A Meeting Of Two Worlds

A revamped house in the suburbs of Johannesburg is home to an extensive array of contemporary art and vintage collectibles

- Layla Leiman

The notion of terroir is a familiar one in winemaking, referring to the way in which the precise environmental context of a vineyard contributes to the unique characteristics of a wine. Similarly, Marina and Robert Appelbaum’s Craighall home in Johannesburg, which they share with Marina’s three children, is an expression of their individual personalities, interests, and stories.

The house, originally designed by renowned South African architect Michael Sutton, underwent a major year-long renovation in 2015. ‘As happens when you start doing a small renovation, you very quickly realize that everything has to change,’ Marina says. For the job, she called in the same team who built her previous home in Morningside, which included her good friend Joe van Rooyen of JVR Architects and landscaper, Patrick Watson.

The characteristic poky layout was reconfigured to create open-plan living spaces with an abundance of natural light. The entire interior of the house was revamped and modernized while maintaining the integrity of the original design. For the garden, Watson created a minimal yet lush indigenous backdrop (complete with winding cement pathways for Marina’s son to skateboard on) that allows the many artworks, objects and collectibles in the house to shine as the star features.