FROM THE EDITOR
Every so often we’re introduced to a home that defies all the usual conventions, and when the H&G team was invited to view a ‘tree house’ in Constantia, little did we anticipate the feat of imagination and engineering it so clearly is. In natural high on page 62, we meet the architects behind this fantastical and yet incredibly functional structure sculpted from steel, timber and glass, which, for all its solid materiality, appears to float among the trees.
With two levels comprising its living spaces and an open entertainment deck on the roof, it feels remarkably spacious despite its modest 80-squaremetre internal floor area. It’s a masterful study of how seamlessly integrated storage and streamlined furnishings can amplify even the tiniest of spaces. It’s also a reminder that not everyone is cut out for the clutter-free life of the minimalist.
The other homes featured in this issue are further proof that delightful surprises are often found in small packages, and represent the way so many of us live. While all the featured apartments showcase some brilliant ideas and inspiration for maximising their footprint, full respect is due to south african interior designer hubert Zandberg, who’s worked wonders with his 35-square-metre pied-à-terre in Paris in Personal Interest (page 90).
The comfortably glamorous new York duplex penthouse belonging to interior-design power couple nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent (Mutual Feelings, page 76) might be considerably roomier, but their philosophy of decorating can be taken to heart. says nate of their storied abode, ‘everyone should be able to sit in a room that sparks memories.’
As a frustrated gardener contending with a less-thangenerous space, I’ve long considered succulents a friend in my attempts at being green-fingered, which is why both Phoenix of the desert (page 84) and sky’s the Limit (page 52), with its examples of what can be done with cool roof gardens, resonate with me.
We can’t get enough of Jo’burg’s vibrant shopping and dining scene, not to mention the exciting stuff happening in the city’s art world, as documented by arts editor eva-maria shuman in Powers of Invention (page 27).