a glass-and-timber villa on the slopes of Table Mountain is the perfect union of rustic charm and modern luxury

ON THE CITY-FACING SLOPES OF TABLE MOUNTAIN, A MODERNIST VILLA FINDS ITS NATURAL FIT GRAFTED INTO THE BEDROCK AND BETWEEN THE BRANCHES OF ITS UNIQUE SETTING

Warm, ergonomic and integrated craftily into the landscape, this family home, located in cape Town’s real estate sweet spot, is an exemplar of grand scale understatement, unusual for an area whose stock-in-trade is conspicuous constructions. From the

exterior, designed by architect antonio zaninovic, largely camouflaged by leafy, dappled shadows as you approach via an undulating driveway, to the interior, described by okha Interiors creative director adam court – who was involved with antonio’s vision of the project from the outset – as ‘nonchalant, casual almost’, it’s a tantalisingly slow reveal before you experience the full power of the place.

That power is about being seamlessly synthesised into a rare treetop idyll, with a cinematic sense of seclusion that feels both completely natural and unbelievably luxurious.

But, achieving emotional luxury is an art because success relies on a very deft orchestration of visual information. Too much style du jour swank and the vibe could morph into the dull din of being overly fashioney, too much sotto voce anti-statement and it could feel too posed, neither of which would have struck a simpatico chord. ‘We kept it really simple, didn’t over design it, and didn’t impose a sense of statement-making decorating tropes on the space,’ explains adam.

In fact, there are instances where the lack of rule book compliance feels audacious. such as the L-shaped ‘Monk’

sofa in the living room, positioned with its back to the view, thereby denying the obvious prize but creating instead the very necessary pleasure of a legitimately inviting social space. another decision was to use no cold materials for the interior architecture. ‘The material language could be termed organic minimalism,’ says adam. no marble, no metals – the two elements that in design shorthand cue sleek and smart – were not cards that needed playing in this instance.

Instead, adam aimed for patina. rock face cladding, wooden panelled ceilings, raw off-shutter concrete, herringbone timber or antique finished granite floors. Linen upholstery, velvet dining chairs from Minotti, and moments of scaled up drama via a pair of mid-century sputnikstyle chandeliers, an oak dining table the size of an american-made sedan, and an edgy iteration of a tilted, shifted mirror installation, both by okha, which deliver a perfectly appropriate microdose of highend attitude.

The living room leads onto a terrace from which you can walk down to the large rectangular non-rim flowing pool, and a very lovely elevated pavilion a short distance further.

The living here is contextual, the materials contextual and like the interiors of some of the most appealing midcentury homes we look to for inspiration, the message is about modesty, informality, the possibility of a freestyling playfulness that when combined with the majesty outside becomes a beguiling screenplay for contemporary living.

THE KITCHEN ZONE IS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE DINING AREA BY A CHANGE OF FLOOR AND CEILING MATERIALS. ‘ETCH’ BAR STOOLS FROM OKHA IN CLIVIA RED

THE OPEN DINING AND LIVING AREA WITH WRAP-AROUND WALL-TOWALL WINDOWS PROVIDE VIEWS THROUGH THE TREES TO THE CITY BOWL BELOW. THE TABLE IS BY OKHA, WITH CHAIRS FROM MINOTTI

A VIEW FROM THE LIVING ROOM ACROSS THE PINK AND RED APPOINTED SEATING AREA SHOWING THE SYNCOPATION OF RAW MATERIALS

ANCHORED BY A HIMALAYAN WOOL AND SILK RUG, THE L-SHAPED ‘MONK’ SOFA AND CHAISE CREATE A COMPELLING SEATING AREA FRAMED BY THE VIEW

PIVOTING THE LIVING AND DINING AREA IS A GLASSENCASED FIREPLACE CLAD IN ROUGH GRANITE. RED ‘Maxx’ ARMCHAIRS FROM OKHA PUNCTUATE THE SEATING AREA

SLATTED OAK TIMBER PANELLING IN THE BATHROOM CONTINUES THE NATURAL MATERIAL PALETTE