This kitchen blends modern sophisticated features – Corian basins and worktops, telescopic roller drawers – clad in thinly sliced railway sleepers, combining a recycled local historical material, but modernised and made sophisticated and elegant rather than rustic. The butcher’s block is made from a leadwood tree trunk.
The kitchen is simple and functional and, of course, used to display art. To the left of the doorway is a Carter Mull work, while on the right a piece by Raffi Kalenderian can be seen beneath a framed drawing by Thomas Scheibitz and Lars Karlmark. The area through the doorway is the study and library: the works over the bookshelf here are by Italian artist Mimmo Paladino. Kitchen essentials: bright yellow lemons, fresh herbs and copper pots and pans.
The kitchen is black…
With a permeable design and slim, refined lines and materials. It is also part of the living and dining area (the dining table is an extension of the kitchen unit). The counter top is blackened brass, heat treated to attain a specific level of blackness. “It weathers and oxidises over time, so it develops more and more of a patina, almost as a character and story of its own,” says Greg, “but underpins that industrial aesthetic that we were working with.” The strip pendant light is Spazio. The pendant lights above the dining table are by Foscarini/Diesel Home. The dining chairs are James Mudge. The ‘Spin’ candelabra is by Tom Dixon.
Kitchen cabinetry is clad with mild-steel plates which were treated by Concreative Creative Concepts in such a way as to not lose the material’s raw edge. JesseJames helped design the custom light fitting, made from plumber’s piping, and interior designer Adri Clery contrasted this with rope-textured stools from Cape Town design company Dark Horse. “This kitchen get put to very good use. I cook more than most people in Cape Town,” says Nicholas in reference to the city’s residents’ inclination to dine out.
A sort of ‘friends’ gallery’, on display above the kitchen hob are ceramic platters, all handmade gifts from late friends such as ceramic artist Geoffrey Bullen-Smith.
A marble…
Breakfast bar blurs the boundaries between the kitchen behind and the living room. A galley kitchen and scullery tucked away to the side make it possible for food preparation and social interaction to take place at once, while the scullery keeps the visible areas tidy. Brass counter tops and splash-backs create a metallic glint that is picked up in various elements throughout the house.
Counter stools by Meyer von Wielligh bring a sculptural, organic element to the defined lines of the kitchen.
The couple’s modernist farmhouse celebrates being social and cooking and much of their life happens here. “We love entertaining and drinks often ends up being dinner for ten people”, says Clare. The oak kitchen island features an impressive tempered steel top while a pop of baby blue from the Smeg fridge is a nod to Clare’s love of the vintage farmhouse feel.
The kitchen is a clean-lined and functional space with an adjacent galley-style scullery that conceals the practical side of cooking and cleaning. Kate chose to keep the raw concrete posts unadorned as she liked the honesty and sturdiness of the look. The kitchen was installed by Space Solutions, and the countertops are in Caesarstone.
The scullery lies behind the exposed brick wall and bamboo cupboards, its window frame painted yellow is a reaction to the farm’s yellow-flowering plants seen through it in winter. “It’s like an art window,” says Steyn. The top clay artwork on the brick wall is from a Moroccan souk, while the painting below is one of the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ by Shany van den Berg (Harry owns all seven). The stools by Konstantin Grcic for Magis allow for casual seating around the kitchen counter, where Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina’s Tolomeo Lamp for Artemide presides. Donut the cat, named for the rolled-up shape in which he sleeps.
Photos: Greg Cox and Warren Heath
