CLEVER LINES

expansive work-eat-sleep-play zone that belies its 58m² footprint Truly inspired designers have turned this small urban apartment in Cape Town into an

Beautiful homes don’t have to be big ones

’GENIUS,” said Samuel Johnson, “is that energy which collects, combines, amplifies, and animates.” It’s a definition worth remembering now that “genius” has joined “bespoke” and “curated” in the list of overused and empty design jargon. Because “genius” in its true sense is the only word that can do justice to the spatial reconfiguration and astonishing innovation behind film director and editor Rob Nicholls’s loftcum-studio in Sea Point — Cape Town’s most cosmopolitan urban strip.

With the help of architect Michael Lumby of L&L Architects, what was a pokey, dark and awkwardly proportioned studio is now a generously proportioned, multi-functional double-volume space.

One of the obvious decisions adding to the illusion of space was the use of a neutral palette for the frame; this entailed applying a hard white epoxy coating to the original parquet flooring.

Another was maximising natural light and accentuating the views — highplaced picture windows in the kitchen, entrance and bathroom look out towards Table Mountain, while a symmetrical pair of square glass sliding doors lead onto a generous balcony and bring in the virtually uninterrupted beachfront, seascape and dramatic sunset views.

The “real key”, says Nicholls, was Lumby’s solution to the small-space problem of storage. “This led everything,” he explains. Running the entire length of the space is a singular unit with dedicated kitchen, scullery, cooking, dining and living segments which demarcate living zones according to function. It works hard — both precluding space-shrinking interruptions to the flow, and turning the disproportional length of the apartment into an advantage by swinging the orientation away from the narrow confines of its breadth. The use of wood makes this fixture a feature in its own right and sets up an aesthetic grid in which a matching room divider separates the entrance from the greater area while clearly defining the kitchen.

These spacial strategies work together to alter one’s perception and experience of the actual dimensions. They also are effective and inspired, clever and creative. But, ultimately, they’re not what make “genius” the only appropriate word to describe this apartment’s design.

The bona fide “genius” lies in the roof extension — a mezzanine bedroom level that added an extra 20m to the space as well as double-volume airiness to the living area below. Specifically, it lies in the double staggered staircase that literally “collects, combines, amplifies and animates” the apartment, enabling access to the mezzanine despite a prohibitively steep trajectory, while providing streamlined wardrobe and ample storage, even for bulky items like camping gear.

Nicholls’s aesthetic sensibilities are a perfect match for his living space. “Midcentury Modern is probably my biggest influence in terms of design,” he says. With a background in photography and drawing, framing and composition are second nature to him, and though he leans towards minimalism, he’s no fan of clinical Modernist clichés. “I hate stark,” he stresses — a statement borne out by his home’s décor.

A tightly edited and ever-changing selection of his own photographs and found images hangs on the walls, punctuated with artworks by friends and interesting collections (vintage cameras, for example, or wooden miniatures of the New York skyline’s notable buildings). Furnishings and plants provide splashes of colour, rich textures and warmth, and that his table regularly accommodates up to 10 dinner guests, says it all: this may be a small space, but it makes for a large life.

Spacial strategies work together to alter one’s perception

Text Laura Twiggs/ bureaux.co.za Styling Sven Alberding/ bureaux.co.za Photographs Warren Heath/ bureaux.co.za A pair of symmetrical glass sliding doors span the breadth of the apartment and lead onto the balcony, facilitating indoor-outdoor living.

Wooden fixtures on the mezzanine link the upstairs space to the living area below and provide storage and display opportunities. The nesting dolls represent Russian presidents, and all the cameras actually work.

Left: Keeping with the parallel design grid, the table continues the elongating line and together with the chrome-legged Eames chairs create a bold black visual and spatial anchor. Glossy black and white faux marble tiles and an expanse of glass...

ikraal.co.za Mid-century Modern accents such as the coffee table and cushion add a playful edge. The artwork is a photograph taken by Nicholls on a shoot, and the wooden objects on top of it depict the New York skyline.

A wooden room divider runs parallel to the wall unit, and demarcates the entrance hall, separating the working kitchen space and keeping appliances out of sight.

A white canvas creates the illusion of space, while the continuous storage unit accentuates the area’s length, distinguishing kitchen, scullery, dining and living areas without interrupting the eye — and providing ample storage.