Set in the barren landscape of South Africa’s Upper Karoo, a farmhouse elicits a sensorial experience through subtle contrasts in colour, material, form and pattern.
Although hardly used to close up the doors and windows, the wooden shutters blend in perfectly with the stone house and its Karoo setting. They were repurposed from the palettes that transported the concrete for the home’s construction.
The stoep that encompasses the back entryway to the home includes a dining nook protected by a glass wall that welcomes in views of Pink Hill. The ceiling, made from reeds found on the farm, adds to the natural elements of stone, wood and wicker, although the wicker armchairs from Amatuli were painted in white lacquer for a luxurious touch. The throws from Mr Price Home come in handy as the sun sets and the Karoo climate turns cold.
A pathway leads from the home to the pool, which was painted pink to suit the house’s moniker: Pink Hill Karoo. It was named after the Battle of Pink Hill that was fought on the farm in 1900, during the South African War (commonly referred to as the Second Anglo-Boer War). Cornel matched the pink paint to a piece of plastering she picked up in Marrakesh when walking past a house being plastered in the intriguing hue.
A feature wall decorated with handmade tiles sourced through Hadeda repeats the black-and-white theme of the home. Its pattern is similar to that of the glass-beaded Romo wallpaper in the reading room, which Cornel finds leads to an unconscious feeling of familiarity throughout the home.
Charcoal and ecru bedding in graphic and linear print continues the dynamism of the home’s interior dialogue.
The bed and its headrest are concrete constructions connected to the wall dividing the bedroom and bathroom. This all-white unit forms a counter-top for books, plants, candles and keepsakes found during farm stays.
Texture abounds in the reading room. A porcelain table, Moroccan and sheepskin rugs, beaded armchairs, glass-beaded Romo wallpaper, a grass lampshade and irregular stone walls – both painted in white to match the space – and a profusion of Romo fabrics covering the built-in daybed all bring the calming space to life in layers of gentle tonality.
The black accents in the white bathroom – wardrobe, lights and mirrors – are also from Amatuli, while the Meir taps are from Flush Bathrooms. The counter has been fashioned from reeds found on the farm, complementing the organic texture of the stone floors painted in white, which are juxtaposed by the glossy herringbone-patterned tiles behind the twin basins and mirrors.
