A seaside cabin in the remote town of Romansbaai by Neo Architects draws inspiration from the surrounding indigenous flora and coastal landscape.

With the instructions from clients to minimise the carbon footprint on the surrounding landscape, the team at Neo managed to keep the size of the space down to 90m2. While this may seem small to some, the firm designed the home in a way that incorporates indoor/outdoor flow, breaking boundaries. The seamless transition allows for the views and scents of nature to meld with the home, enhanced by the presence of natural light. At the same time, the architects designed the cabin with the Swedish notion of Hygge in mind – a concept of cosiness and contentment, which translates to the rainier and contemplative days.

Made from concrete, natural stone and diamondback sheeting, the home blends well with the raw materials of the climate. Large windows allow the guest the choice of whether to be immersed in nature or to enjoy the landscape through a barrier, protecting them from the elements.

A large bedroom opens up onto the pool area, with a second deck offering vast vistas of the protected fynbos fields. The highlight of the bathroom is a shower and bath with the same breathtaking views. Designed around a centralised fireplace, the entertainment area is comfortable and accommodating in both winter and summer.

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Seeing its hidden potential, creative couple Lauren Shantall and Derek Eyden have transformed a neglected Mid-century box in Fish Hoek into a colourful retreat that suits their new post-COVID lifestyle to a tee.

As many couples did during the pandemic, Lauren Shantall and her husband Derek Eyden re-evaluated their lifestyle. To beat the claustrophobia of their new work-from-home regimen, Lauren, who runs her own PR company, and musician Derek would regularly pile into the car with their 13-year-old son Daniel, and make the trek from Rosebank in the heart of Cape Town’s suburbia to the Deep South – the colloquial name used for the slack-paced string of suburbs that hug the Cape Peninsula’s coastline. “We were waking up three, four times a week to go for sunrise swims,” says Lauren. “Covid meant that I suddenly lost 40% of my business – but it also meant that I could work from anywhere. We realised we could minimise our petrol bill and just move to live next to the ocean!”

The Mid-century Prairie-style house the couple ended up buying in Fish Hoek wasn’t exactly their architectural dream, but its lofty location against the mountain, with a view of both the Atlantic and Indian oceans, was. “It was one of those 1960s box houses, where you open the front door and walk into a rectangle,” says Lauren. “Derek and I knew roughly what we wanted to do. We measured the space, made little scale drawings and cut out pieces of furniture that we’d move around, trying endless configurations.”

Architect Ian Macduff and interior architect Charisse Johnston of StudioSALT helped the couple crystallise their vision. The previously closed-off lounge, kitchen and sunroom became one sprawling living space that spills out onto a large balcony, and another storey – with an impressive custom-designed steel staircase to match – was added to accommodate a small study and an en suite master bedroom with its own balcony.

As far as possible, Lauren and Derek repurposed the house’s fixtures or went to great lengths to source reclaimed fittings and furnishings that wouldn’t look out of place. The sunroom’s slasto stones and sliding door, for example, were redirected to the guest loo and scullery respectively, while the parquet flooring was one of those Facebook Marketplace finds that DIY home renovators’ dreams are made of. “The sellers were getting rid of it because they were putting down vinyl!” says Lauren. Another score was the retro teak kitchen unit that had been gathering dust in someone’s garage. And then there was the pink-and-black Zulu Mama Café chair by Haldane Martin that now lives in Lauren’s study, because the original owners wanted to redo their home interior entirely in black and white, as one does…

Lauren – whose career spans decades working in the design and art realm, and who is also an artist in her own right – and Derek worked together to create a tailor-made colour story for the home. It plays out from the paint palette she chose for the walls and joinery to the artworks and curios from the couple’s enviable collection – much of which is still in storage after the move. “Many of the colours reflect the fynbos around us, like this protea,” she says, gesturing to a large Leucadendron gandogeri growing in the indigenous garden below the balcony, its gradients of green, yellow and orange-pinks echoed in the open-plan living area. “My husband is a musician, and while I don’t pretend to understand music very well, I’d like to think what I’ve done here is like colour music. The colours are notes that form a melody through the house.”

