Good and clean and fresh

“We don’t follow trends, we do what we feel looks right,” say the creative owners when describing the design of their unique home.

A“A European farm-style villa” is how Ruben and Tracey le Roux describe their home in the south of Johannesburg. And if you think that’s a mouthful, listening to Tracey describe their influences, inspiration and the many places they sourced the materials they’ve worked with will convince you that it’s not far off the mark.

“We had a basic idea of the layout but when it came to the interior, each room would ‘tell us’ what would work in it,” Tracey says. “It’s been an organic project. From the beginning, the whole idea was for our home to look like an old French farmhouse that’s been restored, even though we built from scratch.”

The Le Rouxs spent a lot of time and energy designing their dream home and at last they had the opportunity to use items they’ve bought over the past 30 years and on their many travels.

The use of natural materials such as copper, cast iron, leather and wood creates warmth and movement. “Because the materials aren’t new, they have scars and markings that show character and history,” says Tracey. This immediately creates a lived-in quality not often seen in a newlybuilt home. >>