The kitchen of Créma Design owner Craig Tabor-raeside

Despite its clean architectural lines and industrial elements, the kitchen of Créma Design owner Craig Tabor-raeside is where the good times roll

Craig Tabor-raeside’s kitchen was always going to be architectural and sleek. ‘I love that it feels uncluttered, even though it’s quite a small space,’ he says. This makes sense when you consider that Craig is the owner of Créma design, a favourite among decorators, that stocks the likes of Tom dixon and Moooi. ‘It’s exposed, but in a really nice way.’ For Craig and architect Chris van niekerk of The Fold architects, the starting point of the kitchen – and in fact the entire Bo Kaap home, which was a from-the-ground-up build – was the offshutter concrete that was used to create the support columns as well as the island. ‘The wood grain became a serious design element in the space,’ explains Craig, who used the same timber in all the cabinetry, staining it a light grey to mimic the raw relief of the concrete. Flamed granite counters echo the steel window frames to complete the industrial look. however, it is the twostorey, 1 500-plant-strong vertical garden, created by Living green Walls, that’s the real chef-d’oeuvre of this space. To maximise views of the verdant wall, Chris custom designed the glass wall that runs the entire length of the house’s one side, flooding the space with light as well as creating something of a conservatory effect. ‘The thing about the Bo Kaap neighbourhood is that there’s this strong sense of community,’ says Craig. ‘so, we’ll often have our front door open and be sitting in the kitchen, which is the first area you see when you enter the house, and passing neighbours will pop in for impromptu visits. It really connects us with the people who live in the area.’

cremadesign.co.za; thefold.co.za; n livinggreenwalls.co.za