Name: Christo & Nikki Roos
Location: Craighall Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
Type: Farm House In the City
Size: 7,600 square feet
Years lived in: 1
>> See Nikki & Christo's Gallery!
When you mention Johannesburg, a farm house is the last image that springs to mind, but for Nikki and Christo it was a dream to create a weekend escape in the city. Set in the leafy neighborhood of Craighall you will find this tranquil home, a stone's through away from Africa's New York.
This home is brand new, but you would never guess - it feels lived in and cared for, something they achieved by decorating with inherited pieces from Nikki's grandparents. The family has called in the help of Interior designer Marinda van Rooy and together they have creatively mixed the old with the new. The couple also commissioned Rusty and Jeffrey, a carpenter and painter duo, to mastermind bespoke cupboards and furniture throughout the house - using reclaimed and inherited articles. Rusty and Jeffrey feels part of the family now and their handwork proudly adorns every room, it has taken them almost a year to complete the current installations and they are still going! Nikki and Christo have successfully created the unimaginable - a farm style living in the heart of the city!
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My/Our Style: Weekend living in the city
Inspiration: Unpretentious elegance
Favorite Element: Everything in the home is functional. And the champagne sunsets on the "stoep" (veranda) are great
Biggest Challenge: Blocking out the neighbors
What Friends Say: So much space! Great views & nice attention to detail
Biggest Embarrassment: That we didn’t go for solar geysers (actually everything green)
Proudest DIY: Fitting the ice machine
Biggest Indulgence: Lots of space, huge storerooms & the hydroboil for early morning coffees
Best advice: Get a interior designer involved from the beginning to plan placement of furniture, additional plugs etc. Get a builder you can trust & build a lifelong relationship with. Get a specialist in to do the leveling of the house as architects and builders often get this wrong
Dream Source: Buying from the wholesalers or importers directly
Resources:
Kitchen Hardware: : Ilve, Bosch, AEG
Kitchen furniture: : Handmade country kitchens by Rusty
Lighting: : Sarita Sharman Lighting, Gatehouse lighting
Painting jobs: : All cupboard units handpainted by Jeffrey
Desks: Handmade by Rusty
Dining room furniture: Pieter Oosthuizen furniture
Window Treatments: Painted wooden windows and doors by Kelly
Beds: Bleu/Ossewa & linen from Cabbages & Roses/Loads of Living linen
Tiles and Stone: Pavini tiles
Art: Angus Taylor, Leon Muller, Michal Heyns
Other: Marinda van Rooy Interior Decorators + 27 83 454 2061
Thanks Nikki & Christo!
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
The furnishings are lovely, but I loathe (hate and despise) new construction that attempts to look historic.
Been seeing lots of great stuff from South Africa lately in places like Marie Claire Maison (Italy, France).
view mschatelaine's profile
7,600 square feet! that seems off. it must include the porches, garage, etc.
view Fjorder's profile
Not my style at all, but really beautifully done. I'm exhausted at just thinking about living in 7,600 square feet.
view Sydney's profile
I'm completely torn here. This is a beautiful space, I love, love, love the furnishings, but 7,000 square feet for 2-3 people!?! I just cannot commend that and a new build on top of it? That's not "green", that's green-washing. I hate to be ants at a picnic but it's just not right.
view sarrazak's profile
love it! when can i move in, looks like you've got the room!
view Stephvixen's profile
I think their wine cellar is bigger than my apartment.
*sigh*
view kiljoywashere's profile
7,000 square feet of cream color :(
view Sofik's profile
I suppose it's not 'unimaginable' to create a farm atmosphere in the city, given enough land, contractors, decorators. All terribly tasteful, the most elegant 'farmhouse' I'll ever see--nice to see that the economic downturn and subsequent downsizing hasn't spread everywhere! Go South Africa!
view jen_g's profile
I love the chandeliers next to the bed! Love them! I think a house that size may be a bit overwhelming though. It takes me months just to get one room the way I love it...
view sfteri's profile
Oh, man, I am in LOVE with that wine cellar.
And I could crawl into the bed in the topmost pic and take a nap. So comfy-looking.
view PhillyLass's profile
The elements that make the master bedroom fantastic (art, color, flooring, furnishings) are missing from the other spaces... almost like that room belongs in a different house.
view sunan's profile
sunan - I agree - the master bedroom really stands out.
view susang's profile
some nice things... but generally gives out very cold vibe. and watching this kind of places makes me want to dig out a copy of Das Kapital... ;-)
Is it really needed to have that much space to oneself?
view Offtza's profile
Its pretty but feels kind of cold and imporsonal - too decorated for my taste. And the house itself is kind of blah. But I like the old things in the house mixed with the new art.
As far as that much space for so little people goes; live's unfair!
view Nina79's profile
I think this is a really gorgeous mix!
view jessimarie33's profile
I'm sorry, but I cannot find a single thing to like about this place, it looks like a terribly big beige wasteland, why is this on AT? I do like the art deco love-seat, although it has been tragically upholstered and dressed and placed with its back against an overwrought, overtopped fireplace and flanked with what appears to be kitchen storage. The whole place in fact looks brand new, contrary to the text, I can smell to VOC's from here.
view jacksonlalonde's profile
I agree with most above....nothing too AT about this place, starting with the fact that it is not an apartment. While I am sure it is a lovely home, doesn't seem like an appropriate feature for this website/blog.
view a. c. bruch's profile
ginormousandexcessivemansionfullofwastedspacetherapy.com
view kannf1982's profile
I'm with everyone else. There's nothing "apartment" about this. There's also nothing "farmhouse" about it that I can discern. 7600 square feet of new construction, with a flawless chem-lawn?
If it makes them happy, great for them, but I'm not inspired.
view amanda bee's profile
Only thing I like about this place are the parquet floors - and not for any design reasons, but simply cos it reminds me of the house I grew up in.
view RubyB's profile
Just the idea of having to dust, clean windows and mop/vacuum the floors in such a big space seems too big of a challenge for me. I have no idea what I would do with so much space.
view baileyb's profile
i agree ... 7600 sq feet white walls ??????not my kind ....like exteriors better than the interiors
view hima_vasu's profile