Natural priority

By Anna-Marie Smith, Project Consultant Ruanda van der Walt, Photography Fiona Barclay-Smith

The owner of this mountainside home, who had prioritised a natural environment as the setting in which to enjoy a rich and fulfilling lifestyle, chose to live in a low-density estate among like-minded locals who value the Cape’s treasures.

Stonehurst Mountain Estate, located on the slopes of the Steenberg mountains and adjacent to the Westlake golf course, provided all the solutions for a north-facing location that could be both a home and a workspace.

For the owner, it is an absolute pleasure to have access to an eco-friendly architectural style in an estate, where the emphasis is on natural materials and indigenous plant life. Not only did this design make working and living in the same space possible by separating daily living areas from the work environment, it also retained a warm and restful interior ambience.

The interior spaces were designed to provide maximum flow, as is seen in the central living area which is ideal for communal cooking and social gatherings, and where a separate lounge area can be closed off for privacy. While the practical space, stretching from the kitchen through to the television lounge with dining area in the centre, allows for easy access, it is also within close proximity of the exterior and bedrooms. Elegant interior fittings and finishes are seen throughout the house, such as Eurokitchens’ cabinetry from the kitchen to the bathrooms, study and television cabinets, and the designer pull handles by Handles Inc.

Subtle combinations of stainless steel and Alaska white caesarstone counter and island tops in the kitchen create a vibrant cooking environment.

Easy flowing interior spaces lead onto the outdoor entertainment area through practical glass stacking doors, allowing bright daylight to enter when the relentless Cape “doctor” demands closing down of the hatches.

Subtle outdoor lighting effects transform the garden areas, and light is reflected through glass insets into lower interior walls onto patios. The fully furnished verandah is ideal for summer entertainment around the swimming pool, and an excellent vantage point from where to admire 180° views across the Constantiaberg mountains and vineyards.