#1 OH, SO EARTHY!
WHO Etienne Hanekom
WHERE Malmesbury
With a crackling fire on which a pot Of bredie is slowly simmering, this platteland kitchen is all about conviviality and comfort. “My kitchen is actually incredibly simple,” says interior designer Etienne about his weekend home. “It’s basically an island with a grocery cupboard and a stove. I like the fact that it doesn’t quite feel like, a kitchen, but more like a living area with an adjacent fireplace and breakfast table.
When Etienne bought the house, the kitchen was dark and narrow, located at the end of a passageway with no door to the outside - by no means the appealing space it is today.
“At least there was a pantry next to it; as a result, I was able to combine these two rooms and incorporate the old outbuilding as a scullery,” explains Etienne. “All that remains of the old kitchen is the hearth.”
The showstopper is two glass ‘sunrooms’ that were built on either side of the kitchen. “The idea was to make the kitchen part of the courtyard, and that’s also why I created flowerbeds right up against the house.”
Style wise
Etienne describes the space with its lovely old cupboard as simple, with a blend of natural elements. “Most of the pieces are lucky finds,” he explains. “I try to stick to wood, with terracotta on the floor. What
