It was six years ago, while exploring a "potential art project" in the small Western Cape town of Tulbagh, that Abigail Rands stumbled on this remarkable building. Her family owns a wine farm nearby, so she feels a strong connection to the area; and besides, she says, "I like beautiful architecture, raw materials and good art." And this house had all three in bucketloads.
It is one of the oldest buildings in the town - the first monastery and mission school established in 1797 and its distinctive gables, thick whitewashed walls, wooden rafters and thatched roof were the very embodiment of traditional Cape Winelands architecture. More recently, however, the artist Christo Coetzee lived there from the 1970s until his death at the turn of the century. For a time afterwards, the house was a museum dedicated to his life and work.
"A friend of Christo's took us around and told us stories about each artwork. Everything I took in that day stayed with me," says Abigail - and it wasn't long before she came back. This time, she'd had an idea: she wanted to turn the house into a retreat of sorts; a place where, as she puts it, "you can let go and connect with how you really feel". Later, her vision came to include a yoga studio in the old monastery building (which had once served as Coetzee's studio).
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Denne historien er fra VISI 126-utgaven av VISI.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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ROOTS
LOCATED WITHIN THE EXTRAORDINARY LANDSCAPES OF THE SINCLAIR NATURE RESERVE, NOOISHOF IS A PLACE OF SOUL-STIRRING BEAUTY THE RESULT OF A LIFELONG LOVE AFFAIR WITH SOUTHERN NAMIBIA.
REMINISCENT
A CREATIVE COUPLE COMBINED IMAGINATION, SIMPLICITY AND A GOOD DOSE OF ENERGY TO TRANSFORM THIS FRENCH FARMHOUSE AND ITS OUTBUILDINGS INTO A HOME THAT REMINDS THEM OF CAPE TOWN.
SIMPLIFICATION
A SMART, SAVVY AND BUDGET-FRIENDLY RENOVATION HAS MADE THE VERY MOST OF THIS YOUNG FAMILY'S HOME IN CAPE TOWN. HERE, JAPANDI-STYLE SIMPLICITY REIGNS - AND THE INDOOR-OUTDOOR LIVING IS EASY.
UP
SITUATED IN A GROVE OF INDIGENOUS MILKWOODS OVERLOOKING AN EXPANSIVE BEACH, THIS CONTEMPORARY TREEHOUSE EMBRACES THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ECO-CONSCIOUS ARCHITECTURE.
CLARITY
ON THE SHORES OF WALKER BAY IN THE WESTERN CAPE, A CONTEMPORARY HOME CREATED BY A PAIR OF GRAPHIC DESIGNERS COMBINES CLEAN-CUT ARCHITECTURAL LINES WITH FRESH INTERIORS.
GEM
DESIGNED AND PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY ONE OF THE GIANTS OF AMERICAN MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE, ARTHUR WITTHOEFFT, THIS UPSTATE NEW YORK HOUSE BUILT IN 1957 HAS BEEN SYMPATHETICALLY RESTORED BY ITS CURRENT OWNERS.
POTENTIAL
A CREATIVE, HANDS-ON COUPLE TRANSFORMED AN ORDINARY HOUSE INTO AN ENCHANTED WONDERLAND OF INTERCONNECTED SPACES WITH INSPIRED DESIGN COMBINATIONS AND EASY-GOING GLAMOUR.
LARGER THAN LIFE
Four South African MURAL ARTISTS are transforming the local URBAN LANDSCAPE, one attention-grabbing wall at a time.
IN STUDIO WITH ZYDIA BOTES
For the powerhouse behind SOMETHING GOOD STUDIO and ROMARIA KNITWEAR, it's all about collaborative design, making connections and a calm, happy workspace.
ANATOMY OF A CHAIR
Founders of local furniture brand PEDERSEN LENNARD, Luke Pedersen and James Lennard, talk us through the inspiration and design process behind their new TULBAGH CHAIR.