The house on the hill

PHOTOS: Greg Cox | PRODUCTION: Etienne Hanekom | WORDS: Erika Bornman

A lock-up-and-go family home may sound like a contradiction in terms. Not so for this Mother City couple and their children who live in their tailor-made designer house.

Perched high on a “put your car in first gear” hill in Walmer Estate is a house that doesn’t look like any of its neighbours. At first glance it appears almost like a ship’s bow, taking its cue from the harbour it overlooks. A house that says, “Look at me, but don’t think I’ll reveal all my secrets at once.”

So you walk up the carefully manicured pavement garden set in retainer bricks and ring the doorbell. The oversized wooden door swings open and you enter the courtyard. On the right is a tall water feature, its soothing sound the perfect accompaniment to the lush indigenous garden on the left.

Then it’s through the front door and up the stairs to the house proper. And you are left a little breathless, not from the stairs mind you, but because of the spectacular views that overwhelm you from all sides – the harbour, the City Bowl, Lion’s Head and, at the back, Table Mountain.

“The brief called for a three-bedroom home for a small family with separate staff accommodation and a pool area with generous entertainment decks. Of course, maximising the view was all-important,” says Tiaan Meyer, who designed the house together with his partner Jan-Heyn Vorster.

Every room is north facing (except for the staff quarters at the back that look straight up at Table Mountain instead), and the resulting fantastic light creates a great indoor climate.

So, reluctantly, you tear your eyes away from the view and consider the surroundings. “We wanted a modern, comfortable family home with beautiful, stylish finishes, privacy and security,” say the owners. So they hired Meyer + Vorster Architects, Urban Designers and Interior Designers to create their dream home.

Blend and balance

“We liked the modern, fresh and functional – yet not cold – look of their designs. They tend to blend and balance the different textures of steel, glass, wood, natural stone, chrome, tile and brick.” “What’s more, we wanted a layout that suited our lifestyle – one that holds the capacity to adapt and work for us in the future. With two toddlers to consider, we needed a home that could grow with us but would also be perfect for us right now.”

The solution was a home divided into distinct zones – an entertainment area, a wing for the children and a separate upstairs suite for the parents. The lounge and dining area merge seamlessly with the outside deck by means of huge glass sliding doors that seem to disappear into the walls. Resist the temptation to glide your fingers over the keys of the baby grand piano and step outside for a moment.

You can go for a dip in the rim-flow pool or sit and soak up the sun – and view, of course. This is Cape Town, where everyone knows the wind blows, but the house has cleverly turned its back on the notorious southeaster and that alone makes it an entertainer’s dream.

Inside, it’s all muted greys and custom-made timber panelling. “We wanted something simple, clear and natural,” explain the owners, “but also a neutral canvas that we could alter with accents of dramatic colours and artwork. In the past we’ve made the mistake of including striking permanent fixtures but this gets costly when your mood shifts and you want something different.”

As you take it all in from the super-comfortable oversized couch in the TV room, you can’t help wondering where everyone sleeps. Look behind you. What looks like a wall, covered in timber, is really a door that leads to the children’ wing, while the stairs on the left lead upstairs to the couple’s study, bedroom and bathroom.

In the children’s zone, two en-suite bedrooms lead off a light-filled shared space. It is a playroom now but later, when the toddlers have grown, it will house two desks and everything else teenagers desire.

The rooms themselves enjoy their share of the dazzling view and, as in the rest of the house, the large window-doors are shaded by slatted aluminium sun screens. The sliding door that separates this area means the parents can entertain, work late or leave early with little or no impact on the children.

Upstairs, the corridor that connects the adults’ bedroom with the study doubles up as the dressing room and yes, you guessed it, those wooden panels conceal the wardrobes. The bedroom, with its smoked oak floor, also has a fireplace but it is the bathroom that truly blows you away. A window at the foot of the huge custom-built bath makes it possible to lie and look at the harbour lights at night. A mirror on the side extends the view even further. Not in the mood for a bath? Then step into the double shower (also with a view).

A holiday home, everyday

“We love our home,” enthuse the owners. “The design makes us feel as if we’re on holiday and its size makes it extremely manageable – the perfect lock-up-and-go that we never want to leave.”

You cannot help but concur as you reluctantly tear yourself away from the impossible-to-escape views and head down the hill, back into the city.

 • Meyer + Vorster Architects, Urban Designers & Interior Designers: 021 461 5514, www.meyervorster.co.za