Far From The Hustle & Bustle

With three houses to choose from, this creative homeowner is most fond of the log cabin he renovated with his sister.

- Marlene Malan

A drian Lombard not only transforms other people’s homes, he also revamps his own houses – like this log cabin inPringle Bay, which he and his sister Monica Soer have renovated over the past two years.

During these projects, he works as far as possible with small, local building teams and entrepreneurs, while Monica provides the creative input. “Monica is good with colour and composition; she has an eye for detail,” he explains.

“I call myself a serial entrepreneur because I have an engineering and technical background, which is a good foundation for my career as a creative director, brand strategist and product developer. But we’re not afraid to get our hands dirty.”

This brother and sister are a formidable team, thanks to Monica’s flair for décor and passion for renovating. Monica left the corporate world and formed her own company, Tribay Accommodation – she styles and hosts holiday homes.

Although Adrian often uses his own products – from furniture, décor accessories and crockery to scented bath oils and candles – in his homes, he loves to restore old items. “I always say: repurposing something for a new look is much better and smarter than throwing things away and replacing them with new stuff.”

This philosophy is evident in his three homes: an apartment in Cape Town, a house in Prince Albert in the Karoo that he sometimes rents out, and this house with its mountain and sea views in Pringle Bay on the False Bay coast.