A country home was always on the cards for Oggie Flooring founder Nick Gluckman. ‘After I got married – I knew that before we had kids, I wanted a country home for us to spend quality time together as a young family,’ he says. This old-meets-new home in Greyton was precisely that; a 512-square-metre second home to escape the busyness of daily city life and congregate as a family within natural surroundings, enjoying outdoor activities and spending quality time together.
The location was ideal, being far away enough to feel like an escape yet close enough for an easy commute. ‘And while our kids are still small and their diaries simple, we want to make the most of this small town.’ says Nick. ‘Greyton as a community makes you feel connected to the space. It lends itself to things you normally would not find yourself doing, such as family hikes to the waterfall, catching up with locals on daily walks and being greeted by the grazing cows and horses.’
Architectural and interior design duo James Goss and Zeanne Duminy of Zeanne + Goss spearheaded this project, drawing inspiration from the home’s surrounding landscape. ‘This home opens up towards the mountains and incredible fields,’ says Zeanne. ‘Wherever it was possible, we opened the home to these views and created spaces where the doors could entirely fold away, creating a seamless connection with the beautiful outdoors.’
Nick had worked with Zeanne + Goss on his Tamboerskloof house before, and the design duo could include slight nuances and threads from their primary residence into their holiday one, making it feel like an extension of their home in the city. ‘A lot of the tones and textures that we were lucky to work with previously were pulled through to the Greyton one, but the finishes were ever so slightly more robust, with a quirky nod to the country feel through little items brought in,’ says Zeanne when asked about the influence of the design.
The flooring is, of course, a point of pride in the home. Zeanne + Goss chose to highlight their beauty by contrasting the hardwood against other finishes. ‘You will see that we contrasted it against the klompie brick, which runs along the home’s spine, connecting the old with the new. While ceramic tiles are used in other areas of the home, Oggie Flooring was installed in the bedrooms, living space and other important communal areas.’ says Zeanne. This helped carry the warmth throughout the space, lending itself to the varying textures in and around the rooms. Rattan, leather and other natural fibres were well incorporated to complement the flooring but used simply and elegantly to not over-clutter. Zeanne adds, ‘We wanted to use robust finishes that they would not feel sorry for; so huge leather sofas, a massive James Mudge table and other accompanying pieces to make the home feel comfortable.’ The sleek dining chairs picked up on the language of the lights, with other black furniture pieces enhancing the massive structural beams that run throughout the home. These high ceilings provided commentary on the cathedral aspect of the space, one that was open and filled with an abundance of love and happiness.
On working with the Gluckmans, Zeanne mentions, ‘There is nothing greater in this world than to be called upon again by a past client. It is such a great compliment, and we truly value the relationships we have built in this industry over time. It is great to work for clients you hold in such high regard.’ While the space has many links to their existing Cape Town life, the Greyton house was more of an ode to the Gluckman’s love of entertaining. The love of their pets, their young kids and the outdoors have really made this house a home.
