LOVE STORY
BLENDING TIMELESS ARCHITECTURE WITH INSPIRED INTERIORS, THIS STUNNING FAMILY HOME MAKES A STATEMENT WITHOUT SACRIFICING EVERYDAY EASE
My projects tell a story,” explains homeowner and interior designer Simone, as she drinks in the view from the spacious verandah of the home she recently renovated for her family, which includes husband Richard and their boys, Cole, 10, and Connor, seven. The story of this unique home has unfolded gently over time, following the young family’s move to a verdant suburb of Cape Town and a home they lived in for two years before work started. Named ‘Summer Planes’ in homage to the plane trees that grace the property’s spacious garden, this classical-style home was propelled into the 21st century thanks to the owners’ collaboration with Johannesburg-based architect Peter Cohen.
With simple geometric lines and pared-back forms, the home now melds timeless architectural elegance with interiors that reflect the chic homeowner’s eye for restrained colour, layers of natural textures and just the right amount of unique detail. Peter, says Simone, has a “genuinely special sense of space and proportion”. An interior designer for five years, she was keen to work with the architect to create a home for her family to love. And the resulting transformation has been dramatic: gone is the incongruous circular entrance hall, an abundance of ’90s-style lime green and some era-defining terracotta tiled floors. The 14-month renovation yielded a square entrance hall and an extra wing at one end of the house, with the latter containing both outdoor and indoor living spaces on the ground floor, as well as a new main bedroom on the first floor nestled among the trees, evoking the feeling of a contemporary tree house.
During the extensive project, the family set up temporary home in an adjacent garden cottage in the grounds (now the perfect spot to accommodate visiting grandparents), to ensure Simone was on hand
“I FEEL INSPIRED EVERY TIME I work WITH [ARCHITECT] PETER” ~ SIMONE
for daily decision-making as project manager, enabling her to capture the perfect marriage between design elements and furnishings. “The space around things is key,” she explains. “I love beautiful things, but there must never be too many of them in a room.” A former fashion buyer who worked in the fashion department at Tatler magazine in London during the early 2000s, Simone returned to South Africa to launch her own fashion business, which taught her “how to deal with colour, feel and texture”, she says. And it is this combination that is the secret to making this grand home feel welcoming and relaxed. It’s a sophisticated (note the silk curtains) yet fun (hello, Astroturf putting green on the balcony for the couple’s sons) sanctuary for a creative family of four. Here, every design element was chosen to suit the needs and wants of every family member. No wonder, then, that Simone describes this beautifully renovated abode as “our happy space”.
BAR This is what we call a bar: with its spectacular mirrored backing, this custom-made built-in feature, designed by Simone (pictured, above right), has all the showbiz elements for cocktail hour for her and Richard. As well as carrying all the bar essentials, the shelving serves as a showcase for the designer’s favourite pieces. Natural materials, including a jute rug from Florstore (try the ‘Ubud Basket Weave’ jute rug from Miss Amara for similar) and petrified wood side tables from Amatuli, create a soft, textural contrast to the more sleek finishes within the space. >
BAR LOUNGE
Architect Peter Cohen joined forces with Simone to create the bar lounge as an inviting space for relaxing and recharging . A wall of windows above the sofa bathes the space (top left) in natural light, which is boosted by all the reflective surfaces in the room, including the small black side table with mirrored top (get the look with the ‘Adriel’ mirrored side table from Mirror City), the metallic tall table by the sofa and the glass coffee table (see the ‘Verve’ coffee table from Fantastic Furniture for a match).
The table by the window has been elegantly styled with a white antique Chinese vessel and a table lamp from Ralph Lauren Home, while the amber glass vessel from Zara
Home offers a playful pop of colour in a neutral scheme. On the opposite wall (not shown) is built-in shelving for a range of books, which fulfils the owner’s brief for a very modern combination of bar and library.
COFFEE TABLE DETAIL
Simone knows how to mix high-end pieces with affordable homewares for a luxe result. On the table (left) is her collection of elegant treasures, which includes a white vase from La Grange Interiors, a tray from Zara Home and a H&M Home candle. The posy of blooms in a William Yeoward crystal tumbler completes the vignette.