The new milieu undeniably fosters creativity – not only for Derek, who now composes and records music in a plant-filled studio bathed in serene shades of green, but also for Lauren, who has a dedicated art room bathed in natural light. “I’m working on an exhibition called ‘Plant Babies’, which will open this year,” she says. Three guesses where she gets her inspiration from…

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Carved into the western slopes of Lion’s Head, this tiered hideaway – Kloof 145 – takes its cues from the indigenous trees and fynbos that once covered the landscape.

Five levels. Authentic materials. A clear design narrative. This sleek yet organic residence in Kloof Road, Clifton, makes a dramatic statement.

From the gabion-walled ground-level exterior that mimics the mountainside strata from which it emerges to the fold-away glass doors, skylights and pale timber used in the uppermost level, each floor of Kloof 145 tells a convincing story of natural progression. Most notably, a vertically slatted box hovers over the middle terrace, with space for the forest bushwillows from the second tier to grow. These lightweight aluminium screens, which can open and close, filter the amount of natural light entering the interiors.

“The idea was to architecturally express the varying relationships to the site and the greater context of mountain, sea and sky,” says lead architect Phillippe Fouche of SAOTA. Cécile & Boyd did the interior design, led by partner and designer Paul van den Berg, who focused on organic interior furnishings and finishes to reinforce the unfolding experience of natural elements that the house affords.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look at this modern Pretoria home.

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WORDS Kerryn Fischer PHOTOS Elsa Young PRODUCTION Luanne Toms, Frank Features

There are 360 degrees. Why stick to one?” said the late starchitect Zaha Hadid – and this philosophy could well describe Mica and Marcel Angel’s Llandudno home. At its entrance, concrete slabs suspended over a body of water deliver you to a pair of angular, concrete planes that defy gravity as they slant casually skywards. The entrance is straddled by two linear concrete boxes, one of which is home to an outsized sculptural staircase that runs the full height of the double-volume space. It’s an astonishing first impression.

But then this home is designed to marry not just the disparate aesthetic predilections of its owners – an aspiring clinical psychologist and a racing driver – but also the splendour of its setting. Set on giant granite boulders between Llandudno and Sandy Bay, it was designed by M&B Architects’ Christo Botha in response to its spectacular surrounds. United by a passion for fast cars – and having worked together previously on commercial projects – Christo had

a good idea of Marcel’s love for contemporary, modern architecture. However, his challenge lay in incorporating that with Mica’s preference for a more sculptural, eclectic, lived-in feel, as well as her brief for a space that could accommodate the five children (from 28 to 11 years old) they share between them. And of course, their three dogs, Sishi, Valentino and Paris.

Inspired by the likes of Santiago Calatrava and the aforementioned Zaha Hadid, Christo immediately saw the opportunity to create a sculptural building that could play to Mica’s sensibilities while satisfying Marcel’s penchant for modernism. “My starting point was to mould the house into the rocky landscape so as to create a strong, stable construction, much like an amphitheatre, that could open up to the ocean,” he explains. This allowed the house to adapt easily to the dramatic and changeable microclimate that occurs on the coastline, where the sea can go from gentle lapping waves to giant swell in a matter of hours. “The house definitely moves with the climate – barriers such as the sliding doors on the seafront can disappear into the walls on warm summer days to create a seamless flow between indoors and out, and then act as both insulation and a contained aperture to the elements on Cape Town’s wild, wet winter days,” he adds.

Laid out over three levels with just four bedrooms, the 1 000m2 house is surprisingly intimate given its size and the drama of its entrance façade at street level. To accommodate the varying architectural elements, Christo proposed off-shutter concrete – an easy material to shape to create the kind of cantilevers that were required, but also because it’s honest and grounded, and would provide a consistent materiality throughout.

The subterranean lower level is home to Marcel’s study, as well as the ample parking, laundry and storage areas. The ground level is where the extensive living, dining, kitchen and entertainment areas are located. A guest suite on this level leads out onto the pool and terrace too, while the guest loo is located in an arc of asymmetrical offshutter concrete walls. Upstairs, the main bedroom sits in the centre of the house, flanked by two more bedrooms and Mica’s study. At the back of this level, a pyjama lounge and playroom lead off the main staircase.

“Our Sunday family lunches, when all five children – some with partners – converge, are a highlight, while our Christmas table seems to increase in size every year. And we wouldn’t have it any other way,” Mica says. For Marcel, who is collaborating on the launch of a new international racing series in South Africa, the house offers a respite from a busy working life, and an opportunity to watch the Grand Prix in his soundproof man cave with friends. “It’s a home that caters to our differing needs perfectly,” says Mica. “Marcel is a social animal while I’m more solitary – yet the house allows space for both our personalities with effortless ease.”

