House Tour: Interior Designer Turns Riebeek Kasteel Home into Middle Eastern Oasis
In a small Western Cape town, an interior designer transforms a traditional home into an idyllic Middle Eastern-inspired sanctuary for some, is a small Western Cape town off the beaten path.
For others it is a quaint oasis boasting a treasure trove of independent winemakers, quirky cafes and nuggets of history. The magic of this place stems from those who choose to make a home here, adding their unique aesthetics and tastes to the story of the quaint setting. Today, new generations of tastemakers have reimagined some of the homes along the main street and suburbs of Riebeek Kasteel.
For interior designer Ian Hannay Robertson, this storied town ( just 75km outside Cape Town) is where he transformed a once all-white home into a colourful and cosy menagerie of Middle Eastern and North African influences. His work has taken him to cities in Morocco, Egypt, Kenya and everywhere in between, where he has collected objects ranging from a 12-piece dinner set to picture frames and coat racks. Not only has he learned over the years that you can make many objects fit in one suitcase, but also that you can take inspiration from all over the world and incorporate it into your home.
‘It's a real mixed dixie of things, but the basic thread is travel and a mix of influences throughout the world,’ says Ian. ‘I like maps, watercolours and I’m mad about palm trees.’ Not only is the home abundant in mementos from travels, but a personal collection that would make any ardent objet d’art collector envious. Throughout the home, rooms teeming with West African textiles, wood with intricate brass inlays and photographs of the Great Pyramids make this home a paradise.
The home also strikes the tricky balance of creating abundance through a central theme without going overboard. Upon entering any room, visitors are greeted by a blend of local designs and foreign objects. In the bathroom for instance, retro tiling mingles with a genuine Syrian side table and a shoe rack Ian was given by his father, not to mention other pieces he has sourced from auctions.
‘I am such an auction hound. I enjoy going through auction catalogues, and that gives me great joy,’ he says. ‘It's about mixing, finding and just putting things together that give the home some sort of story.’ Not only is the home inspiring, but it’s also a great spot for summer entertainment. The outdoor patio is given the same aesthetic treatment as the interiors, which allows a seamless flow throughout the home.
‘I would entertain and do drinks outside on the stoop, especially in summer when it gets really hot before going inside with the air conditioning on,’ says Ian. ‘It's a nice house to have guests because I am on one end and guests are down the other end with enough space between the two bedrooms.’
Text by Kimberly Schoeman
Photography by Greg Cox