My dad always said
you should never wish your life away. But as I sit and write this editor’s note – it’s the end of November – I’m counting the days until the end of the year. Put it this way: if 2020 were a WhatsApp group, the words “Wicus Pretorius left” would be the sum total of my December contribution.
Fortunately, there’s sweet relief for stressed souls in this issue of Home, spaces that invite you to relax and unwind; houses and holiday homes that give us renewed energy to face the New Year.
In my mind’s eye, I’m on a road trip from house to house, with my dog Asgat in the back of the station wagon. At the Kommetjie home of our Rookie Stylist winner (our annual Instagram competition in partnership with MRP Home) I’m especially impressed with the Nortjes’ outdoor shower (see page 14) because it’s just what I need at my house. I fight a losing battle against the dog’s hair, which falls off his body in tufts every winter. Come summer, he’s neatly shaved but then, as our handyman Deon DIY always says, there is “new trouble”: beach sand everywhere.
Next stop: Pringle Bay to admire Anneliese Burgess’s house – it’s actually quite small but it looks big because of its smart design. Shows you what a clever architect can do...
From there, I’ll head to Fisherhaven to sit on Elzanne
Woeke’s stoep. And at the Gründlinghs in Grotto Bay, I’d like to enjoy a week’s silent retreat. Or I could move into the gin shack in the Hodkinsons’ garden in Greyton – that’s my kind of garden, one with a cosy bar.
But most of all, I want to sit next to the campfire on the Mills’s farm in the Karoo, cook in that amazing bush kitchen, and just hang out with everyone I saw too little of in 2020. With Johané’s recipes (potato salad with a sweet twist for me, thank you) it will be a real feast there beneath the stars.
Enjoy this bumper issue of Home – it’ll be on-shelf for two months. The next issue will be on sale on 12 February 2021.
• To make this holiday even better, we’ve put together a book for all you crossword puzzle, word search and sudoku fans.
And don’t forget our Renovations issue with projects from our annual Fix it with Flair competition. And then there’s a brandnew 2021 Diary, filled with gorgeous garden photos, tips, a calendar and more than enough space to make notes.
Looks can be deceiving – even in your favourite magazine! Our summer homes, for example, are often shot in midwinter, in extreme weather. There was still snow on the mountains when we shot the outdoor kitchen on our cover.
But there’s nothing like a little luxury to lift our spirits after a stressful shoot. The Home team’s eight-hour drive was safe and fun-filled thanks to the Volvo XC60 D5 AWD Inscription we were driving. With a driver alert control function that helps to keep you in your lane, keyless entry, park assist pilot and a blind-spot navigation system, we drove to the Karoo and back in high-tech luxury and safety to bring you the most fabulous photos. – Marian van Wyk