THIS CONTEMPORARY FARMHOUSE IN RIEBEEK KASTEEL PROVIDES

THE SLOWER LIFESTYLE ITS OWNERS WANTED

VINEYARD VIEW
TEXT HILARY PRENDINI TOFFOLI STYLING KATHY MELLOR PHOTOGRAPHS MICKY HOYLE, ADAM LETCH
HL DECEMBER 201 3 HOUSEANDLEI SURE. CO. ZA 77
COUNTRY HOME
PREVIOUS PAGE Garth Singer, left, and
Holger Schtt on the upper-level terrace of
their Riebeek Kasteel weekend getaway.
FROM OPPOSITE LEFT The foliage on the
walkways around the house remains fairly
untamed and rural; on the porch in the main
summer dining area is a teak table and
chairs from Weylandts (weylandts.co.za)
and hanging lanterns from Hadeda
(hadedashop.com); Holger prepares
vegetables in the kitchen. The bar stools are
from Weylandts; a stream with bulrushes
separates the property from
the surrounding vineyards.
A
connectionto nature was what Holger Schtt and
his partner, Garth Singer, were looking for. Apiece of
countryside heaven, is howHolger puts it, where slow
living is the order of the day.
What they had inmind was beautifully specific. Aconveniently
located plot perched onthe urbanedge where it could foster
the ambience of the countryside, and they could build what
Holger describes as a contemporary farmhouse. They found
what they were searching for onthe newer side of Riebeek Kasteel
ina cul-de-sac bordering anextended sweep of vineyards.
Weve always loved this village, says Garth. Its constantly
green, unlike the rest of the Swartland. Insummer the vineyards
are greenand inwinter the wheat fields. And its only about 100km
fromour Cape Townhome.
The uniqueness of the locationsprings instantly into focus when
surveyed fromthe houses upper-level terrace. Fromhere the vines
seempart of the property and the views are breathtaking. Onone
side lies the majestic spread of the Kasteelberg; onthe other are
the encircling blue Groot Winterhoek mountains.
The couple had vague notions of creating a house that was rustic
and Mediterraneanbut unpretentious, somehowfitting inwith the
Cape vernacular. With the help of Riebeek West architect Warrick
Raubenheimer they came up with a two-level design, the exterior
walls of which are bagged brick, giving the house the gradually aged
look that captivated Holger and Garth during their trips to Italy.
Its a quantumleapfromtheir spacious Cliftonapartment,
whichoverlooks the sea but has no garden. Awholly different
holiday lifestyle is reflectedinthis weekendresidence. Garthhas
a horticulturalist backgroundandthe two of themspendtime
creating a gardenfull of flowers andvegetables.
Relaxed entertainers, they canwalk fromthe kitchendowninto
their compact little culinary garden, which overflows with the kind
of bursting-with-energy leafy spinach, lettuce and red cabbage you
see ingardening books.
This farm-style concept is evident throughout inthe simplicity
of the designand avoidance of urbandecor complexities. Abarn
vibe was the aiminthe living area. So the generous space is double-
volume and the dining and kitchenarea openplan; the white roof
beams are exposed; the walls a down-to-earth shade of grey; and
the floors screeded cement coated with a stucco plaster.
What makes a quirky touch are the two loft spaces. One is
above the kitchen a small bedroomfor guests childrenwho love
climbing the wall-mounted ladder leading to it. The other is onthe
far side of the living area. Steps go up to a bedroomthat opens onto
that terrace with its glorious views, latte roof and built-inseating.
Belowit the mainbedroomleads out onto a patio and pool, while
the guest bedroomopens onto the Provenal courtyard at the
entrance. There the name of the house La Fontaine de Vence is
inscribed onthe wall above the antique French wine barrel tap
bought by the couple inVence and nowserving as a fountainspout.
Decor throughout is understated. Holger has had years of
experience behind the scenes at Weylandts home stores and was
part of the teamthat launched Biggie Best stores worldwide.
Predictably the products of both these brands pop up all over the
house, bringing freshness and vigour to this tranquil home.
Holger Schtt Interiors, 082-499-1117; Warrick Raubenheimer,
022-461-2726, 082-460-6635, wraubenheimer@telkomsa.net
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80 HL DECEMBER 201 3 HOUSEANDLEI SURE. CO. ZA
THE FARM-STYLE CONCEPT IS EVIDENT THROUGHOUT
IN THE SIMPLICITY OF THE DESIGN AND THE AVOIDANCE
OF URBAN DECOR COMPLEXITIES.
FROM OPPOSITE LEFT Stairs lead from
the living area to the upper level bedroom
and terrace; a custom-made, country-
style canvas lamp hangs above the table
and chairs from Weylandts. The enlarged
photo is an old Cameroon reprint, also from
Weylandts; the main bathroom opens onto a
courtyard bounded by black bamboo. The
freestanding bath is from Italcotto
(italcotto.co.za); in the main bedroom the
cabinet by the bed is from Garths childhood
bedroom. This trunk and the one in the
living area belonged to Garths grandparents.
PREVIOUS PAGE, FROM LEFT Summer
lunch on the porch, from left clockwise,
Holger proposes a toast, Garth, Astrid
McLeod, Johan Hurter, Coenie Kruger, Carola
Engelbrecht and Poppy, the couples dog.
The wall shelving containing the pots is
a wooden pallet; Garth in their kitchen
garden among the coriander, fennel, chives,
lettuce, spinach and Italian parsley.
HOLGERS HOME TRUTHS
Our best summer holidays are relaxing beach destinations with
warm, clear waters usually Thailand in December and then the
European summers in August at a lake in Italy or Switzerland.
Having a weekend holiday home means you can theme, furnish
and decorate it in a different style from your main residence in
our case intentionally more informal and relaxed with a country-
inspired, rustic twist. The special thing about Riebeek Kasteel is its
unspoilt magnificent natural beauty, its farms and cows and dams,
its unpretentious people who have the habit of greeting you. The
way we like to relax with friends is to eat a lot and laugh a lot. In
decor we draw the line at allowing aesthetic appeal to compete with
functionality, which should always rule. Our most indulgent home
purchase has been our Alessi cookware collection. The music you are
likely to hear in this house is Italian contemporary Eros Ramazzotti,
Lucio Battisti, Andrea Bocelli, Mina, Gigi DAlessio. Its always been
a dream of ours to live on Lake Zurich. The most inspiring trip
weve ever made was to Lake Como, with its beautiful north Italian
architecture, culture and lifestyle. The most unpredictable thing
weve ever done together is to fly off to a Madonna concert in
London. The next big thing in our lives is to have a smallholding in
the Riebeek Valley with a few animals and an olive grove.
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