Old cupboards or cabinets begging for a makeover? Bennum van Jaarsveld from Dulux reveals how easy it is to bring your old cabinets and cupboards back to life without changing the integrity of a vintage item. Add a splash of colour to cupboards by painting the inside of the cupboard without having to change the exterior. Even ordinary kitchen cabinets may be transformed in three easy steps.

Step 1
Wipe away any dust or dirt with a cloth to leave a clean, dust-free surface that is ready to paint. Apply masking tape along the edges of the door and shelves to form a neat outline to paint within.

Step 2
Depending on the surface, it may be necessary to use a primer or undercoat like Dulux Supergrip to ensure the paint bonds to the surface.

Step 3
Use a small or medium sized paint brush to apply two layers of Dulux Pearlglo colour to the selected area (Bennum used Emerald Delight on this piece). Use even strokes to ensure a smooth finish is achieved. Finally, remove the masking tape to reveal your masterpiece!

Shopping List

Cloth
Paint Tray
Paint Brush
Paint Roller
Dulux Pearlglo paint in a colour of your choice
Masking tape

Watch the video here:

Your garden offers all the inspiration you need to beautify your interior – pick from the best the season has to offer, and display it throughout your home.

Aloes in a pedestal-base urn, adds immediate dramatic elegance – and the seasoned table complements the earthy still life.

Brighten your winter with the last bit of colour in the garden and use a vase with interesting texture for added charm. Here, bluegum branches, Christmas roses, bottlebrush, salvia and purple wreath (Petrea volubilis) stems are flaunted in a weathered basket. It doesn’t matter if a leaf or flower wilts within a day or so; after all, it’s from your garden and doesn’t cost a cent!

Who says you can only pick flowers? Gleanings of grapes or berries invoke a wintery feel.

An old hatbox becomes an unusual container that welcomes pomegranates, foliage and berries into the home.

A palette of garden greenery adds fresh appeal, as seen in this informal arrangement of green Christmas roses (Hydrangea) and the leaves of the Delicious Monster, Cast iron plant (Aspidistra) and Seven-weeks fern (Rumorha adiantiformis).

Storage. We all need it … lots of it. So we bring you a few clever storage ideas that can easily be adapted to suit your home this winter.

Raindrops keep falling on my floor…
It’s pouring with rain outside and you’re running into the house with a dripping umbrella – but wait, you don’t want to get your floor wet. A wooden planter and an old galvanised bucket make perfect umbrella stands when positioned strategically in the hallway or on your front porch. An added bonus: the brightly patterned umbrellas add a burst of colour to the entrance of your home on a grey day.

Treasure chest
A small bathroom presents all sorts of challenges; not least of which is storage issues. A chest works well to store towels, and also all the other little bath accessories that can cause unwanted clutter.

Get a handle on it
Turn cutlery into hooks to hold dishtowels. These homeowners turned an fork into a funky drawer handle. Just bend and twirl – and you’ll have a fun element to add to kitchen cupboards, drawers and dressers.

Roll ’em up
You can’t have enough dry towels in the bathroom in winter – and this decorative wall mount is perfect for storing towels while taking up minimum space. And in summer, it’s perfect for hanging on a wall next to the pool.

Picture this
Scour junk stores (or your parents’ attic) for old film reel canisters and other interesting tins; they’re perfect for storing your photos that don’t make it into an album. Just don’t forget to label every container so you’ll know exactly where to find what you’re looking for…

Inspired by one of our readers’ projects, we set about showing you step by step how to achieve a similar result – a more ‘streamlined’ laundry corner.

