A Beach Home With A Difference

From the street it looks like any ordinary West Coast home but the green-red-and-blue front door is an indication that something special awaits inside!

- Marie Opperman

A cow skull on the front stoep, antique sewing machines on display in the kitchen, a pendant rigged from an old ladder and chains, a handful of old crank telephones, and even half a telephone pole... In Hanneli and Nico Denner’s home, you’d best expect the unexpected!

“If it’s here, it’s because it’s beautiful,” says creative Hanneli of her surprising décor. The couple conceptualised plans for their dream home a long while back and when they started building three years ago, Hanneli had the sketches ready as well as all sorts of accessories and furniture. “Some of my ideas left practical Nico a bit gobsmacked,” she recalls. “Fortunately, we like the same décor style.”

From the moment you enter the house, the corrugated-iron walls, rough cement finishes and stonework all create a warm atmosphere. “Being artistic is like breathing for me; it just happens,” says Hanneli. And each and every accessory has been selected and used with great care.

“The stone on the exterior walls was unearthed when the foundations were excavated. Nico picked up the cow skull in the veld and made the colourful clay birds sitting on its horns in a pottery class in Paternoster,” Hanneli explains. “The front door is new but I painted it to look old. After a long search, I found the perfect handle and sanded it until it looked weathered.”