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look at this Keurbooms Lagoon home or this Swartberg holiday home.

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WORDS Robyn Alexander PRODUCTION Sven Alberding PRODUCTION Greg Cox / Bureaux

Emmanuel de Bayser is lucky enough to divide his time between two of Europe’s great locales: Berlin and Paris. In Berlin, he runs his fashion and design store, The Corner Berlin – and when in residence in his Paris apartment, he works intensely on selecting the very best in current fashion, design and decor for The Corner.

Emmanuel’s Paris pied-à-terre is situated in a building that’s typical of the neoclassical style in which Parisian dwellings were constructed during the time of Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s famous “renovation” of the city in the 19th century – even though it was actually built a number of years after the legendary city planner’s death in 1891.

It’s a small space – just 70m2 in total – but it feels spacious and expansive. This is the result of the building’s elegant “bones”, which include high ceilings that make for light-filled rooms, and interconnecting doors with original glazed panels that open up the space and allow light to move through. Accentuating the feeling of luxurious roominess is wall-to-wall carpeting in cream wool, and all of the apartment’s rooms look out over an elegant Parisian park, which means that fresh air and views of manicured greenery abound.

As a collector of French mid-century design, furniture and collectables for the past 20 years, Emmanuel describes that genre of design as “timeless – it also mixes so well with the architecture from periods before it was created. It has a patina and a lively character that somehow both contrast and fit other styles.”

His Paris home is proof of these assertions: in the neoclassical apartment, pieces by iconic mid-century designers Jean Prouvé, Pierre Jeanneret and Serge Mouille seem perfectly at home, while items by contemporary French designer India Mahdavi add sophistication to the mix. And then there are colourful ceramics by Georges Jouve, a collection of African tribal art figurines, and a final layer of contemporary artworks and books.

The tribal figurines are part of a relatively small collection, but a special one. For Emmanuel, these artworks link back to the history of modern art in France, with their influence on artists such as Constantin Brâncusi and Pablo Picasso having been well documented. Like his ceramics collections and his books, these works bring a unique and personal feel to the apartment that is very important to him.

A born collector, Emmanuel readily confesses to being continuously in pursuit of pieces by his favourite designers and artists. He also tends to need new points of focus now and then: his large collection of ceramics by French mid-century ceramicist Georges Jouve was begun in part, he says, because “I had no space for any more furniture.”

Emmanuel also masterfully articulates what makes a variety of mid-century modern designs special. For example, speaking of French lighting designer Serge Mouille, who created the wall-mounted and standing lamps that feature in the apartment’s interiors, he explains that Mouille’s work has a very industrial feel (it is made of cast metal and features angular supporting arms), yet the shapes of the lampshades are subtly curved and have a softer touch than many other industrial-style pieces. The result is “something much more sensual and interesting”, says Emmanuel.

This petite and perfectly considered Paris apartment is a true pied-à-terre – a “foot on the ground” second home in which its owner spends a limited amount of time. And it’s an ideal base from which to savour some of the finest things that the City of Light has to offer.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look at this apartment in Cape Town’s City Bowl.

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Perched high on the slopes of Fresnaye in Cape Town, Arcadia – designed by Forte Architetti – re-imagines the luxury residential complex as we know it, and looks sharp while doing so.

At first glance, Arcadia looks like a house: a very striking house, but a house nonetheless. Architecturally assertive and sculptural, it even stands out among its Fresnaye neighbours – a collection of imposing properties one wouldn’t exactly classify as retiring daisies.

According to its architect Roberto Forte, whose firm Forte Architetti is based in Sicily, with additional offices in Milan and Cape Town, that was the goal. “The brief from my client at Axis Property Group was clear,” he says. “He wanted a luxury residential complex that wouldn’t read as just a regular block of flats. Each of the five units had to be unique, but still needed to present as a whole.” Additional requirements from the client were that future residents enjoy absolute privacy from one another and, perhaps most importantly, that they all have the sense their views of the Atlantic Ocean were theirs alone.

