Lynne and Luiz Correia’s home in Stellenbosch speaks volumes – it’s a never-ending source of inspiration and a collector’s dream.

Two years ago, they chanced upon this 1950s home and although it needed to be updated, they immediately fell in love with it. The Correias were prepared to look past this and transformed the house into something special, with the help of Tim Ziehl Architects and Kita Wagener of Eikestad Konstruksie.

Eat, play, live
Referring to the unusual entrance of her home, Lynne asks, ‘Many people told us you can’t enter a home via the dining room, but why not? At our house, there’s no distinction between the living room, dining room and kitchen – the kitchen and dining room are the living room!’ The gorgeous open-plan living area boasts big open shelves, artwork and items that tell myriad stories from all around the world. These were acquired over the years from all the different places Luiz has worked. But they also spoiled themselves with some new goodies. ‘The mint-green Smeg fridge is my favourite purchase; what other refrigerator would be so at home in a living room?’ Lynne laughs.

A welcoming courtyard
Lynne says, ‘We wanted a private courtyard at the front door where we could spend time together in the mornings and afternoons, much like we did during our time in Mexico. Initially, there was a carport in front of the house and you literally stopped right next to the front door.’ A steel gate by Nico Smit of SteelArt allows visitors a glimpse of the garden and natural swimming pool to the right as they walk through the courtyard to the front door.

An outdoor retreat
One of the shortcomings of the house was that it had no stoep from which Lynne and Luiz could enjoy the view of the Stellenbosch mountains. So, the Correias built a new 40m² covered patio and further extended it with a deck that leads out into the garden. This provided a link between the pool and the entertainment area, too.

Words: Home Magazine
Images: Francois Oberholster
Styling: Home Magazine