A Dutch sailing enthusiast by the name of Kees Bruynzeel was the original owner of this property. As a tribute to him, the current owners, William Raats and David Mostert, named the house Stormvogel, after the yacht of the same name that Kees had built here in Stellenbosch in 1960.
“When we moved in eight years ago, a large part of the garden was completely overgrown, with just a few trees and an expanse of lawn stretching from the street to the house. Back then, there were no hedges, and the dry stone walls were badly dilapidated. We got two stonemasons from Lesotho to restack them for us,” says David.
Slate walls were built along the driveway and in the back garden; the colour of the slate complements the stone that occurs naturally on the property. The walls helped to limit soil erosion on the sloping erf and once these were built, they could start creating patios, terraces and new beds.
“In the first two years we made it our mission to cover up any bare soil with plants,” says
