Because Gill Staniland of Baarskeerdersbos believes that one should tread lightly on Mother Earth, even when it comes to your place of residence. So three years ago, she decided to build a hemp house on a 7ha plot of land that she had already acquired in 2014.
And it’s not just the building method that’s ‘green’; thanks to water tanks, solar panels and gas, this little hideaway is completely independent of municipal services.
“My total municipal bill is just R150 a month as I only have to pay inheritance tax,” Gill explains.
Even though her home is tiny, it creates a big impression set against the gorgeous backdrop of its natural surroundings.
An eco journey
Gill’s interest in hemp construction began at a water conservation conference in 2011. Tony Budden, co-owner of the company Hemporium which manufactures and distributes hemp products in South Africa, gave a talk on the benefits and sustainability of industrial hemp – and this provided the impetus for Gill to begin her eco journey.
With its vast open spaces and sense of tranquillity, Baardskeerdersbos was the perfect locality for Gill. She loves the Overberg and drove around weekend after weekend, looking for the ideal spot close to Cape Town.
“I love gardening and there is more than enough space here to create a lovely vegetable garden,” says Gill. “I have already started playing around with the idea of creating a 400m2 vegetable garden – similar to the Oranjezicht City Farm in Cape Town.”
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2020 من Home South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2020 من Home South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Pestilence Domestica
We usually call them dirty, dangerous and utterly gross. But what if we looked at domestic pests through a different lens, asks Karin Brynard.
Quick as a flash!
These 15 dinners can be whipped up in a jiffy - before the power goes out!
The gift that keeps on giving
By taking cuttings and dividing existing plants and those from friends, Anne Turner and her son David have created a stunning garden that takes on a whole new personality as the seasons change.
Upcycle it!
Tuis Home food editor Johané Neilson and her husband Allister revamped a second-hand melamine wall unit to create a bespoke wall-to-wall display cabinet, for less than R3 500!
Little house in the forest
Thanks to her capable father, Neilke Pretorius and her partner enjoy an idyllic lifestyle in a custom-made home hidden in the trees.
Living large, inside and out
South Africans love a space where indoors and outdoors come together.
Modern CLASSIC
With authenticity as a guiding design principle, a young family has created their happy space in a 105-year-old house in the heart of vibrant Sea Point.
Peace & quiet...
A cinematographer and a set designer found the perfect bolt-hole in the Eastern Cape Karoo where they can truly relax and unwind.
ART AND SOUL
Five years ago, the Krugers transformed a tired city bungalow into a unique and modern family home.
Group therapy
Add impact and create rhythm using repetition and collections, as these Home readers have done.