The last mentioned prerequisite is no small feat, as bagging a great view is the objective of all new builds in Fresnaye – often to the vexation of existing homeowners. “I went back to Sicily and we closed our offices for two weeks to brainstorm the design of the building,” says Roberto. “Our main goal when we start any project is to work with the space we are given.” In the case of Arcadia, the space the team was presented with was an awkward, rhomboid-shaped parcel of land consisting of two erfs, one perched above the other.

Roberto and his team utilised every square metre to come up with a structure that’s immediately iconic in its geometrically fragmented exterior. Dominated by two overlapping tapered slabs and a graphic iroko screen, the façade offers seemingly endless combinations of diagonal lines and vanishing points depending on where you stand. “We work with shapes and angles a lot,” says Roberto, adding that his years spent working with renowned architect Daniel Libeskind in Berlin definitely informed his approach to design.

From the back, five separate units are visible – stacked on top of one another but fanned out like a deck of cards to ensure that each gets its own unobstructed ocean view. Roberto was also tasked with the interior design of the apartments. To echo the sleek design of the exterior, he went to great lengths to keep lines sharp and seamless by paying careful attention to the details: doors and skirting boards sit flush with the walls, bathroom mirrors extend into the ceilings, air-con vents are recessed, and terrace doors disappear when not required.

On the fourth floor – the largest unit at 416 square metres – the interior opens up onto a sprawling terrace that culminates in a raised timber deck around a rim-flow pool that appears to be spilling straight into the ocean. At its edge, two bronze hares by sculptor Guy du Toit sit on a bench, staring back at the building as if in deep contemplation. “I loved them from the first second the owner introduced them,” says Roberto. “They fit really nicely with the space, and bring the entire composition to the right proportion. They also add a touch of irony.”

After all, who could blame the bunnies for turning their backs on the ocean, when the view in front of them is so thoroughly absorbing?

For more information, visit fortearchitetti.it.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look at this Keurbooms Lagoon home.

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You’d be forgiven for misinterpreting the austere facade of this multilayered minimalist family home in Bischopscourt as cold. But the minute you set foot through the entrance into the voluminous heart of the home – with uninterrupted views of the mountains ahead and natural light streaming in from every angle through the floor-to-ceiling windows – it all makes complete sense.

Homeowner Angie Diggle’s brief to architect Luis F Mira saw her love of Georgian architecture, and obsession with classicism and ratios woven into Luis’s minimalistic design approach and unwavering perfectionism. “The final considerations were to create a seamless flow from one space to another, ensure that the views were maximised from every room, and strip back everything,” explains Luis.

It was a serendipitous chain of events that led Angie and Luis to meet. Having purchased the sprawling Bishopscourt property with her husband, Martin, on somewhat of a whim, Angie immediately began the search for an architect to bring her vision to life. “I discovered Luis’s work in an international architectural magazine, and I realised instantly that he was perfect for the project,” says Angie. “I knew I needed to find him immediately.”

READ MORE: Keurbooms Lagoon Home

At the time, Angie was none the wiser that Luis, who hails from Chile, had opened a studio in Cape Town in 2009. The universe conspired, and then delivered. The result? A stripped-down, multilayered monolithic masterpiece in the middle of the suburbs – and a dynamic duo in Angie and Luis.

Before work began on the construction of the house, the property’s foundation had to be raised, “to create the feeling that the house is an extension of the mountain and vice versa”, explains Luis – a mammoth project in itself. “Martin and Angie also made the brave decision to move the house 12 degrees from its original north-facing position to be more west-facing. It was risky, due to the elements, but it definitely paid off.”

READ MORE: Bold Contemporary Joburg Home

Another key member of Angie’s team was landscaper Danie Steenkamp of DDS Projects in Stellenbosch, acclaimed for his dynamic, eco-friendly aesthetic, who gave the garden an overhaul. “Danie implemented a perfectly African garden in Bishopscourt, which is just what I wanted,” says Angie. “We hand-picked every acacia with him, and waited patiently for the restio grass to grow in the farmlands before being replanted here.”

The capacious six-bedroom home certainly lives up to its owners’ desire for uninterrupted indoor-outdoor living. And, thanks to Luis, it has also been cleverly imagined to incorporate surprising elements such as the below-ground squash court, hammam and jacuzzi, guest suite, wine cellar and smartly concealed home office.

