A REVIVAL of The Grand White in Glenwood is underway, with the new owners, Janine De Jesus and her partner Lasse Wiepert, taking on the mighty task of getting the multipurpose home ready to welcome visitors before the start of summer.

“The Grand White is a fairytale house with a soul,” said De Jesus as she explained why she fell in love with the over 90-year-old home. “This is a house meant for children’s laughter and birthday balloons, for art mornings and coffee conversations that heal. A house meant for women rising, for entrepreneurs dreaming, for jazz under the stars and baking warm loaves in the kitchen of your second home.”

Conveniently located near local schools, a university and hospitals, The Grand White was built in 1934 and was vacant for some time before it was purchased by De Jesus and Wiepert. “I was just a girl with a dream — the kind of dream that never quite leaves your heart, even when life gets busy and hard. I imagined a place filled with light, laughter, and the kind of magic that only lives in children’s stories and hope-filled hearts. I used to call it my dollhouse dream — a home that looked like it belonged in a storybook. I met Lasse — my partner, my compass, my calm in the chaos and somehow, he didn’t just hear my dream, he saw it. He believed in it. He bought me The Grand White — my dream dollhouse come to life,” said De Jesus.

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The couple bought the home earlier this year and are renovating the property which will be opened to the community before the start of the summer. “The Grand White is more than just a manor house — it’s a living, breathing masterpiece, now lovingly opened to the community. We are creating a space where businesses can thrive, families can gather, and dreamers can be inspired. Whether you’re launching a start-up, attending a creative workshop, hosting a function, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee, this house is your haven.”

The property is being transformed into a versatile space that will include a boutique, a business plug-in hub, and art mornings, and ‘A Cup of Coffee with an Attorney” – offering free legal advice in a relaxed, supportive setting. The home is already being used by Glenwood Women in Business, also known as Grand Ladies With Impact and Brilliance (GWIB). Their next meeting is on Friday, June 27, from 07:30 to 10:00. For more information, email Janine de Jesus at janinedj@grandwhite.co.za.

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