Cosmopolitan Good Housekeeping / Goeie Huishouding House and Leisure Marie Claire O, The Oprah Magazine Women on Wheels
Back to listing

House and Leisure reveals finalists for SA’s best home

24 May 2012

House and Leisure, in association with SA Home Loans, launches its eighth annual House of the Year (HOTY) competition this month. The 11 finalists can be viewed in the special supplement included with the June issue of House and Leisure and readers now have the opportunity to vote for the home that they think is SA’s best. 

‘Each year the competition becomes more intense, this year we have explored the many diverse possibilities of what makes the premier South African home,’ says Naomi Larkin, Editor of House and Leisure. ‘Finalists this year range from large, sophisticated mansions to subtle urban palaces, from mountain retreats to seaside mysteries, all of which share the combination of liveability and aesthetic appeal – with a dollop of loving attention to detail.’ 

Readers are encouraged to vote for their favourite house, and stand the chance to win appliances from Siemens to the value of R30 000. To vote in the HOTY competition purchase a copy of the latest issue of House and Leisure and see the SMS details or simply log on to houseandleisure.co.za and follow the links. Closing date for voting is 31 August 2012.

The finalists in 2012’s House of the Year are: 

House 1: Modern majesty. Old and new mingle with ease in a glamorous, revamped Cape Town home. Owners: Charl Mouton and Willie Meyburgh  

House 2: Lovely bones. Smart work on a beautiful existing structure fleshed out this industrial Cape Town house. Owners: Pierre de Wit and Niki Hvidsten 

House 3: Art and life. Lovingly collected Scandinavian furniture and South African artworks add soul to a Johannesburg family home. 

House 4: Natural selection. ‘Green’ Living has never looked as glamorous or earthly as in this rural Gauteng residence. Owners: James and Doris Forbes

House 5: Haute house. Eclectic grace and touch of the bohemian characterises a Westcliff mansion in Johannesburg. Owner: Annabelle Desfontaines

House 6: Designer deco. Art deco and modernist heritage combine perfectly in this elegant Joburg abode. Owners: Alan Amory and Richard Devey

House 7: New vernacular. Perched on a rocky highveld koppie in Joburg’s Westcliff a sophisticated pavilion embodies ‘rustic materiality’. 

House 8: Open home. An immaculately renovated Cape Town Victorian is the perfect showcase for its collected treasures. Owners: Warren Matthee and Rupert Smith

House 9: Roof with a view. Vibey downtown Joburg sets the stage for a light-filled penthouse with enviable city views. Owners: John Clark and Alicia Thompson

House 10: Out in the open. An airy contemporary Hout Bay property is an imaginative reflection of its wooded mountainside environment. 

House 11: Grand scale. A magnificent architectural villa maximises its dramatic setting on the Garden Route coast. Owners: Mark and Sandra Stephenson

‘SA Home Loans is proud to be part of South Africa’s premier home competition once again,’ says Kevin Penwarden, CEO of SA Home Loans. ‘We have a passion for homes, and this competition allows us to see how a house is transformed into a dream home, something which is truly inspiring.’ 

Between 8 and 12 August 2012 Gauteng residents will have another opportunity to see the 11 finalists when House and Leisure participate in this year’s Decorex JHB. 

For more House and Leisure