No.1
| HOUSE OF THE MONTH |
Lisa Storer and her family left city life behind to build a new home in the South African countryside and have never looked back
A fter many years living in Johannesburg, Lisa Storer and her partner Brad were keen to build a new home for their family including children, Maxine, 21, Tomas, 17, and Lucy, 11. ‘It was time to shift gears, so we found a plot of land on a grassy habitat known as the Highveld, an hour from the city,’ explains Lisa.
Having previously left her role as a retail buyer to open a lifestyle store called The Storer, Lisa found it a challenge to juggle a new career alongside a new build. However with the help of architect Adrian Morris of Morris&Co., the couple devised a contemporary interpretation of a farmhouse with a pool and pavilion set away from the main house. ‘We looked at the landscape and light first, which informed the design and interior choices,’ says Lisa. ‘It’s essentially three barn-like structures, hugging a central courtyard, with internal glass-lined passages connecting them.’
Like a traditional farmhouse, the home features open-plan living in the barns, each with large windows positioned to embrace the outdoors. Using local materials ensured the house fitted sensitively into the landscape. ‘A mix of corrugated metal, locally sourced stone and concrete form the multi-textured “skin”,’ says Lisa. ‘Inside, it’s an assembly of concrete floors, wood and injections of interest with the furniture.’
Another nod to the traditional farmhouse was placing the kitchen at the heart of the home. ‘It’s a vast space and features exposed distressed poplar beams with steel supports,’ says Lisa.
To furnish the interior, antique stores are regular
