When former Irish rugby player CJ Stander and his wife, Jean-Marié Neethling, purchased a run-down heritage guest house in the heart of Franschhoek, Ivy Décor & Design was entrusted with restoring the grand dame to her former glory. We undertook an extensive renovation, including fully reworking the bathrooms, reconfiguring and extending areas to create additional bedrooms, sanding and sealing the original hardwood floors, and celebrating the home’s soaring ceilings and period proportions. The interiors were then thoughtfully layered with character-rich pieces to bring timeless, old-world charm to every bedroom and living space. The result is a beautifully reimagined seven-bedroom “home away from home” — now consistently rated 5-star by travellers.