Q: I'd like to purchase a print of the dried flowers as seen on the cover of your May/June 2023 issue, but I can't get hold of Mat Décor, the company that printed it on fabric. Any advice? – Sandra Thompson, Hermanus A: Call the owner, Nicky Olwage, on 082 357 3272 and visit facebook.com/matdecor1 for regular updates. Q: What is the botanical name of the tickey creeper as seen in the Fresh Ideas feature in the February 2024 issue? – Daleen Benade, George A: Its botanical name is Ficus pumila. It's also known…

FOOD | COOKING WITH COFFEE Recipe on page 115 Coffee syrup cake with chocolate caramel This delightfully sweet dessert combines all my favourite flavours: coffee, vanilla, chocolate and caramel. Makes 1 double-layer 20cm cake • Preparation: 45 minutes • Baking time: 25 minutes • Oven temperature: 180°C 180g butter 200ml castor sugar 5ml vanilla essence 6 eggs 250ml cake flour 15ml baking powder SYRUP 250ml strong coffee 80ml castor sugar 30ml dark rum or brandy CARAMEL 1 tin (385g) Caramel Treat 80g dark chocolate, melted 1 Preheat the oven. Spray two 20cm cake pans well and line with baking paper. 2 Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the dry ingredients over the batter…