'Our Happy Home'
Home South Africa|May/June 2022
A sentimental purchase led to all sorts of surprises, but the Steyns have no regrets.
By Elna van der Merwe. Photographs by Henrique Wilding
'Our Happy Home'

WHO LIVES HERE? Petrus and Nina Steyn with their kids, Jackie (7) and Petra Calldi (212)

WHERE Kenridge, Durbanville

SIZE 144m2

Why would you buy a house that's in such a sad state that your friends call it a dump? Infatuation, say the Steyns. They were immediately smitten by the 1 300m2 erf, the way light flooded into the house, the slate floors, the high and slanted ceilings, the spacious rooms and the fact that there is a primary school across the road.

It was our dream home. It didn't necessarily make financial sense to renovate the place but we fell in love with it. And that was that, says Petrus.

He and Nina had to look past the home's old wall-to-wall carpets, the cramped kitchen and wiring that was dangerous in some places.

Then a fire destroyed the kitchen before the transfer of the property was even finalised. And yet another unpleasant surprise awaited them shortly thereafter: the living room floor was starting to sag. Ultimately, it had to be excavated down to ground level before a new floor could be laid. And in the midst of all this, Petrus was studying for his final psychiatry exams and had to leave the project to Nina. She's a medical doctor but works on an ad hoc basis, so she was up for the challenge.

“I have very specific tastes and strong opinions about everything, says Nina, who also does artistic leather and linocut work. So it made sense for her to become the project manager, which saved them a lot of money.

この記事は Home South Africa の May/June 2022 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Home South Africa の May/June 2022 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

HOME SOUTH AFRICAのその他の記事すべて表示
Pestilence Domestica
Home South Africa

Pestilence Domestica

We usually call them dirty, dangerous and utterly gross. But what if we looked at domestic pests through a different lens, asks Karin Brynard.

time-read
3 分  |
May/June 2023
Quick as a flash!
Home South Africa

Quick as a flash!

These 15 dinners can be whipped up in a jiffy - before the power goes out!

time-read
10+ 分  |
May/June 2023
The gift that keeps on giving
Home South Africa

The gift that keeps on giving

By taking cuttings and dividing existing plants and those from friends, Anne Turner and her son David have created a stunning garden that takes on a whole new personality as the seasons change.

time-read
6 分  |
May/June 2023
Upcycle it!
Home South Africa

Upcycle it!

Tuis Home food editor Johané Neilson and her husband Allister revamped a second-hand melamine wall unit to create a bespoke wall-to-wall display cabinet, for less than R3 500!

time-read
3 分  |
May/June 2023
Little house in the forest
Home South Africa

Little house in the forest

Thanks to her capable father, Neilke Pretorius and her partner enjoy an idyllic lifestyle in a custom-made home hidden in the trees.

time-read
4 分  |
May/June 2023
Living large, inside and out
Home South Africa

Living large, inside and out

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

time-read
8 分  |
May/June 2023
Modern CLASSIC
Home South Africa

Modern CLASSIC

With authenticity as a guiding design principle, a young family has created their happy space in a 105-year-old house in the heart of vibrant Sea Point.

time-read
3 分  |
May/June 2023
Peace & quiet...
Home South Africa

Peace & quiet...

A cinematographer and a set designer found the perfect bolt-hole in the Eastern Cape Karoo where they can truly relax and unwind.

time-read
3 分  |
May/June 2023
ART AND SOUL
Home South Africa

ART AND SOUL

Five years ago, the Krugers transformed a tired city bungalow into a unique and modern family home.

time-read
3 分  |
May/June 2023
Group therapy
Home South Africa

Group therapy

Add impact and create rhythm using repetition and collections, as these Home readers have done.

time-read
1 min  |
May/June 2023