KITCHEN
The owners designed the kitchen with architect Peter, and had the elegantly inset bespoke joinery built by design service Malco. Kitchen appliances and cupboard storage have been cleverly integrated into the joinery for a fully seamless look that doesn’t compete with the clean architecture within the home. The kitchen island bench in Caesarstone acts as a landing zone in the centre. Beside the Lacanche cooker is a cream pot from Le Creuset, while a green bowl from Zara Home adds a sweet and stylish touch.
“THE FUSION OF THE LIBRARY AND THE modern bar concept IS WHAT I WANT TO BRING TO LIFE” ~ SIMONE
“I’VE ALWAYS WANTED A FOUR-POSTER BED, AND this one adds impact TO THE ROOM” ~ SIMONE
MAIN BEDROOM
The couple’s divine bedroom (opposite) has five-star written all over it with the gorgeous four-poster bed that was designed by Simone, specifically for the room. (For a similar style available locally, see the ‘Quincy’ upholstered bed from The Bedroom.) The room has been cleverly created with expansive windows to give it a ‘glass box’ feel that suspends the space in the treetops. Classic-look bedside tables and the gorgeous bench at the foot of the bed, upholstered in ‘Miroir’ by Pierre Frey, which was also used on the bolster of the bed, add to the room’s resort appeal.
ENSUITE
The couple’s beautiful ensuite, sitting off the main bedroom (above & right), operates as a bathroom and dressing room, with built-in cupboards and a vanity area that Simone designed herself. Fluted oak on the cupboard fronts matched with handles sourced from The Beardmore Collection is as graceful as it is sleekly functional, while the inviting bamboo chair was a delightful find from a local vintage store. The massive freestanding bath from Victorian Bathrooms is elegantly curved and is a sartorial match for the Duravit benchtop basins and tasteful tapware by Italian company Nicolazzi. “This bathroom gave me great joy to create,” recalls Simone, with a smile. “It’s also lovely having a large window that brings in natural light and the beautiful view of the magnolia trees.”
DRESSING ROOM DETAIL
In the adjoining dressing room, the owner has arranged a collection of some of her most treasured items (top right) for a very personal display that includes crystals, a few favourite jewellery pieces (including pearls she received from her mother) and an ornate perfume atomiser from the fragrance house Penhaligon’s. >
“I USED SOME OF MY FAVOURITE natural elements: OAK, MARBLE AND STONE”
~ SIMONE
CONNOR’S ROOM
A nautical theme was created for Connor’s bedroom, where model boats from a stall at Hout Bay Craft Market in Cape Town (try eBay or Gumtree for similar) set the scene. Simone designed the matching headboards (top left) and a desk by Frag provides Connor with a quiet place to study. The wall lighting came from Ralph Lauren Home.
PUTTING GREEN
Joined to the boys’ playroom and bedrooms lies a mini putting green (left). “The first floor balcony was a dead space and, with my boys being avid golfers, I decided on a putting green,” explains their mother of the outdoor mini-golf green. “I wanted them to use the area on weekends to spend hours playing with friends.” Here, Cole (on the left) and Connor (centre) put in some practice time on their swings with father Richard.
INFORMAL LIVING ROOM
Cole and the family's dog, Benjamin, relax on the blue corner couch from Simone’s own brand (get the look with the ‘Sunny’ sofa in Indigo from Jardan) in the informal living room (above). The custom-built shelving was designed by Simone together with architect Peter, creating a place to display the family’s treasured books and pieces, without having to sacrifice floor space for extra furniture.
VERANDAH
The boys and their father gaze down from the first-level balcony above the outdoor dining area (opposite). The space overlooks the backyard and pool, which was in the original garden. The crowd-pleasing 10-seater dining table from Simone Katherine Interiors and voluptuous chairs from Talenti promise conviviality and relaxation – as well as an additional entertaining spot for the family. >
“IT’S A JOY TO COME OUT HERE ON A SUMMER EVENING and listen to my boys' LAUGHTER” ~ SIMONE
“THE GARDEN... REMINDS ME OF AN ENCHANTED FOREST, WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT types of birds VISITING THROUGHOUT THE DAY” ~ SIMONE
VERANDAH
The homeowners relax with an afternoon drink on the covered verandah, adjoining the kitchen. The peaceful garden was what initially drew the couple to this beautiful home. “It backs on to Table Mountain,” explains Simone, “and it’s the reason I fell in love with the house.”
SOURCE BOOK INTERIOR DESIGN
Simone Katherine Interiors, simonekatherineinteriors.com.
ARCHITECT
Peter Cohen Architect, petercohenarchitect.com.