Hubert Zandberg’s interior style is richly layered with storytelling and memory. Craftsmanship and “the trace of an artisan’s hand” is as important as the art, design and decorative interior details of a space, so it’s no surprise that he is passionate about his two country hideaways in Greyton, The Workshop and an 1860s wagon house or Waenhuis, just around the corner.
After 30 years in London, Hubert’s homecoming to South Africa became a deeply personal journey of rediscovery. In Greyton he found space to reconcile the European style that had captivated him when he arrived, aged 24, with memories of growing up amid the vast, dry landscapes of the Karoo.
When Hubert bought The Workshop in Vigne Lane during Covid, he became its new custodian – and made a special request: that two knives, 50 bottles of screws, 20 saw bands and a few planks of timber left resting in the rafters remain in place.
“The craftsman’s tools and wood in the rafters aren’t pastiche. They’re there because we wanted the energy of the workshop to remain. Today, these workshop objets have become contemporary sculptures, connecting past with present for our guests.”
These remnants became the catalyst for the restoration, shaping it through memory rather than imitation. “It wasn’t about literally recreating the craftsman’s workshop but imagining what might have been there and how it could become something new. Memory is always the starting point for me.”
Today, opening the Crittall doors is a sensory journey into nostalgia. Grass mats by Madwa soften traditional Cape klompie brick floors. For those who know Africa, “it’s the scent of eSwatini. Even the old, dark creosote beams smell of Africa through and through.” So do the traditional rietdak ceilings, harvested nearby and hand-tied by local artisans. “It’s what I think gives the space a sense of place,” says Hubert.
The metal bed, by Dokter and Misses, reminds Hubert of a campaign bed and has an industrial ‘flavour’ in keeping with the sense of place. Traditional Cape Dutch riempie furniture and antiques – some sourced in nearby Genadendal – have been collected over time and curated along with French market finds: the perforated metal Mathieu Matégot bedside lamp and modernist European articulated-arm reading light bring contemporary comfort.
Then there are Hubert’s ceramic treasures: an Yves Klein-blue statement vessel by Lissa Claassens, from De Nagmaal, and a bowl by Lisa Ringwood whose emotive drawings capture the Cape’s Chacma baboons.
“We went a little modernist in the terracotta-tiled shower and had fun with the vanity – a feeding trough resembling a workbench, topped with a large antique brass jam pot for a basin and vintage blue and red gate-valve taps.
“For me, it’s not about the perfect bath, shower or kitchen, or the algorithm and global visual language that increasingly dictate how a place is should look. What guests will find in this historic workshop (and the old wagon house or Waenhuis) is a true sense of place. Something unexpected.
“The irony is that form follows function so there’s a precise almost Bauhaus practicality to every element of The Workshop. It might not suit everyone, but it’s authentic. The ambience comes from honouring how people lived and worked here. It’s not vernacular as a style, but as a consequence.
“They are for the poet or painter who connects with the frogs leaping into the ponds at dawn, or for anyone who loves feeling they’ve stumbled upon a forgotten garden, all by themselves. Here, luxury lies in experiencing the conversation between past and present. That’s why I am always drawn to the authentic feeling of a place,” says Hubert.
An outdoor Victorian bath by candlelight
And the gardens? “There was nothing here when I bought the property – not a single wall or pot. Even the old windpomp came from my brother in Colesberg. I worked closely with Danie Steenkamp from DDS Projects who instinctively understood my taste and style while bringing his own horticultural knowledge to the mix.
“The Workshop garden represents my years in Europe from the age of 24. The inspiration came from a visit to the Pisa University Botanical Garden, the oldest in Europe. I loved its antiquated atmosphere, so we interpreted it here with raised platforms inspired by old European nurseries. The pots and planters were collected over 30 years, mostly from French markets, and still bring out a new container every so often.”
The walled garden is a sensory delight: citrus blossom, pink Nicotiana spires and Queen Anne’s lace nod in the breeze to the constant tinkling of water features and lei water channels trickle. Soak in the Victorian bath by candlelight on the stoep and you’ll hear frogs croaking from the irrigation pond, accompanied by the endless birdsong of the resident Piet-my-Vrou. Nature’s soundtrack.
Creating the garden with Danie was a true collaboration. “These days, I ask Jane Gaisford from Greyton, to come in weekly and talk to my plants,” laughs Hubert. And if you linger in the lane long enough, Greyton’s horses – with their historic roaming rights – might just come and chat to you too.
Written by Michelle Snaddon
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