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“Our vision was to create something that didn’t disturb the fynbos,” says homeowner Nathalie Ammann of the holiday home she and husband John Blignaut built in Pringle Bay. The modular design by Mobile Maisonette was the ideal solution, with a minimalist – and hard-wearing – dark corrugated-iron exterior and simple lines. -
“Our vision was to create something that didn’t disturb the fynbos,” says homeowner Nathalie Ammann of the holiday home she and husband John Blignaut built in Pringle Bay. The modular design by Mobile Maisonette was the ideal solution, with a minimalist – and hard-wearing – dark corrugated-iron exterior and simple lines. -
For Nathalie and John, one of the main attractions of the property was its proximity to the shore, reached via a winding pathway. “It’s a weekend getaway, so we didn’t want a big house with all the modern conveniences – we wanted something low-maintenance and carefree.” -
For Nathalie and John, one of the main attractions of the property was its proximity to the shore, reached via a winding pathway. “It’s a weekend getaway, so we didn’t want a big house with all the modern conveniences – we wanted something low-maintenance and carefree.” -
For Nathalie and John, one of the main attractions of the property was its proximity to the shore, reached via a winding pathway. “It’s a weekend getaway, so we didn’t want a big house with all the modern conveniences – we wanted something low-maintenance and carefree.” -
Compact but well kitted out, the kitchen features an island topped by Cosentino’s Silestone in Posidonia Green, shelving painted in Claypot by Paint & Decor to complement the cabin’s coral-and-green palette, and KPA barstools by Pedersen + Lennard. -
In the living area, a Coricraft sofa is paired with Weylandts sidetables and a textured rug from Opulent Home. -
Daughter Amelia’s sleeping space is on the mezzanine above the kitchen. The wooden ladder was made by JNA Group. -
A shaded deck considerably extends the living space of the cabin. -
The dining table and benches from Decofurn Furniture are being allowed to weather naturally, and have already faded to a soft grey. -
The outdoor tub by RainQueen, heated with a wood burner by Tiny Home, “is a hit”, says Nathalie. “There’s nothing better aft er a swim in the ocean.” -
Amelia’s mezzanine bedroom is just the sort of cosy, cave-like space that children crave. The rug is from the Curvy Collection, a range designed by Arrange Studio in collaboration with Yudu and Belgotex, and available from Vamp, and the string of fairy lights is from Fidders. -
A passage links the living room to the main bedroom, with the bathroom and the ladder up to the mezzanine on the left. -
In the bathroom, a pill-shaped mirror from Design Store includes smartly concealed storage. -
Built-in cupboards provide ample storage in the bedroom. -
The shower is defined by Kit Kat tiles from Stiles, and features an Amalfi shower rose and mixer from CTM. -
Simplicity reigns in the charming main bedroom, where a rattan headboard from Superbalist and handmade pendant bedside lights by Juliet Eidelman Ceramics add low-key texture. This is amplified by the vintage wooden printer’s tray, which Nathalie has owned since she was a child and which is used to display shells and other collected treasures.
This sleek yet laid-back modular-design cabin is the perfect place for a Cape Town couple and their young daughter to create a lifetime of holiday memories.
WORDS Robyn Alexander/Bureaux PRODUCTION Sven Alberding PHOTOS Warren Heath/Bureaux
Having spent a large portion of their teenage years surfing along the overberg coastline, Nathalie Ammann and her husband John Blignaut know Pringle Bay very well. Just over an hour’s drive from Cape Town, in a pristine, protected natural area, this tiny coastal hamlet is where they chose to build their recently completed holiday cottage, dubbed the TinTin Cabin.
The couple have always enjoyed exploring the area on holidays away from their daily routine, where John is a fractional business developer and Nathalie manages her family’s farm, Rozendal, and makes an award-winning range of botanical vinegars. In 2018, after a weekend of hiking the nearby Kogelberg mountains, they decided to look at properties in Pringle Bay “on a bit of a whim”, says Nathalie. “It started with a list of must-haves and nice-to-haves – and a small budget.”
A property came on the market that met most of their criteria – budget, walking distance from the beach, a large plot filled with indigenous fynbos – and, says Nathalie, “The plan was always to build within five years of buying the land, while our daughter Amelia was still young enough to spend her childhood there making beautiful memories.” During the lockdowns in 2020, after deciding that a modular, prefabricated cabin was best suited to their budget and aesthetic preference, Nathalie and John decided to go with Cape Town-based company Mobile Maisonette, helmed by architect Jed Kritzinger. “We liked the simplicity of the Mobile Maisonette design, and the fact that their Farmhouse Cabin was bigger than many of the other modular cabins available,” says Nathalie. “It was within our budget, and we could make modifications to the interiors too.”
Despite being Mobile Maisonette’s very first commissioning client, everything went relatively smoothly. Working with Jed “was a pleasure – he brought a lot of experience” to the process, says Nathalie, adding that the construction team, from JNA Group, were also professional and efficient. The build commenced in August 2022 and was completed by mid-December.
“Doing the interiors ourselves gave us an opportunity to have a bit of fun and create something very
different from our home,” says Nathalie. The idea was to “drench the cabin in colour”, although making decisions about which shades to select and just how bold to go with them led to lengthy discussions. “I tend to be conservative, and John pushes us to have more fun,” she says. In the end, “Our concept was how the ocean and fynbos worlds reflect each other in colour and form – hence the misty greens and peachy corals,” Nathalie explains. The result, which combines a contemporary look with a restful feel, speaks for itself.
The plot on which the cabin is set is large – 913m2 – and one of the couple’s ongoing pleasures is working on their striking, fully indigenous garden. “We still feel that we would like even more privacy, so we aim to create a real sanctuary of fynbos,” says Nathalie. “We’ve planted keurbooms, camphor bushes, leucadendrons and wild olives to make a berm that mimics what grows here naturally.”
There are just two footpaths through the garden: one winds towards the cabin past a Searsia glauca – a shrub-like, indigenous tree that John and Nathalie have been carefully shaping to provide the ideal climbing zone for Amelia; the other leads down to the beach. There’s so much to explore, both close by in the garden and at the shoreline, and in the area surrounding Pringle Bay – so it’s no wonder that Amelia, Nathalie and John now spend a large portion of their downtime at the cabin. “We like to come here during school holidays, and at least once a month for a weekend as well, as it’s just a beautiful one-hour drive along the coast from our home,” says Nathalie.
Foraging for wild mussels on the rocks at the nearby beach is a regular pastime too. “We also spend Christmas here in December, as John’s family – with a multitude of Amelia’s cousins – are in Pringle Bay at this time.” With the cabin’s laid-back style, effortlessly relaxed appeal and unique natural setting, it’s easy to imagine the many wonderful times this young family will share here together in the years to come. tintincabin | mobilemaisonette.com
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