Quick Project guide

Hard labour 3/10
Skill level 6/10
Time needed about three hours
Finished size ±870 (H) x 650 (W) x 80mm (D)
Do it yourself for ±R400 (supawood R70; pine R80, hinges R10, primer & paint R240)

Project notes

• Most modern washing machines protrude slightly beyond the surrounding cabinetry and we had to consider this in our design and either make a screen, as with our readers’ stylish solution, or a fitted ‘cover’. We chose the latter option to show an alternative solution, with the advantage being that this reduces noise substantially. If your washing machine does not protrude, a hinged door (see optional steps) would be the ideal.
• We used 6mm supawood for the detailed inset.
• We used 70 x 22mm pine for the frame.
• We used 70 x 16mm white melamine strips for our reveal (frame around the back of the door), as we intended painting our screen door white. If you plan to paint another colour or even to distress the door, use 70 x 22mm pine or supawood.
• Our opening measured 870 x 650mm; adjust your cutting list as needed.

Shopping list

Front frame
• Two 1800 x 70m x 22mm pine cut to:
two 820mm lengths
two 650mm lengths

Back frame (for freestanding screen)
• Two 1800 x 70 x 22mm pine or 16mm cut to:
two 870mm lengths
one 650mm length
one 618mm length

Inset
• 6mm supawood cut to:
one 740 x 530mm

Plus

• wood glue
• cabinet hinges (optional)
• corner blocks
• 10mm wooden dowel
• 70mm chipboard screws
• 16mm chipboard screws
• panel pins
• primer and paint; we used Plascon Multisurface primer followed by an off-white topcoat of Plascon Velvaglo
• paint brush or foam roller

Tools

• drill
• 3mm drill bit and 10mm drill bit OR combination countersink bit
• 38mm Forstner bit (optional)
• trisquare
• saw and mitre box
• pencil
• measuring tape
• router
• hammer
• G-clamps
• straight edge

Before

Get started

1 Clamp each of the two sets of 70 x 22mm pine lengths for the front frane firmly to your work surface then, using your router and a straight bit, cut a recess along one edge measuring 10 x 10mm deep. TIP One could also use a table saw to do this: set the blade to cut a depth of 10mm and adjust the guide so the blade will cut 10mm from the edge of the timber. Cut along the length then turn the timber on its edge to complete the right angled cut.

2 Use the saw and mitrebox to cut the 70mm x 22mm pine to the lengths needed to create your door frame. Cut the ends at 45 degrees to create your mitred corners. REMEMBER The edge with the recess must face to the inside of the frame.

3 Then drill countersunk pilot holes and fix the lengths at right angles to make up the framework. Use the 10mm drill bit to create two holes roughly 10mm deep at the ends; use a piece of tape wrapped around the bit to indicate the drilling depth. Then use the 3mm bit to drill the pilot hole. Now glue and screw together using the 70mm chipboard screws (two screws at each joint). Use clamps to hold the corners together while you fix these together.

4 Add some glue into the 10mm holes then tap the end of the 10mm wooden dowel into the holes. Use a hacksaw blade to trim the exposed end flush with the surface. Repeat until you have plugged all eight holes.

5 Now mark lines across the length of the 6mm supawood panel. Start by marking a line down the middle then divide the remaining space into equal parts; our lines were spaced roughly 80mm apart. Once you’re happy with the spacing, replace the straight bit with a tapered router bit. Using a guide clamped firmly in place and your base plate adjusted, rout 5mm deep grooves along these lines.

6 Fix the 6mm supawood backing into the inside of the framework. This will also provide lateral support to the frame structure. Use panel pins to fix the panel in place, as shown.

7 Use the corner blocks to fix the 70 x 22mm pine or 16mm melamine lengths to the outside of the frame to create the reveal. Now add the doorknobs.

Optional step 7A If your washing machine is positioned deep enough within the surrounding cabinetry to enable you to add a hinged door to cover it – the ideal – use the 38mm Forstner drill bit and electric drill to drill two holes along one side 5mm from the edge, as shown.

Optional step 7B Use a tri-square to ensure the hinges are positioned correctly (at right angles to the door edge) before fixing these in place, then hang the door in position.

