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 HL DECEMBER 201 3 HOUSEANDLEI SURE. CO. ZA 79 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. HL DECEMBER 201 3 HOUSEANDLEI SURE. CO. ZA 83