Restoration project
Shortly after moving in, Zelma, assisted by her two daughters, began restoring the old house. “Nicci is an architect in Cape Town and drew up plans for me. My youngest daughter Rozelle came to help unpack but soon realised that she also wanted to live here,” explains Zelma.
“In those days, the town was known as the centre of the port wine industry. At first, I didn’t become involved in anything as we were too busy with the house and the garden.”
Not long after Zelma moved into the main house, the town became a popular tourist destination and she realised that her own patch of land had just as much potential. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion for decorating. It started with two wooden boxes in our back yard in which I used to play ‘house’ as a child. When I ended up in Calitzdorp and heard that straw bale construction was an option, I erected two cottages. I got the bales from a farmer in Kruisrivier; the clay soil, river stones, manure and lime for the plastering were readily available.”
Zelma tells us how the two houses got their name: “One day, one of the two workers arrived for work a little late. His excuse was that ‘his slippers had been pushed a bit far under his bed (kooi )’. That’s where I got the idea for ‘StrooiKooi’ (straw bed).”
Zelma and Rozelle gradually became involved in the town’s activities. “We started offering jam-making workshops on the farm during the fruit-harvesting season. This has developed into what is now known as the annual Jamboree.”
Zelma explains: “On a certain day at the end of November, during apricot-picking time, volunteers from the town cook a thousand bottles of jam. Proceeds from the sales go to the Calitzdorp Community Fund, which is managed by our tourism office.”
These days, Zelma is also actively involved in the event previously known as the Calitzdorp Port Festival. “It has now become our winter festival in June, and is known as the Uncorked Festival.”
While Zelma’s guests love the ecofriendly StrooiKooi concept, Mooi Nooi offers a tasteful, minimalist getaway that can accommodate as many as six guests. During lockdown, her guests were exclusively South African and they, like overseas visitors, loved the back-to-nature, indoor-outdoor lifestyle it offers
– and, thanks to the wraparound stoep, nature is but a few steps away.
Guests can’t get enough of the view of the surrounding orchards, valley and mountains. “Not to mention the peace and quiet.”
Zelma and Nicci decided that furniture and accessories that tell their own story would add the finishing touch to the elegance of the main house. Zelma says her style is linked to the Japanese aesthetic of “wabi-sabi”, which traditionally means “imperfect beauty”.
The redesign of the space improved the flow of the house, creating a sense of one continuous living area. And, typical of Zelma’s preferred style, the openness of the interior conveys the same feeling of freedom as the exterior.
“There are so many awe-inspiring places to live in South Africa. Calitzdorp was my choice. It’s tranquil and stress-free here. I get the opportunity to appreciate everything around me, all the things that bring me joy. Nothing could be more precious.”
ZELMA’S TIPS
FOR A WABI-SABI HOME
• Have at least one showstopper in your home – such as the window in my kitchen (page 27).
• Don’t display all your knick-knacks at once, even if you love them all.
• My motto is “less furniture, more quality” – this allows you to create focal points.
• Each piece of furniture has its ideal spot – you just have to find it.
• See the potential: what can be, not necessarily what is.
• Interior design can make a home, or just another house: a home is where memories are made.
• When it comes to a guesthouse, provide that 'special something'. Quality white linen is non-negotiable!