Alternative design details
Our reader added heartshaped cutouts to the front of her doors. Here’s how to cut heart shapes out of the front of yours as an alternative design detail…

1 Mark out the desired shape with a pencil.

Na

A truly great dessert, this tart is delicious served lukewarm with whipped cream or mascarpone.

Serves: 6-8
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Oven temperature: 180°C
Baking time: 30-35 minutes

• 200g self-raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 150g cold butter, cubed
• 80ml castor sugar
• 5ml finely ground cinnamon
• 5ml vanilla essence
• 1 egg, beaten

Poached pears

• 125ml castor sugar
• 2 strips lemon peel
• 1 vanilla pod, sliced open, seeds scraped out
• 3 pears, peeled and quartered
• thick cream to serve

1 Place the flour and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Mix the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, and add just enough egg to make a dough. Cover with cling-wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

2 Prepare the pears Place the sugar, lemon peel, vanilla pod and seeds, and 750ml water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, add the pears and simmer (covered) for about 5 minutes or until the pears are soft. Remove saucepan from the heat and stand for 10 minutes. Remove the pears and cool; return the saucepan to stove and heat the syrup until it thickens.

3 Preheat the oven. Press the dough into a 23cm springform tart pan, making sure that it’s not higher than the ridges; the dough will rise over the pears during baking. Place the cooled pears on the dough and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Brush the tart with a little of the syrup as it comes out of the oven.

My mother passed away last year. Along with the inconsolable grief her death wrought on my father, myself and all who loved her, came other challenges. For starters, my father did not want to be left alone in their home and we had to come up with other lodgings for him. His desire to live with us on the same property presented a large hurdle, as our plot and the lovely home we’ve had for the past 16 years would have to be sold, as it was too small  to allow for any extensions.

For three months we were in denial. We’ve expended a lot of energy into our home over the years, paving, painting and tackling many improvement projects ourselves. There were countless hours of sanding, polishing and repairing in this old home with its wooden floors. My dad had given endless advice on leaking roofs, mouldy ceilings and how to treat pinewood windows, and we installed a drywall to separate the guest room from the bathroom. Our last big project was the addition of a giant stoep, our Superstoep – so called by a friend when he heard that the 100m² house had a 44m² stoep!

From the stoep we watch the changing of the seasons in our garden: the green grass of spring becoming dark green in summer; autumn reds and oranges making way for bare winters. We take shelter from the South Easter, inhale the fragrance of lavender and rosemary at the edge of the swimming pool, exhalt when the potted orchids bloom under the plum tree and when the cactuses shyly show off their yellow or red flowers.

So we half-heartedly began househunting. In the Strand, because that’s where we’re happiest; where my father’s support network is and and where the old, stately homes with their wide stoeps, pillars and wooden floors win our hearts. Whenever the agent calls to show us a home the stoep architect, Marcus Smit, has to accompay us. Our faith in his appraisal is that unyielding. And many a time, that magic was just not there.

Until one Sunday, when friends mentioned a home ‘around the corner’ that we might be interested in. We walked over, two cars full of friends along in support. And when we stood in front of the old house, we broke out in gooseflesh. Sixteen years we’ve walked by her after work, dreaming of the day we could sit under the giant oak trees and call this property ours.

Two months of struggling with the home loan application, settling attorney fees and endless visits to the house to measure, plan and show our friends the tremendous racehorse we were saddling up, is finally over.

Now it’s a myriad meetings with Marcus and his team to put forward houseplans, wishlists and ideas on how to ensure the double plot of nearly 1000m² and an existing 100m² home with outside flat and garage accommodates our and my father’s needs: more space inside, more natural light, a new kitchen and bathrooms, an office, my father’s flat, a swimming pool, security wall, double garages and, of course, a new superstoep. All this, around the beautiful oak trees.

In front of the stoep looms a large Jacaranda tree and on the side, a Syringa – unfortunately an invasive that has to go; the Jacaranda, for now, will only be cut back.