Every component – both outdoors and in – was meticulously considered by Angie herself, from the ancient limestone sourced in Dholpur in Rajasthan and the statement-making onyx slab that forms the backsplash of the master shower, to each copper-plated handle and hinge found throughout the home.

The impressive collection of art got similar attention, and includes a Nelson Makamo triptych and a Peter Eaton Gurnz Perspex installation, all adding definitive points of interest that complete the otherwise bare interiors.

“The ultimate goal was to create a beautiful backdrop for everyday life, almost imitating a photographic studio. Everything is open; everything flows seamlessly and provides no room to hide,” Angie clarifies. “The action within these spaces becomes the most important. There is no interruption to what is ultimately life’s action: family, friends, pets and nature, living and loving harmoniously.”

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With a bushveld backyard and the bustling Pretoria skyline as its backdrop, this ultramodern family home balances setting and structure with elegant simplicity.

Ever since they were a newlywed couple, Albert and Adéle Nieuwenhuys had been dreaming up a vision for their perfect home – a space with a sense of openness enveloped in raw concrete, steel and glass with generous expanses of double volume.

The frameless spider glass curtain wall blurs the edges between inside and outside as one approaches the entrance, by casting reflections of the tranquility pond and garden onto the interior.

They found the perfect site in the heart of Pretoria – the first step to realising their dream – with the most incredible views across the Faerie Glen Nature Reserve. But it wasn’t until they met with architect André Eksteen from Earthworld Architects that they knew their vision would finally become reality. “At Earthworld Architects we believe that the architect’s primary role is that of mediator between people and the landscape they live in,” says André. “We were therefore incredibly excited by the owners’ challenging brief for this unique site, because we knew from the start it would require pushing creative boundaries.”

True to his word, the main design concept for the house is a complete contradiction in terms. “I wanted to preserve the site’s intimate connection with the nature reserve by designing the house as an airy, lightweight shelter that simply floats over the indigenous landscape – with the structure being nothing more than a protective shell that can adapt from day to day according to the needs of the family,” André explains.

Even though concrete is usually perceived as a heavy, solid structure, the series of slim, interlocking concrete boxes seem to glide weightlessly over the earth. As one steps across a floating concrete bridge to approach the front door, it is evident that the central design theme of lightness and openness is carried throughout the entire house. The glazed curtain walls all move and open up, allowing inside space to become a seamless part of the outdoors. “Because the site is not very big, I wanted the exterior spaces to become additional living rooms – activating the entire site as dwelling space,” André explains.

Apart from satisfying the aesthetic senses, the dramatic double-volume spaces with high-level clerestory windows and deep overhangs have an important function. The house’s main façade faces west to maximise the views, requiring the design team to perform extensive sun and climate control studies to get the shading of the house right. Inside, there is interconnectedness between the multiple level spaces, accentuated by the natural beauty of concrete, steel, glass and oak. The crisp and clean-cut interior style combines raw, textured and flamed finishes to provide sensual variety.

Adéle’s favourite place is the kitchen:“I love the sleek industrial lines, but mostly it’s being part of everything else that’s going on in the house – whether it’s the boys playing in the pool, the game that’s on in the living room or the occasional zebra walking past,” she laughs. Finding balance between complexity and simplicity, architectural mastery and family homecoming, it comes as no surprise that the house received a South African Institute of Architects award in 2017.

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Guided by the owners’ brief for a minimalist house and the estate’s strict architectural regulations, the architect of this Ekurhuleni house used linearity to capture the essence of modern living.

When Dominique Fourie of Indy Spirit Worx refers to herself as an “extreme minimalist” with a love of concrete, she means it. She describes her dream home as one that is bare, a functional and stripped-down space. It’s easy to understand – the mental peace gained from living in a house so streamlined and spartan is irrefutable.

The facade of Rosa and Chaka Smith’s home in a high-end golf and wildlife estate in Kempton Park is emphatically modern. Lines – projecting, intersecting and running in parallel – are its primary language. A rectangular box clad in Rheinzink protrudes from a monolithic concrete structure.

From the street, this fortress-like house gives little away. A long walkway of balau decking runs perpendicular to the home’s east-west linear orientation, visibly drawing the visitor in. As straight as an arrow, the footpath guides you past a large open courtyard concealed from the street and delivers you into an aptly spare entrance hall.

