As a homebound traveller, I’m loving the time in my own space making home improvements.

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I strongly believe that love begins at home.

As somebody who has travelled for a living these past fifteen plus years, often being away from home for up to two weeks in a month, I have loved the time spent at home this past 18 months. It has allowed me to reflect, create, write and strategise from my home base, doing upgrades to it as I could. With Black Friday looming, and in particular the upcoming Superbalist Black Friday 2021 sale, I hope to add home and living items to various parts of my place as I constantly work to enhance it.

Having lived on a farm in Wellington for 20 years, my move to the city in 2017 came with a big adjustment to my lifestyle. Fully embracing the change, I chose to buy a smallish three-bedroom townhouse in the Bloubergstrand area just north of Cape Town, immediately embarking on a renovation project to convert it into two bedrooms – so that mine could include a work area and place for my morning yoga rituals. I painted, replaced the floorboards and planted a garden in the dry and dirty sand that was the back yard, visualising the tree-enclosed oasis I would be creating for myself.

Since then I’ve mostly settled into the space without much change, and with all the travel it did turn into a ‘lock up and go’ kind of space where my dogs were lovingly cared for in my absence, and where I would settle on each return. Lockdown and the grounding of all plans to travel have changed that, and the increased time at home has left me restless, but not to move, rather settle and nest and nurture and improve. These have included painting the entire outside area, the roof a bright red and rebuilding the back wall into a more solid one for added privacy. Also planting many spekboom, lemon, geranium and granadilla trees in the garden. I’m already enjoying homegrown lemons and have a few granadillas ripening on the trees, while my spekboom is thriving.

I’ve now moved to do some work indoors, where it’s definitely time to freshen things up. I’m currently repainting and bringing in new items to freshen the feel, with loads of yellow rugs and pale blue walls to contrasts the shades of greens of the jungle that is my pot plant family – there are over 100. As money is always a consideration and I’m unable to be too flush, I’m currently waiting for the Black Friday sales to get a few items so it can embark on an ‘in with the new, out with the old’ process. These are some of the items that I currently have my eye on.

My WFH space

As a long-time freelancer and having run my own company from the farm, I’ve worked from home for over 20 years and find this the best solution for me. Although without the travels to offer a new dimension to my life, I’m finding my WFH space ever duller and my day to day becoming mundane. The fact that my desk faces a wall doesn’t help. I’m therefore looking at getting this Leah tufted runner to go under my desk chair, to protect my wooden floor and to lighten up the area. Also, some of the kiddies’ line art, a nice basket or two and a mirror to add to the dimensions. Waiting to see which will be offered over Black Friday.

For my living area

I’ve had my faithful old sofa for about 20 plus years, and I know I need to replace it. This Delta 3-Seater from Blockhouse in this shade of ‘petrol’ blue has caught my eye. I love how it’s on wooden legs too. For now its firmly on my wishlist for when I write that killer article that earns me some more extra cash, or again fingers crossed it might appear on the Black Friday sale. Alongside it, this very stylish ottoman would provide extra seating without blocking off the limited area.

Because sleep really matters to me, my bedroom

I love to sleep and don’t function well without it. That in mind I’ve just stocked up on the most amazing cotton linen, mostly in white as it leaves me feeling like I’m sleeping in a cloud – with touches of pink and velvety soft throws. My room is almost there. Its spacious with a gorgeous Afghan carpet and a couple of fine collectable wooden pieces. My spare room however is lacking, with a double bed, small table and some art on the walls, it remains bland. To help complete it would be this gorgeous rattan headboard, which would allow me to give it the character it currently lacks plus create a rattan theme that I could add to in time.

For my outdoor patio area

Next to the hammock on my outside patio, which is small and surrounded by trees and laden with pot plants (as I ever work to create that real-life oasis), two of these most stylish chairs with big comfy cushions and a little coffee table would be a dream. This little ottoman as a table or extra seat would be fun too. As I said, roll on the Black Friday sale.

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need. Sarah Ban Breathnach

Dog basket for my beloveds

My house would not be a home without the company of my loyal pups Tuscan Storm and Sienna Star. Pitbulls, best friends, champion cuddlers, anchors of my day, rescues and rescuers. So a couple of these would complete my dream shop – with blankies for them too, of course.

More about the upcoming Black Friday sale

Not materialistic by nature and always one to save for travels rather than things, this year is different and I am embracing the opportunity to nest and beautify my little home and freshen up my sacred working space. When the days arrive, I will therefore be shopping for Home + Living items, but you might prefer to shop for men’s, women’s and kids’ fashion, shoes, beauty and sports goods during the Black Friday sale. Of course, it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to resist taking a look at yet another pair of trainers – I’m smitten.

Superbalist’s Black Friday sale will run from 24-29 November with massive discounts from some of their biggest brands including Adidas, Nike, MANGO, Cotton On, Missguided, PUMA and more.

** This post is made possible by Superbalist.

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