Romantic By Nature

Inspired by the Knysna Forest which serves as a backdrop to their property, these homeowners decided to turn a timber cottage into an idyllic getaway.

- Kim Arendse

When garden designer Hannes Stander and floral artist DP Ferreira began property-hunting along the Garden Route just over 10 years ago, they stumbled across a plot of land in Rheenendal that really spoke to their shared love of nature.

The 17 500m² property is nestled up against the Knysna Forest with just a white concrete cornerstone long overgrown with lush, indigenous greenery separating them. On the plot are three small dwellings: we showcased the couple’s main clay-wall cottage in our 2018 edition of Paint It, another is used as holiday accommodation, and here we feature their newly renovated timber Airbnb offering – High Acre Garden Cottage with its nature-inspired interior.

For a long time it was just a plain white structure that wasn’t maintained and stood empty most of the time. The couple, who run the floral and garden design studio Ecozest, thought it would be perfect as a rental for Garden Route holidaymakers and with the help of local handymen transformed the space into a home fit for a dreamy forest getaway.

“After we decided to list the cottage on Airbnb, we had only two months before our first booking – so we spent many nights doing everything from fitting a kitchen and bathroom to painting the floors and ceilings, as well as decorating!” says DP.