The house is constructed predominantly of two elongated concrete cubes, the top box projecting over the lower living box. In line with its mandate of minimalism and order, the Smiths’ home is further divided into three categories: utility (clad in Rheinzink), living and private.

The Smiths were owner-builders, which meant the build took twice as long as it would normally. “We were here every day for three years and didn’t take a week off,” recalls Rosa, noting proudly that they received an award for the neatness of their site. This is not surprising, as Rosa, Chaka and architect Dominique all cite perfectionism as one of their principal traits. It wasn’t the last award the house received either: In 2017, Dominique scooped the PIA Award for Residential Architecture New.

Apart from the concrete-and-glass stairwell connecting the two levels and a small dividing wall sectioning off the bar lounge, the ground level runs in one open sweep, encompassing the TV lounge, dining room and kitchen.

The Smiths’ home captures the shifting light through vast double-glazed sliding doors and windows. “The use of glazing was to specifically achieve unimpeded views with an infinite relationship between inside and outside and an abundance of natural light and transparency by day,” Dominique says. In the evenings, LED strip lights glow from within white glass cavities and concrete recesses, turning the house into a light box of sorts.

What makes this home an architectural anomaly is that it faces south. To draw in light and warmth, Dominique devised the large central courtyard where sun punches into north-facing windows. Upstairs, an impressive 11 m run of ribbon windows allows north light into the passage that links the bedrooms.

Were it up to Dominique, the staircase would be without a handrail and the floors without carpeting… The home is not without warmth and delight – the two spare bedrooms are regularly occupied by Rosa and Chaka’s two children and grandchild, and Rosa’s anthology of collectibles and vintage pieces brings character to the interior. “Relaxing in our spacious home overlooking the golf course and clubhouse, every day is a holiday!” Chaka enthuses.

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Gideonshoop, a renovated 1820s farmhouse near Klaarstroom in the folds of the Swartberg provides a textbook example of how to marry old and new. For architect Marielise van der Merwe, it’s been a dream project.

Marielise van der Merwe’s husband Adriaan bought Gideonshoop four years ago: “somewhere to have a bit of peace and do a bit of farming”, she explains. The farm lies just west of Meiringspoort, deep in the folds of the Swartberg, where the Aapsrivier has carved its own, more modest way down the north slopes. The road to the farm winds with the river through grey Karoo scrub and the occasional sliver of floodplain, greened with pasture, seed onion and lucerne.

“When he saw the house, my husband knew I would be happy because I would have plenty to do!” Indeed. The old farmhouse, a simple T-shaped structure with straight-end gables and tacked-on additions, was derelict. But within its cottage-like exterior there were treasures: yellowwood floors and ceilings, handcrafted doors, and classic fanlights and wall cupboards.

“A lot of people told us to just flatten it and do something from scratch, but I love old things as well as new, and my first thought was that I absolutely wanted to keep the soul and the feel of the house. But I also wanted to make it comfortable to live in and add something modern to it.”

So began a painstaking process of restoration and redesign. The house faced east and needed more sun as well as shelter from the prevailing south wind. Adding a replica of the original north-facing bedroom wing achieved both, and the space between the two wings created an attractive entrance courtyard. The roof was simplified to create a single continuous line along the main axis, and the height was raised to allow for the necessary slope over a new stoep, where the original double door and sash windows were left in place.

To the materials and patterns of the original structure Marielise added a completely modern theme. At its north end, the rustic lines of the old house have been boldly redrawn to create a new living, dining and kitchen area in an airy extension of glass and aluminium that celebrates the space and light of the setting. It is strikingly contemporary, and shows the subconscious influence of Australian architect Glenn Murcutt – Marielise practised as an architect in Sydney for years.

Painted a soft, warm grey, the house blends quietly into the landscape. And the harmony is not merely visual. It’s also designed to “touch the earth lightly” and be as energy-efficient as possible. Double glazing, and cross ventilation via large sliding doors are among of the measures Marielise has used for temperature control. Water heating is via solar energy and slow combustion fires warm the living area in winter.

Architects spend their working lives interpreting the wants of clients. “It was nice to do something for myself for a change,” Marielise says. But the Van der Merwes are not keeping this stylish retreat to themselves. The house now serves as a farm lodge for the newly established De Aap Private Nature Reserve, a perfect place to enjoy and explore this as-yet-little-known corner of the Karoo.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look this Klein Karoo farmhouse and Montagu county home.

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