By Daniela Sperotto
Viewers across the country have become more and more immersed in the lives of Riaan and Michelle Garforth-Venter, as the power eco-couple, fuelled by an unwavering love for the environment and everything in it, enters the final phases of building and fitting the first bio-climatic home of its kind in South Africa.
After seven months of airing, this part-reality, part-documentary series has followed and exposed the challenges, trials and tribulations that come with building a home of this kind. The show has uncovered some really hard-hitting elements and criteria that go into selecting products that are truly eco-friendly, allowing the public to see that an eco-friendly home is possible if the right questions are asked.
This month we see how Riaan and Michelle remain true to their quest in sourcing sustainable eco-friendly options for living interiors, fittings and fixtures that suit their lifestyle. Storage is top of many home owners’ lists, and this month bamboo reigns supreme, as it did with the installation of the flooring. Riaan and Michelle turn to Wayne Allan at Eco-Logic Bamboo, who supplied the material not only for the kitchen cupboards, but also for the walk-in bedroom cupboards.
Bamboo is becoming more popular the world over, not only because of its known sustainability, but also because bamboo is incredibly versatile.One of the main benefits is that bamboo is durable and water-resistant. “Eco-Logic Bamboo furniture boards and countertops are specially engineered to take maximum advantage of bamboo’s natural water tolerance,” says Bradley Schmidt, managing director of Eco-Logic Bamboo.
Although quite light in weight, bamboo is exceedingly strong, and can be used both structurally and for finishings, which Riaan and Derrick Gouws, from Timmerman’s, who installed the kitchen, discover when it comes to cutting the boards.
As the anticipation grows, the final episodes are sure to be filled with interesting twists and packed with information. Tune into Love and Mortar, only on the Home Channel, to watch the house unfold, and get your August copy of SA Home Owner to reminisce with Riaan and Michelle as we take a look back at their journey.
Leave a Comment