Happiest At Home

Two keen renovators show that if your house is a gorgeous space, you won’t want to be anywhere else.

- Marian van Wyk and Kim Arendse

A country boy at heart with roots in the Limpopo town of Musina, Jako Lee immediately fell in love with the sociable braai stoep in their home – which, back then, was just a very ordinary property in the suburbs of Cape Town.

For his wife Anneke, a stay-at-home mom with a passion for gardening, it was the lovely big garden and beautiful white stinkwood tree that sealed the deal. And although the rooms were drab and uninspired, this didn’t deter these two serial renovators – who already had a number of stylish home makeovers under their belts.

The couple moved into their new home in February 2012, a month before Annebel’s birth. “We’re always up for a challenge,” says Jako. “But unlike previous projects, the layout of this house was already perfect. I knew we could make a huge difference by simply incorporating a few cosmetic changes that would add character to the place. When Annebel was born, it made things a lot easier because we could put our own personal stamp on the space without having to deal with dust and rubble.”

And they certainly accomplished this feat. In fact, there’s little they would have done differently. “We are real homebodies,” says Anneke. “I firmly believe that you should be able to live in every room of your home. If your house is a gorgeous space, you won’t want to be anywhere else.”

A warm welcome

The Lees’ two biggest challenges were the garden and the uninviting entrance – a solid front door that was always ignored by visitors.