According to Professor Schalk le Roux, amongst others co-compiler of the book Die Afrikaanse Woning (The Afrikaans dwelling), our home, built in 1933, does not fit comfortably into any of the so-called style periods; instead, he refers to the building method of the thirties, which represented a general understanding of how an affordable townhouse should look. Consequently similar homes can be found from the southern suburbs of Cape Town, all along the south coast to beyond Mossel Bay. He says they’re characterised by simplicity and direct planning behind universal stoeps, where people could spend their free time and chat to neighbours and passersby in the street from the comfort of their home. It’s only the symmetrical facade that reflects any stylistic consciousness – behind that the house is sober, unpretentious and practical –an unadorned springboard ideal for contemporary rejuvenation. The possibilities are endless.

It sits on a corner plot, with wooden floors and beautfiul wooden doors and sash windows with original wood and steel frames. And this 80-year-old grande dame needs to be accorded due respect. New additions need to be carefully handled, so that nothing looks like an add-on and she is as beautiful to potential buyers after another 80 years.

Ground plan

• Next week, find out how the gnarled roots of the oak trees almost hampered building plans, and how Ludwig Taschen of Ludwig’s Roses brought a silver lining to the cloud.

• Clifford and Maryke Roberts are both journalists living in the Strand who are eager DIYers when it comes to home maintenance and renovations; their ‘Superstoep’ was a cover feature in the October 2009 issue of Home.

I recently attended a cooking class with the talented Emma Freddi at the Enrica Rocca School of Italian Cookery in Constantia, here in Cape Town, along with photographer Francois Oberholster – and we had an absolute blast.Emma is an unassuming cook, talented and manic about good ingredients. She tries to not intimidate and aims for her teaching to transfer her passion for cooking and entertaining. She also has a great sense of humour. Here are Emma’s delicious recipes.

Lemon and Aubergine Risotto
‘Risotto is my passion. It is the most sensual, nourishing and comforting dish. I am usually humble but this…’ (I have to concur; the risotto is worth bragging about!). If you don’t have homemade stock at hand, before starting this risotto bring a pot of water to the boil with some root veg and a cut of chicken and boil slowly for 30 minutes to make your own chicken stock. Good risotto must have good stock.

Serves: 4

2 medium (or 3 small) aubergines
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed (not chopped)
200g carnoli rice*
120ml white wine
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
1 lemon (½ for zest, 30ml juice)
20g butter
130ml olive oil
50g Parmesan cheese
A few basil leaves
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to grill. Whole roast one of the aubergines, turning occasionally until soft. Once ready, remove from the oven, halve and scoop the soft flesh from the skin. Purée the flesh and set aside.

Emma starts with a large amount of olive oil and adds the butter at the end for flavour. Her secret to great risotto is to cook the onion slowly for a good 30 minutes; add a little warm water if it starts to burn.

Once the onions have ‘melted’ add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic – it is only for a little flavour – add the rice and turn up the heat to toast the rice. Adjust the heat to medium, add the aubergine flesh and stir gently. Now add the wine; the pan must hiss when this is added. Start adding the hot stock to the rice, a ladleful at a time. Stir occasionally. Half-way (after about 20-25 minutes), add the lemon zest and check the seasoning.

Peel the aubergine ‘like a zebra’: with some peel, but not too much, because it is bitter. Now dice into small cubes and fry in a separate pan until golden and crisp. Emma prefers to use peanut oil as olive oil tends to overpower. When the risotto is ready add the lemon juice (not too much at first, you can always add more), the butter and the Parmesan. Switch the stove off.

Stir well and serve with the diced aubergine, basil, some freshly ground black pepper and more Parmesan. TIP: Allow 70g rice per person.

**Carnaroli is a medium-grained rice grown in the Vercelli province of northern Italy. Traditionally used for making risotto, it differs from the more common arborio rice due to its higher starch content and firmer texture, and it has a longer grain.

