Interior Design | Dorothy van’t Riet

I am in a very fortunate position at Estate Living, because I am regularly exposed to some of the most beautiful residential landscapes in South Africa. Coupled with these natural and architectural success stories are the warm and hospitable people that welcome me into their homes.

The beauty of a residential community does not end at the front gate or ...

Eden Island Seychelles

The concept of building an Eden from scratch is almost biblical – and in this case, the result is most definitely paradise. Which is not surprising at all, as “paradise” is probably the word that that best describes the Seychelles.

But that’s not just because these fabulous palm-fringed tropical islands scattered in the middle of the Indian Ocean are ...

Watch this space - Local South African artists making international waves

In the movie A Good Year, the Russell Crowe character comments on Vincent van Gogh’s Road with Cypress and Star, which his boss, Sir Nigel, has on his wall. Dismissively, Sir Nigel explains that it’s a copy, and that the original, which he never gets to see, is locked up in his vault. This raises so many questions about the ...

La Digue | Seychelles

I Digue it

There are 9000 bicycles on La Digue – That’s a fact. It’s a thing we can’t deny, And you must see this place before you die.

OK, huge apologies to Katie Melua, but I’m sure she’d agree with the sentiments, and those lyrics (or similar) were going through my head as I pedalled my way around this little paradise within a paradise.

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Bells & Whistles

Risks & Rewards

Insurance is a grudge purchase. We spend money every month on something we hope we never need. We’re not motivated by desire for something fun and fabulous; we’re motivated by fear – fear of losing our possessions, or becoming sick or disabled.

And investment is much the same. Very few people put away R 100, R 1 000 or R 10 000 every ...

Distinctive Design Group

Nothing enhances the value of your home more than a garden – in monetary, social, spiritual and aesthetic terms.

A garden gives you space to breathe, space to be, space to be social, and space to play. It’s where your children will learn to walk, where they’ll play, and where they’ll create fantasy worlds that will sustain their creativity. It’s the green...

Princes Grant Coastal Golf Estate | the way life should be lived

In 1856, Queen Victoria of Great Britain permitted a Deed of Grant for a Mr. George Wilson Prince to take ownership of a piece of land situated in the Northern part of South Africa. Mr. Prince purchased the 3 354 acres of land, known as Hyde Park farm for the handsome amount of two pounds, five shillings and four pence sterling....

Outdoor Play

As technology develops, we keep moving further and further away from our environment. As we gain the ability to do things we could never do before, we also lose the ability to do things that were once second nature. For example, your ancestors were brilliant trackers who could follow a kudu for miles over rocky ground. Yes, they were. If they hadn’t been, you ...

Pezula Golf Estate | On top of the world

Knysna has it all. It’s the perfect balance of good infrastructure with wide-open space, between natural beauty and ease of access. You can play golf in the morning, surf in the afternoon, go sailing or fishing in the evening, and then dine in a fabulous restaurant. And the next day do it all over again substituting mountain biking, hiking or paddling – and then ...

Fiber rollout

We’re so excited about fibre optics and how it’s going to change the way we do almost everything. But, as with many new things, we’re still a bit unsure about the details – the actual nitty gritty of what it is and how it will roll out. So we caught up with Juanita Clark, CEO of the FTTH Council Africa, when she was in Cape Town recently, and asked her how it all ...