By Esther Moloi, Project Consultant Candice Jin, Property Coordinator Gina Waldman-Balkind, Photography Ryan Leukis & Irma Bosch
For many home owners, estate living offers much-needed safety and security, but what this family wanted was a sense of community, choosing a home that is family-oriented.
“Our home was built around the idea of having conversations. We love to break bread with people,” says the owner. The brief to the architect was to create a home that had no walls, and with double-volume ceilings. The home was to be open and airy, with no dark spaces.
“I wanted a home that had a mix of something old and something new,” adds the owner. This was established through the inclusion of modern features such as feature walls, visible steel trusses, large windows and stacking doors. These were paired with red bricks and wood to make the home feel more warm and inviting.
The home has a number of eco-friendly finishes, which have become conversation pieces. There are upcycled light fittings made of old oil filters and pipes from old trucks and recycled glass. Screed floors throughout the house mean there are no tiles in sight.
The square dining table in the living area also has a story to tell; handcrafted in Bela Bela, the table can seat 12 people comfortably and was built in a square, because the owner says: “There’s nothing worse than a rectangular table that cuts certain guests off in a conversation. We would like all our guests to feel like they are involved in the same conversation, and not have to move around to speak to someone else during the evening.”
The home is open plan. When the owners choose to entertain, all of the stacking doors can be opened up to easily house 100 guests, and the double-volume ceiling in the outdoor area makes the space feel open and airy.
The simplicity is what the home owners love most about their home. Every room is lived in and it’s not too much work to maintain. Portraits of jazz musicians grace the walls, and the living area is everyone’s favourite space.
The master bedroom enjoys great views of the surrounding landscape, and in winter the outside boma is used for conversations around a warm fire as they watch the sun set.
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