Next on the menu: Tuna Eggs
I ask Emma how she chooses the recipes for each class – She laughs, shrugs her shoulders and exclaims: ‘I cook what I want. I must be comfortable with a recipe before I can teach it. The tuna eggs remind me of my Grandmother and we only make them at Easter.’ I am secretly glad she made the exception – the eggs are delicious and if, like me, you love anchovies, they are addictive.

Tuna eggs
It is a very simple dish. Emma’s advice is to splash out on one ingredient in a five-ingredient recipe; she splashed out on gourmet tinned Callipo Tuna in olive oil from Giovanni’s Deli in Sea Point.

Serves 6

6 large eggs (not too big or it will be hard to eat)
120g tuna in olive oil, drained
30ml capers, drained of excess moisture
100g mayonnaise
12 anchovy fillets

Boil the eggs for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, shell and halve. Scoop out the yolks and add to a food processor with the tuna, capers and mayonnaise. Process to form a paste, but don’t not too smooth. Now fill the hollowed eggs with the tuna mixture, spreading it generously, and arrange on a pretty plate. Top each with a caper and anchovy fillet. During Easter it is usually garnished with an olive leaf. Serve as part of an antipasti platter.

Mayonnaise

2 eggs
1 egg yolk
10ml Hot English Mustard
400ml sunflower oil
Lemon juice to taste (but no lemon for the tuna eggs)

Whisk together the eggs, yolk and mustard. Slowly add the oil drop for drop, while beating continuously until all of the oil is incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick and glossy.

Baked Kingklip
Serves 4

1 Kingklip fillet
12 king prawns, deveined
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 garlic clove
15ml small capers, drained of excess moisture
15ml olives (traditionally taggiasche*)
15ml toasted pinenuts
Oregano
Pinch salt; not too much as the capers are quite salty
½ lemon
Olive oil

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and cook the cherry tomatoes for few minutes. Add the capers, the chopped olives, and the toasted pine nuts, season salt and a bit of oregano. Mix for 5 minutes.

Pour the tomato mixture in an oven-proof dish covered with aluminium foil and lay the fish (skin scored) on top.

Add the prawns (with no skin, just head and tail), drizzle with olive oil and a small piece of lemon peel, a small knob of butter, some oregano leaves and lemon juice to taste.

Close the aluminium foil and cook in a hot oven (200°C) for 20 minutes or more depending on the size of the fish.

**Taggiasche is a Liguirian olive that is more bitter than most olives available in South Africa, and is especially good with rabbit.

Emma has a lovely herb and vegetable garden and gifted me with a bunch of fresh oregano. It dries in the sun in about two hours and the leaves are a lovely addition to slow-cooked dishes like pasta sauce and stews. I never thought I would cook with dried herbs if fresh is available, but I am converted!

Tiramisu
It’s a classic! The rule is 1 egg to 100g mascarpone.

5 eggs
Sugar
120g sugar + 30ml coffee
500g Mascarpone
250ml cream, beaten stiff
Coffee for dipping (add a little sugar in to cut the bitterness)
400g Savoiardi (Italian Boudoir biscuits)
Cocoa powder to garnish
Dark chocolate to garnish

Separate the eggs. Add half the sugar to the yolks and whip until light, fluffy and creamy, then add the mascarpone to the mixture. Whip the egg whites until almost stiff, add the other half of the sugar bit by bit and continue beating until very stiff and glossy. Add to the egg yolk mixture gently by hand, stirring from the bottom to the top with a spoon so that you don’t knock any air out. Fold the whipped cream in carefully.

