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People often ask me how we find all the beautiful homes that we photograph for Home.
Readers send us pics, we ask our stylists and photographers if they’ve come across anything fabulous, or we buy photos and stories from agencies.
The latter seldom happens, because a Home house has a very specific feel, and few agencies have the pics we need. A house that’s ideal for a feature in Home is a very special one. It’s a home where real people live and lead real lives; often, not everything is perfect, but that’s what makes it so perfect for us – and for you, the reader.
And let’s not forget: pets are welcome, even on the couch! I know, I know; not everyone agrees with this statement. But my point is: these are not clinical spaces where you wonder where you’re allowed to sit. These are houses that say: “Welcome to our home”.
The two eco homes featured in this issue – one in Tierpoort outside Pretoria, the other in Tesselaarsdal outside Caledon – are precisely that. And in both cases, the homeowners emailed me in the past few months to say they were working on a project and could they send me some pics so we can share them with our readers?
I was thrilled! These are two very special places. The house built with adobe bricks in Tesselaarsdal got me dreaming – I can see myself there. And Tierpoort: what a story! It’s also such an impressive space with its mezzanine levels and stoeps – as well as a stone wall for the homeowners, who love rock climbing.
We’ve also included a makeover in Plettenberg Bay after falling in love with the homeowner’s fantastic use of the colour green. And, of course, as I’ve said before: renovating an existing building is in itself a ‘green’ project. After all, one ‘recycles’ the entire house, instead of building something from scratch.
I was also enthralled by the McGregor reader garden, not to mention the eco pool in the same town. These were originally photographed for our special issue Home Yard but when the pics arrived... All I can say is that seeing is believing. Because that kind of eco pool has never been shown in Home, and isn’t that exactly what your favourite magazine should do? Surprise you!
This issue is bursting at the seams, and we’re already working on the next one. In between, we’re shooting the first Fix it with Flair projects for our Home Renovations issue. And when I get a gap, I’m doing the brainteasers for Home Crosswords #3, or selecting the best gardening pics for our annual Home Notebook!
Enjoy!
