My Seaside Home Helps Pay For Itself

Do you ever wish that you could make a go of living by the sea? Lauren Mc Diarmid meets three women who did just that...

‘Running a coastal pottery studio is a dream come true’

Ruth Renwick, 53, lives with her husband Craig, 55, and they have five grown-up children between them. They run the Knysna Pottery House from their home, selling bespoke handmade tiles and pottery, and also offering customised fabric-dyeing services.

“I’ve lived in Knysna for 23 years, and just adore the area – we’re a stone’s throw away from the lagoon, where we often take our dog for walks, and just a short drive from the beach. It’s so tranquil and beautiful here.

Craig and I were both divorcees when we met in 1999, and got a second chance at love – with each other. We bought our home shortly after, and got married in 2002. Craig ran a successful business in fabric dyeing, called the Dye House. I joined him, doing the orders, bookkeeping, admin, and marketing, which I had experience in. But, in 2008, when the economy began to struggle, so did we. We were forced to close the business and give up the warehouse it was being run from.

Fortunately, Craig had also been running a passion project, selling pottery and handmade tiles he crafted from a small workshop at home. After we closed Dye House, the prospect of turning this fledgling side business into our main source of income was our only option. So we dug into our savings and, with a few small renovations, converted the granny flat on our property into a showroom with a workshop at the back. We named our new business Knysna Pottery House. Craig makes the tiles and ceramics, while I do the admin and help select designs.