Living Down South

Southern hemisphere living is about bright light and space, open-plan style, and  a life lived in the outdoors as much as in the inner spaces. These days I live this lifestyle vicariously only, through visits to friends' homes down south. While decor and home interiors are not normally what I do here, in this and the next couple of posts I'm sharing a few glimpses from happy snaps I took on my visit to Cape Town last month of homes and gardens that reflect what I love about this way of living and why I'm mad about Cape style.

Visiting special friends who live on a wine farm in the Franschhoek valley is always a treat, beginning with the sight of the long driveway up from the road ...

to these views ...

A lot of living happens outdoors around the pool ...

Comfy sofas live outside on covered porches year-round. 

the pool reflected in the verdigris metal wall lanterns

Eating happens outside too, on the terrace looking over the dam towards the mountains ...

or inside in the kitchen, where it's not about grand entertaining, but always about eating and drinking well, generosity and friendship.  

Tiny the Great Dane is not left out of the party


And it's only a short walk to the cottage on the river where we spend the night

My post title is borrowed from one of my favourite books of South African homes, now in a second version, along with some others that show the individuality and creativity that I love about these homes, on all kinds of budgets ...

Down South, Down South Two, Home Cape Town, Hot Afro