House and Leisure - October 2015

The home of car journalist Dieter Losskarn is a fitting space

for showcasing his petrolhead collectables and ‘mantiques’

TEXT GENEVIEVE PUTTER STYLIST GEMMA BEDFORTH PHOTOGRAPHS TOBY MURPHY

dieter losskarn

’ve always wanted to live in an old,

restored warehouse but they’re usually

in unattractive industrial areas with

no sea views,’ says Dieter, who in 2013

bought a plot in Hout Bay and project

managed the build of his dream home.

Since its completion last year he and all his

carphenalia have resided there peacefully.

Dieter couldn’t have hoped for a better

outcome. The double volume space of the

main living area is made even more vast by

the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the

harbour. The floors are glossy polyurethane,

such as those of car showrooms, and there’s a

steel rig hanging from the ceiling to suspend

light fittings and signage.

The juxtaposition of this industrial

aesthetic and contemporary design with

iconic car advertisements of yesteryear and

rusted signage is a major part of the appeal

for Dieter. ‘All these pieces have a story and

they bring those memories into the space,

creating a unique atmosphere,’ he says.

Many of his male friends have been so

inspired by his curation skills that they’ve

started their own collections of ‘mantiques’

• ‘old pieces, such as model cars – those
  vintage pieces that men love’, he says.
  His focus now is to try his hand at
  designing bespoke man caves based on
  a client’s persona, interests and hobbies.
  ‘Finding a piece, or letting it find you, then
  figuring out where it would fit in the house
  is a process that excites me,’ says Dieter.
  lossis.com

‘I

40 HL OCTOBER 2015 HOUSEANDLEISURE.CO.ZA

TRENDS STYLE SNOOP

1015_HL_040_041_Stylesnoop_Dieter_RFO.indd 40 2015/09/04 11:12 AM

‘All these pieces have a story and they bring those

memories into the space.’

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Much of Dieter’s

kitchenware comprises knick-knacks that were

rescued from markets; the main living area as

seen from the loft bedroom above; Dieter’s

bed was a DIY project; Dieter’s favourite

collectable is his 1976 original New York taxi

cab. OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM

TOP LEFT Dieter Losskarn; lights and colourful

signage dangle from a metal rig; even smaller

paraphernalia are beautifully displayed.

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1015_HL_040_041_Stylesnoop_Dieter_RFO.indd 41 2015/09/04 11:29 AM