Life throws us curve balls when we least expect them, and sometimes, those curve balls hit harder than a fast pitch. On December 8, 2024, a day that was already poignant as my late Mom's birthday, my …
The road to Brandvlei is becoming a familiar trail of milestones for my son and I, and our most recent expedition was a perfect blend of high-tech upgrades and old-school grit. We returned to the homestead with …
The restoration of a property like Rusticana is often a mix of the profoundly technical and the deeply emotional. Our most recent trip to Brandvlei was no exception, as my father and I set out to tackle …
In the remote quiet of the Northern Cape, security is not just a luxury—it is a cornerstone of responsible property ownership. This past weekend, my son and I returned to Brandvlei to execute a strategic upgrade to …
The festive season often brings thoughts of joy and togetherness, but for many, it can also be a poignant reminder of those we've lost. For my family, the Christmas of 2022 was exactly that – our first …
As another year winds down, we found ourselves back in Brandvlei for a working holiday, trading festive cheer for some serious DIY. Our mission? To tackle a pesky crack on the exterior sun room wall and give …
In South Africa, load shedding has become the uninvited guest that refuses to leave, a persistent shadow over our daily routines. While I generally prefer to steer clear of the political fray and the exhausting debates surrounding …
Who knew a kitchen appliance could be the catalyst for a spontaneous 1,200-kilometre round trip? In the world of remote property renovation, sometimes the most pressing "emergencies" aren't structural—they’re logistical. We recently embarked on a high-speed "flash …
The beauty of a project like Rusticana is how it evolves into a multi-generational classroom, where the skills of the past are handed down to the hands of the future. Our latest week-long expedition to Brandvlei was …
Maintaining a restoration project like "Rusticana" often feels like living in a state of permanent "work-in-progress." Because the house is frequently a chaotic landscape of exposed wiring, half-painted walls, and the ever-present Karoo dust, we generally keep …