Pour a layer of the creamy mixture onto the base of a flat container (30 x 25cm). Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee (be careful not to soak them) and lay on top of the cream to form a layer. Add another layer of creamy mixture followed by another of biscuits. If the first layer was arranged vertically, place the second layer of biscuits horizontally (and vice versa). Finish with a layer of cream; sift over a dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder and a bit of grated dark chocolate. Store the Tiramisu in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

Emma’s Italian cook and dine sessions are held each Tuesdays from 6pm to 10pm, and Fridays from 12pm to 4pm at The Enrica Rocca School of Italian Cookery in Constantia, Cape Town. Each session is different and with talented Emma Freddi’s bubbly personality, it’s a memorable event.

Go to www.enricarocca.com or call 082 378 8855 for details or to book a class.

Just like your wardrobe, your home also needs a warmer coat in the colder months! We took three approaches to one chilly living room and show which elements make all the difference…

Before

1 Fit for a queen
In this majestic room, crystal vases, silverware and a metallic-framed mirror reflect the glow of the fire, while motifs on the soft furnishings strengthen the theme.

2 Classic colours
Black and white is punctuated by bright yellow accents to give a warm yet modern feel.

3 Flower power
Roses on every table, shelf and scatter cushion, add a heavenly fragrance and inspire a rosy outlook.

7 Winter winners

• Naturally, nothing beats a roaring fire for cosy gatherings. Add to the effect with standing lamps and candles, and let their glow reflect in metal and glass.
• Flowers lift the gloom and take the chill out of any room. Maybe it’s because nature reminds us, throughout the year, of the promise of new life after the cold onslaught. So bring the colour and fragrance of your garden’s blooms indoors.
• Add accents with warm colours such as yellow, red and brown; they carry their heartwarming energy into any space.
• Texture is all-important for a snug look and feel; vary it in every aspect of your room, from the furniture to furnishings, espcially fabrics in velvet, faux fur and wool – and treat your floor to various rugs that not only ward off the cold underfoot, but also anchor specific spaces.
• Scatter cushions offer one of the most economical means of giving a room a seasonal lift. Choose covers in richer fabrics and warmer colours, and keep matching throws handy for when the cold front hits.
• Make sure your curtains will block out the cold; heavy, full curtains do the trick, while there’s no better time to add extra layers in the form of back curtains or blinds.
• Allow room for popular winter activities: stack reading books and magazines, have board games and DVDs at the ready, set space aside for pots of tea or glühwein, and keep your knitting basket at hand!

Simply add some wheels to off-the-shelf timber legs, fix them to an old window frame et voila! Contemporary, re-visited furniture that’s also a conversation piece.

Quick project guide

Hard labour 4/10
Skill level 4/10
Time needed Morning project
Finished size ±450 (H) x 110 (L) x 550mm (D)
Do it yourself for ±R600: (window R250; screws, glue R80; table legs R120; paint R150)

Shopping list

• old window
• four 450mm Queen Anne-style legs (available at joinery wholesalers)
• four small castors

Tools

• cordless and corded drill; 3mm, 10mm drill bit
• pencil
• hammer
• tri-square
• measuring tape
• sander

Plus

• cold glue
• 75mm cut screws
• 120 grit sandpaper
• wood filler
• paintbrush

Get started

1 Cut the legs to the required length. Window frames vary in size, so we added a castor to one of the legs then trimmed the length until we were happy with both the functional height as well as the overall proportions the table would have. Now mark and cut the other legs to the same length.

2 Drill 10mm holes in the base of the legs for the fitting. Use a hammer to tap these firmly in place. Then fit the castors.

3 Mark out the position of the leg base where it will sit on the frame, then use the 3mm drill bit to drill pilot holes all the way through. Turn the window over and countersink these holes to about 5mm in depth.

4 Use the 75mm cut screws to fix the legs to the underside of the window frame, as shown. Fill all the holes with wood filler and when dry, sand to a smooth finish.

To re-finish the table, scrape off any loose paint, lightly sand, then apply a primer to all the surfaces. Once dry, apply one or two topcoats in the colour(s) of your choice. Use sandpaper to distress the frame by removing paint from the edges and randomly across the flat surfaces. Apply varnish or primer and paint to the legs.