Home is ‘a living work of art’

Constantia Nek house features tree trunk support pillars

A PROPERTY described as “an iconic home inspired by the essence of Africa” will be sold on auction on March 28.

Tanya Jovanovski, franchisee of Rawson

Auctions Western Cape, says the property, located in the exclusive Constantia Nek area, has been crafted from a fusion of natural stone, woods and glass, and integrates well into the surroundings of flora and streams.

“Blackwood Manor is a unique home that has evolved over 25 years of creative construction to position itself as one of South Africa’s most sought-after properties,” she says. “It is not just a home, but a living work of art.”

One unusual feature of the five-level home is that hand-selected tree trunks have been used as support pillars throughout the house.

The steel front door, custommade by artist and blacksmith Conrad Hicks, leads into the spacious open-plan lounge, kitchen and dining room.

“The lounge is massive. Natural light streams across the yellowwood floors and sills from the custom-made ash windows, and illuminates the 2 500l tropical fish tank which serves as a room divider.

“The dining room features a 16-seater Pierre Cronje dining table, built-in oak cupboards, curly cherry flooring and concealed doors that lead to an outdoor dining deck, braai area, koi ponds and stunning views.”

The kitchen has yellowwood and mahogany counters, Gaggenau equipment, a dishwasher, three sinks, underfloor heating and a pantry. There are also food storage areas and cold rooms, and a kitchen courtyard covered by a glass roof.

The property’s entertainment areas include a games room, TV room (or study) with deck, a gym with a sauna and steam room, a subterranean wine cellar, an outside Jacuzzi which can seat more than nine people, a pool with decks, a water slide, swinging ropes, monkey-bars, polo nets, balancing beams and ladders.

The home’s spiral stairways lead to some of the five spacious bedroom suites, which have lavish en-suite bathrooms and private balconies, and walkways with views into Orange Kloof Nature Reserve. They also lead down to the lower level’s newlyrenovated rooms, and two more entertainment areas are currently under construction.

The master bedroom includes a dressing room with built-in cupboards and a dressing table, and an en-suite bathroom which leads on to a deck with a garden and outdoor shower.

“The second bedroom has two bathrooms – one en-suite and the other outside on a private balcony.”

Bedrooms three and four each have built-in shelving and cupboards, an en-suite bathroom and a private deck.

The fifth bedroom, with built-in shelving and cupboards, has its own private garden and an en-suite bathroom covered in mosaic art.

The house has two guest bathrooms, and a study/ library is currently under construction.

The outbuildings include a garden office, two garages, a laundry room, a garden shed, and a parking/reception area.

Jovanovski says the front wall of the property was constructed from handcarved sandstone from Table Mountain.

“The entire property covers an area of 3 043m2,” says Jovanovski. “The total built area is just over half that, and the total area covered with decking comes to 430m2.”

The property is currently held in a trust.

Blackwood Manor will go on auction at noon on

March 28. The reserve price is R65 million, but all offers will be considered.

No registration fee is required to bid.

All offers must be submitted on Rawson Auctions’ Offer to Purchase form with its standard terms and conditions. A copy can be obtained by contacting the Rawson Auctions Western Cape office on 021 837 1700.

Bids can be delivered to the Rawson Property Group’s head office at 222 Main Road, Rondebosch.

For more details or an appointment to view the property, call Josh Raisun on 078 888 9534, Ron Duff on 083 377 2484 or Gerald Romanovsky on 083 658 0140.

Blackwood Manor has three koi-filled water features, each on a different level of the home, with glass panels for underwater viewing in strategic rooms.