Rustic Remix

This lovingly restored farmhouse in South Africa's Great Karoo is a vibrant mix of pattern, nostalgia and creative charm, where every detail tells a story

- BY LORI COHEN

Cornel and Neill Strydom always knew they wanted to return to the land.

Both grew up in farming families, and while their careers had taken them elsewhere for years, they never lost that connection. When they bought Nagtegaalsfontein in Colesberg almost a decade ago, it was with a long-term plan: one day, this would be home. 'We decided early on that we weren't going to grow old in a city,' says Cornel. 'We wanted our lives to be rooted somewhere quieter, somewhere slower.'

When they arrived full-time two years ago after their youngest finished school, they stepped into a space full of possibility. The house - built in 1858 and having never been on the grid - had been altered over generations by different owners adapting it to their needs. Thick walls held layers of history; old additions told stories of practicality rather than aesthetics.

'The house already had so much character,' says Cornel. 'It just needed thoughtful reworking.' The first thing they did was add a new kitchen with expansive windows facing north so they could take in the view all day long. 'The original kitchen made sense for winter, but it did not take advantage of what makes this place special: the openness,' says Cornel.

The new kitchen has become an anchor for daily life for the guests who come to experience the semi-desert region of the Karoo. The centrepiece is a round wooden table surrounded by multi-hued woven Malawi chairs. Anchoring them is a striking black-and-white tiled floor that Cornel pieced together from leftover tiles salvaged from her parents' home. Instead of forcing mismatched pieces into uniformity, she embraced their differences, cutting them into smaller sections to create a Moroccan-inspired mosaic. Adding a playful mix