GARDEN & HOME
I started renovating old houses in Simon's Town a few years ago and my first project was an old cowshed. I'd hardly stripped out the modern bits when someone arrived and offered to buy it. John's renovations and restorations have proven so popular that he's worked on 7 houses in Simin's Town, including his own. Unable to source stocks of old doors and windows that he required for his many projects in this country, he decided to visit Zanzibar and bring back a couple of doors...
CAPE REVIEW
The building in Tamboerskloof with the gold letters "Earth Temple" glinting on the wall is not the haven of some New Age cult ensconsing themselves into residential areas, but rather the old coachhouse of the original Tamboerskloof dairy which is under renovation by a design consultancy with a holistic approach to building, namely Earth Temple. Designer John Barret creates what he calls "modern cave retrests..."
GARDEN & HOME
The childhood memories of John Barret are filled with crisp mountain air, dramatic landscapes and the soothing sounds of water spilling over rocky riverbeds. It is this natural beauty he experienced as a child in New Zealand that he incorporates into his creations. John, who now lives in Hout Bay and owns the company Garden Wizard, specializes in the design & construction of water features that embrace all the elements of nature. "My first attempt, done at the age of 15 on the Reef..."
HOUSE & GARDEN<
The result is a cottage that gives luxury a new definition - the luxury is in Barret's masterful planning, the quality of his spaces, and Gunter's peaceful and personal decor. The luxury is also found in the understatement where everything is played down in contrast to the exceptional surroundings...
SA HOME OWNER
There are few sites in our beautiful country that offer the tranquility and soul-stilling beauty of this forest clad mountain slope overlooking the incomparable panorama of the Hout Bay Valley. Allow your gaze to sweep slowly around the Constantia Neck...
YOUNG & RUBICAM
The idea of approaching a monumental mason to make garden ornaments never crossed my mind until I saw a very neat granite drain cover on a friend's paved patio. On expressing my admiration for this attractive, perforated square, which was a perfect match for the newly laid reddish bricks...
BLUEPRINT RECLAMATION SOURCEBOOK
HOUSE & LEISURE
One of Salome's favourite finds was the old Union Jack that hangs at the end of the passage and cheerfully greets visitors. "It's the first thing you see when you open the front door - I love it." The flag was a birthday present from Willem, and Salome used it to wrap another gift, the stately replica of a...
