Provençal kitchen renovation
Undeterred by a small budget, previous patch-jobs or the scale of the project, this couple created their dream Provençal kitchen.
Ounie and Johan Lourens live in Steytlerville in the Eastern Cape. They renovated their kitchen for R14 000 in 2008 - and have since tackled other parts of the house.
ABOVE: The kitchen before.
ABOVE: In the newly renovated kitchen, painted timber cabinets offer plenty of open storage.
We were looking for a retirement home and the Karoo's unique ambience led us to this charming house in Steytlerville. The place was run down. We disliked the old kitchen, one wall of which had a large window of rippled glass, while the backdoor was a dull stable door, the cabinets and worktop melamine.
LEFT: We broke out the entire wall and put in two wood double glass doors and replaced everything else, from the tiles to the cupboards and lights.
Johan and I aren't afraid of a little hard work, and we did everything with the help of one of our daughters and a labourer.
The Style
We wanted our kitchen to have a rural Karoo look, with a touch of France.
With very little money, a little hard work and enough time, you can achieve a great deal. Choose the right materials with care and keep an eye on quality. Also, everything doesn't have to match perfectly; use others' ideas and insights, but follow your heart.
ABOVE: Furniture doesn't have to cost a fortune. Shop around for bargains that can easily be restored, or think about how you can make furniture pieces yourself. This table is simply designed with a timber frame and reclaimed oak or oregan pine planks for the tabletop.
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