MEET THE COUPLE WHO’VE TURNED HOME-MAKING WITH SHIPPING CONTAINERS INTO AN ART FORM
Marcus Viljoen and Maryke van Rensburg have crossed many oceans for their art yet have opted to settle in style in shipping containers.
Despite Marcus Viljoen and wife Maryke’s erf being located on a steep site in Fishhoek, they managed to create their dream home with loads of outdoor living and views for days. This is thanks to the vision of architectural firm Poche Architectural Concepts and the creative use of old shipping containers.
Five shipping containers, to be more precise, were used to create the unique home with three levels. In fact, they lend themselves well to the steep landscape and goal of creating stepped terraced indoor and outdoor living – no matter the weather.
The couple took a conscious approach to the interior and exterior and added a veggie garden into the mix, so now also harvest delicious fresh produce for their beautiful dishes.
“Our decor is quite eclectic. We’ve used a lot of modern pieces mixed with vintage pieces. It creates a very interesting space, one may say it’s even more modern because you’re kind of mixing the old with the new. Some of our pieces are over a hundred years old as they’ve been gifted to us by our grandparents,” comments Marcus.
The house is also a gallery of Marcus and Maryke’s own art. As animal-lovers with five rescue dogs, it’s a subject central to their work and products listed on their online store To The Bone. It even extends to their social responsibility.
“It is important for us to not only support animals but the community as well. So within the ocean view community, because of COVID, there’s a lot of kids on the street that aren’t going to school. We approached 1 Kennel at a Time, they have connections within the community so we are getting the children to help build these kennels. We are not only helping the dogs, but helping the kids learn new skills as well,” shares Marcus.
Like their containers, this couple have travelled the seven seas. Walk around their house and you’ll see that their art collection is not only an album of their travels but has deep significance for them.
We think this attention to detail becomes possible and affordable when you save by upcycling and building with great, ready-made steel structures called shipping containers.
