A peek inside… Christelle Nagel’s Cape Town Apartment

Do you have friends that make you feel endlessly inspired? The type of friends that when you’ve spent time with them you are psyched & ready to conquer awesome things again?

Well, my über-architect friend, Christelle Nagel & her awesome businessman husband, Werner Janse Van Rensburg are those friends for me. For us.

They have enviable lifestyle in the Mother City where they work super hard & play just as hard. From here they explore the Cape & the world as a whole.

When we lived in George, Christelle & Werner’s Tamboerskloof flat was my home-away-from-home. Their apartment became my space to relax, catch the vibe of Cape Town & catch up with these two while admiring the view of Table Mountain.

These two love birds (who are about to celebrate their very first wedding anniversary) will be moving soon, so I’m super excited to show you around their apartment before they pack up & set up home in a new fabulous Cape Town space.

“We have lived here just over 2 years. We moved in before we got married – scandal! – but it was the best idea ever!”

It’s hard to believe that this is a rented apartment because the view, the modern clean finishes & the large main bedroom creates the impression that it was all customised for them.  “The living area is large enough to do yoga in, not that I do yoga, but nice to have the option,” jokes Christelle.

Contemporary With A Touch Of Sentiment

Their favourite spot is the living room & more specifically the view of Table Mountain from the couch. “I love to sit here with a glass of wine, preferably watching Werner making a gourmet dinner for us. That actually does happen from time to time.”

Christelle described her personal décor style as contemporary. They still find space for sentimental pieces though like her grandfather’s chest at the foot of their bed & Werner’s Cuckoo Clock – two of their most precious processions.

“When you walk into the flat, you will notice the Cuckoo Clock that Werner’s dad got the year that Werner was born. He gave it to him as a gift when he moved into his first apartment. It’s a great feature & talking point in our home. I switched it off as the ticking & cuckoo-cuckoo every 15 minutes almost made me strangle poor Werner once,” she chuckles. “Babies & kids love it though. I always make the little bird pop out for them which gets lots of giggles & “do it again, do it again”. It’s fun & it makes us happy.”

A Love For Art

Apart from their shared entrepreneurial spirit, wanderlust & love for an outdoor lifestyle, they also have a real passion for art in common.

“We have so many artworks that we stack them against the wall in the spare bedroom & we swop them around on the walls every now & then. Werner once surprised me with a large Urbanski that hangs in our dining room. I love his work so much that we promote him in many of our architectural projects as well.”

“And then we have some works of my twin brother, Christiaan Nagel.

He did the two red paintings (in car paint) for us. We also proudly display the 30cm high white mushroom that he made for us as a wedding gift. I am one of his biggest fans.”

What Memories Are Made Of

Their best memory in & of the apartment is their engagement which took place right here at home. “He had his friends prepare the space for us while we were in Simonstown playing golf. When we got home I walked into a sea of yellow roses, white helium balloons & candles. He then popped the question! Imagine if helium was flammable. We only googled it after & luckily it’s not. Funny.”

These two both have an eye & love for design, so I was curious to know how they married their different décor styles & tastes when they moved in together? “Luckily we have very similar taste. He has a strong design eye & opinion as he is also a designer. I am so happy that he’s got great taste though. Imagine if I had to agree to live in an antique or Biggie Best shop!”

Where It All Began

Back to Christelle’s love for & interest in art when & where it all started.

She is a real art aficionado & has been collecting awesome art since graduating from University.

When asked what they might want to change around the space, Christelle jokingly says “A bigger home with more wall space please, which is also why we have found a more spacious apartment.”

I was curious to know when & where Christelle love for collecting art started, to which she said: “I started collecting art after varsity when I started earning money. I was exposed to my first auction through an architectural friend & my first auction purchase was a Maurice van Essche.

I got a bit addicted to auctions after that. A very dangerous pastime! At first, I dabbled only in masters art, collected a couple of Scotnes, Battis, Bettie Cilliers Barnard & Boonzaier. Then I started exploring more contemporary artists like Claudette Schreuders, Urbanski & Nagel.

We also got an original Shepard Fairey (the famous international artist) as a gift from my brother & a Michael Taylor as a wedding gift from friends.”

Thank you for letting us into your wonderful space Christelle & Werner. Can’t wait to see what your next home is going to look like.

Mwah!

Yolandi ♥

Images: Christelle Nagel