Avant-garde is given wings
SAID to be named after the town of Bedford in England, the Johannesburg community of Bedfordview, which includes the suburbs of Bedford Gardens, Bedford Park, Senderwood and St Andrews to name a few, is home to more than 10,000 adults who fall within the LSM10 high category, according to Lightstone, a property data and statistics provider.
Lightstone data shows property in Bedfordview is predominantly freehold, accounting for 49.18% of the market stock, with sectional title homes making up 30.92% and estates accounting for 19.91%.
More than 40% of recent buyers here have been aged between 36 and 49, while the average price of freehold homes during 2013 has been just over R3.3m.
The area was originally one farm which belonged to the government until it was granted to the Van der Linden family in 1867. It remained within the family until the discovery of gold, but when mining efforts proved futile, parcels of land became available.
Today there is a strong business community due to its proximity to the airport and industrial areas, while demand for residential property is strengthened by the suburb’s proximity to good schools and other amenities.
Bedfordview has long been a favourite among successful selfstarters, says Greg Marucchi of Greg Marucchi Properties, who is marketing this unusual home. “The area is also home to some of Johannesburg’s best schools: St Andrew’s, Saheti and St Benedict’s come to mind.”
Bedfordview is nestled in a valley that runs from Linksfield Ridge to the north west and the Kloof/Pamin Road ridge to the south east, and offers convenient access to OR Tambo airport, the Johannesburg CBD and a range of amenities, including the Bedford Square precinct. Marucchi says Bedfordview also includes the grand suburb of Senderwood, which has long been a favourite of Johannesburg’s well-to-do.
An entry-level home here, he says, which is situated on a smaller stand of about 1,800m2, will set buyers back at least R3m. “The average family home, which would be a luxury offering, tends to be priced between R4m and R6m. The top end of the scale includes cutting-edge mansions seemingly hewn from the granite ridge and are known to fetch up to R30m.”
Marucchi describes Bedfordview as a vibrant neighbourhood that has managed to retain its old world charm. It is here where Butterfly House, which measures 700m2 under roof, is set on a 2,000m2 stand. Poised on the slopes of the Upper Bedfordview ridge, this tribute to modernism is a reflection of its European owners’ inimitable style.
“With interior finishes painstakingly sourced at the Milan Furniture Fair, the Butterfly House is the epitome of chic living,” says Marucchi.
The architectural concept was executed by Apostolos Sfetsios of SIOS design. An industrial designer by trade, his functional aesthetic is best showcased by the home’s central abdomen: a structural steel spine which doubles as a rainwater channel, it anchors the angled acrylic roof panels, hence the butterfly analogy.
“The core of the home,” says Marucchi, “is the synergy of principle reception rooms flowing off both the kitchen and the vodka bar out onto the deluxe patio. With its state-of-the-art audio system and a perfectly-poised wet bar, the patio invites guests down to the bold rim-flow pool.” The home also features an indigenous garden.
The three downstairs en-suite bedrooms are accessed off the media lounge, while the main suite is a 200m2 deluxe apartment featuring walls of glass and a bathroom that is arguably one of Joburg’s coolest.
“The Butterfly House is the last word in avant-garde family living,” says Marucchi. Price: R13.999m fully furnished Contact: Greg Marucchi Properties Greg Marucchi 082 550 5060