05. COUNTRY FRESH. a gorgeous amalgam of tradition, modernity, invention and outright fun

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1 05. COUNTRY FRESH By forsaking conventional notions of how a farm house should be decorated, this creative cou ple has lovingly fashioned themselves a family retreat that enchants with its playful charm It wasn t just the ramshackle structure of Trevyn and Julian McGowan s Klein Karoo retreat that had a complete overhaul. Their reinterpretation of Country Style is one of a kind a gorgeous amalgam of tradition, modernity, invention and outright fun. Julian and South African-born Trevyn relocated to South Africa from London. Their primary residence is in the coastal village of Wilderness (see page XX); a delightful consequence of establishing Pear Tree Farm as a holiday bolt hole was the opportunity to liberate from stor age a trove of beloved possessions that never quite suited the formal sophistication of their Wilder ness residence but are perfectly at ease in their country setting. The charm of the interior is as much down to the visual appeal of the objects as it is Trevyn and Julian s playful and skilful assembly of them. The ambience they have established is chic, easy-going and family friendly. The advantage of having first dibs on the top crop of contemporary South African design (the two develop and export South African design through their business, Source) is evident throughout the house, where favourite pieces of craft, furniture and decorative art from the Source collection reside alongside vintage wares, junk and antiques found in the area (many falling into the category of South Africana), family heirlooms, local and international art, and bric-à-brac. While muted colours are a signature of the country interior, this one positively dazzles with its white-on-white appearance. Not only are all the surfaces white (including the floor and ceiling), so is the majority of the furniture. This chalky shade does more than provide a crisp canvas for the decor: it serves to architecturally unify the original structure with the newer additions. Cheerful shades present themselves in the artworks, detailed prints on throws and cushion covers, and ever present freshly picked wild blooms. a gorgeous amalgam of tradition, modernity, invention and outright fun

2 A major theme in decorating the farmhouse has been to explore economical, playful and inventive ways of furnishing the spaces. This waste-nothing attitude encompassed ideas of recycling, repur posing objects into entirely new and unexpected pieces, and making spontaneous aesthetic decisions. So old equipment from the farm has been remodelled into furniture such as the coffee table in the living room that is made from part of a large old bellows resting on ox-wagon wheel spokes. The children s art hangs alongside works by Kentridge and Marc Quinn. Tea towels with beautiful prints have been fashioned into cushion covers and bed throws. An old window frame has become a free-standing bookshelf. But perhaps the fairest idea of them all is evidenced in a guest bedroom, where botanical prints have been torn from a book and reassigned to life as whimsical, colourful wall paper. It s all in a Saturday afternoon s work for this imaginative and endlessly creative couple.

3 far left Many of the items here make reference to the legacy of this part of the Karoo, such as this series of paintings by local artist Hanneke Benade. Both its subject matter a hatching ostrich egg and the shape of the works themselves are connected to the ostrich-farming industry that is central to the area s economic history. The ceramics on top of the old shop cabinet are by Cornelius Lemmer and Frauke Stegmann. left In decorating this home the couple explored inventive ways of furnishing that encompassed recycling and repurposing objects. The coffee table in the living room is one such example and is made from part of a large old bellows propped on ox-wagon spokes. The replica giraffe skulls are by Ceramic Matters; the lamp made of old enamel bowls is by Gregor Jenkin. chalky white serves to architecturally unify the original bits of structure with the newer additions 51.

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5 left While black and white are the only colours in the main bedroom, the space still feels warm and engaging thanks to pattern and print. The ceramic bird plate next to the doorway is by Frauke Stegmann, the heart by Ceramic Matters, and the bed linen from New York s Anthropologie. right This anteroom serves as sleeping quarters and is a wonderful retreat from the relentless summer heat. It is simply decorated with a Heath Nash flower light shade made from recycled plastic. The cushion covers on the bed have been fashioned from tea towels. 54. a waste-nothing attitude encompasses recycling and repurposing objects into entirely new pieces

6 The ambience is chic, easy-going and family friendly

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