Living large, inside and out

South Africans love a space where indoors and outdoors come together.

- Beatrice Moore-Nöthnagel

1 ALL ARE WELCOME

WHO KP and Petro Steenkamp with their kids, Lente-Edeni (16) and KP Jnr (20)

WHERE Middelburg, Mpumalanga

In the Steenkamps' house, there is no room that can be labelled a 'white elephant'. Whether it's the corne formal living room, the braai room or the atrium (we showed the latter in our January 2023 issue), each and every space is used to the maximum. "We are an extremely busy family with a busy lifestyle and there are always kids and people coming and going in our house," says Petro with a smile.

We first featured the Steenkamps' house in our April 2016 issue after they swapped the farm where their old homestead had burned down for a home on the outskirts of Middelburg. Over the years, the family has frequently changed and added to the house and their living rooms now look completely different to how they did back then.

"I think all the changes were part of our recovery process after the trauma we experienced as a result of the fire," says Petro. 

It works because...

1 A LITTLE DRAMA

Thanks to the double volume, the homeowners were able to play with height.

The imposing print on mock linen above the fireplace is mounted on a black pipe, echoing the black tones throughout the space. "Don't be afraid to use black paint and different shades of black," advises Petro. "It adds depth to a room and brings the look together." 

2 WARM COLOURS 

Various colours and textures create a sumptuous yet cosy aesthetic. "I love colour," says Petro. "From black and green to pops of yellow and blue - to me, the black adds a somewhat dramatic yet calmer feel."