The Call Of The Karoo

When this creative go-getter’s birthplace beckoned him home, he bought the oldest house in town and transformed it into a masterpiece.

- Elna van der Merwe

WHO LIVES HERE?

Jan Sauer Lambrechts

WHERE Richmond, Northern Cape

SIZE 150m²

Jan Sauer Lambrechts isn’t much of a talker; he’s a doer. He kept largely to himself when the Home team were photographing his house but as soon as they took a break, he served up a delicious freshly baked quiche – straight from the oven.

This gem that he renovated in Richmond in the Great Karoo is a testimony to his drive – as is the fact that he runs a local guesthouse; a quarry 70km away in De Aar; and a wedding venue, another 40km further, outside Britstown.

He’s definitely a doer.

His roots lie here but Jan Sauer took a two-year ‘detour’ in Cape Town after completing his studies in urban planning and architectural design. And then the Karoo called him home.

“If you come from the Karoo, it will always be in your blood. Besides, my whole family is here,” he says. “I came to the realisation that what I was doing in the city could just as easily be done here – this was a place in which I could find creative fulfillment.”

And, as he explains, one has to learn to improvise in the Karoo; you can’t just drive to the store to get what you need. When Jan Sauer bought the oldest house in town to convert it into a guesthouse and his own getaway, Seisoen Karoo Retreat, the run-down property presented ample opportunity for creativity.

Then and now