Old paving bricks repurposed;
The Houbarts moved from a tiny flat into a dated house in Hout Bay – and transformed it into a French-inspired family home.
The laid-back living room has a cement-washed brick wall. Pascale drew inspiration for this feature from the 16 years she lived in Toulouse, France. “Toulouse is also called La Ville Rose – The Pink City – as many buildings are made with terracotta bricks,” she explains. To create the wall, red paving bricks from the old stoep were stacked on top of each other with white cement between; some layers were secured to the wall behind with hoop iron. White cement was then applied to the front of the bricks with a sponge, creating a lovely textured finish. Nicholas made the gorgeous wood-andsteel ceiling light.