In the middle of last year, I got a bee in my bonnet. I decided that I needed a pantry for my groceries and to give me more space in the kitchen. But, at that stage, that's all I wanted," recalls Nadia Bell of Mbombela.
She asked a friend, Sonette de Beer of Nitali Re-Invented Décor, a décor, and design studio, for her advice on how to incorporate this all-important pantry. "The minute Sonette walked in, she pointed to the wall between the kitchen and the passage to the bedrooms and said: 'This wall has to come down," says Nadia.
"The kitchen was very narrow," explains Sonette. "So it made far more sense to increase the width of the whole kitchen by 1.5m than to squeeze a pantry into the passage. And this way there was space for an island which then became the 'hero' feature, something Nadia had always wanted."
Nadia's husband Nico, a professional mountain biker with a cycling business also in Mbombela, wasn't sure that all this breaking down of walls was necessary. However, Sonette convinced him that by keeping the appliances and reusing all their existing cabinets, costs could be minimised. "We reused every single cabinet, if not in the kitchen then in the adjoining scullery and new laundry room. We even reused the handles!"
The only new cabinetry required was for the island and a new sink unit, as the old one couldn't accommodate the farmhouse sink that Nadia requested. "We also increased the height of some of the existing cupboards with display alcoves so that they are now ceiling height, and we added cornices and timber detailing to give them a sophisticated finish," says Sonette.
Mixing it up
Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av Home South Africa.
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Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av Home South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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.
Quick as a flash!
These 15 dinners can be whipped up in a jiffy - before the power goes out!
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.
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!
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.
Living large, inside and out
South Africans love a space where indoors and outdoors come together.
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.
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.
ART AND SOUL
Five years ago, the Krugers transformed a tired city bungalow into a unique and modern family home.
Group therapy
Add impact and create rhythm using repetition and collections, as these Home readers have done.