In perfect harmony
Creating a home that’s just right for three boisterous boys and two busy entrepreneurs can be done – just get good advice and top-notch contractors, say Heinz and Aletté-johanni Winckler.
It’s in the detail
This is clearly a musical home! The piano in the double-volume entrance hall is Aletté’s – like Heinz, she is a keen musician. Referring to the photographs on the wall, Aletté says: “We actually don’t have enough space for all our photos, so from time to time we will have to exchange them for others.” The cement floor is finished with Tal Screedmaster and the tall window was designed by The Plan Co; they also drew up the plans for the Wincklers’ project. The staircase railing is from Designweld.
The back stoep, with the kitchen and children’s playroom behind the glass doors, is where the Winckler family love to hang out. The cement floor and reed ceiling were installed by The I Love Group and the red pendants are from Is-créatif. The pine table was Aletté’s first buy when she was still single and the wicker chairs were purchased on the side of the road in Somerset West. Aletté’s studio and their assistant’s office is located on the upper level.
He wanted a studio and “a huge lawn for the boys”; she dreamt of having a walk-in closet. Today, singer Heinz Winckler and his wife Aletté-johanni’s dream home in Somerset West has exactly that – and more.
“Moving here from Johannesburg was a huge leap of faith for us,” says Aletté, an image consultant. A visit to Heinz’s parents in Betty’s Bay on the Overberg coast in 2013 spurred them on to make the decision to move, and so began a search for a home in Somerset West.
“We fell in love with the pristine beauty of this area,” says Aletté. “We couldn’t have asked for anything better. It’s near the sea; close to a major shopping centre, which is good for my business; and the airport isn’t far for when Heinz needs to travel. It was a no-brainer!”
But this suburban house, which they transformed into a spacious family home with an entertainment area within a year, didn’t always have the ‘wow’ factor.
“We looked at a lot of houses, hoping we’d find the perfect place that we could just move into,” recalls Aletté. “But it wasn’t to be. My mom then urged us to buy something cheaper and revamp it according to what we wanted.
“I still remember my reaction when I first saw this house: ‘Not a chance!’.”
Eventually, after getting good advice from various experts, their additions and improvements were implemented. “It has become a safe haven for us, with enough space to entertain family and friends, a play area for the kids and work space for both of us and our assistant.” >> The kitchen, installed by Sublime Cupboards, has teak countertops and cupboards painted in the colour Plaster from Plascon. The I-beam was necessary because the load-bearing wall was removed when the kitchen was enlarged – where the refrigerator is now located was an unused corner that was incorporated into the house.