MODERN COASTAL
After a few months of easy living in a weather-beaten South African beach house, its owners decided to replace it with an equally open and sociable design full of modern-day family comforts
A run-down beach house in South Africa has been replaced with a sociable home, designed for the good life.
Anthea and Anton Newbury had only one stipulation when they were looking for a home to buy in South Africa’s Plettenberg Bay: it must be on the beach.
The couple, together with teenage sons Max and Tom, are regular visitors to this stretch of coast and to own a beach house here was their dream. Their determination paid o≠ when, five years ago, they were able to secure an exclusive property with a much-prized seafront setting. As is typical of many coastal houses, the existing 1970s building had succumbed to the ravages of seaboard weather, but they realised that the commanding views from the plot would last a lifetime.
TIMED TO PERFECTION
Situated on the popular Garden Route, Plettenberg Bay has become the holiday destination of choice for South African city dwellers with a penchant for laid-back living. It was in this relaxed spirit that the Newburys decided to defer the demolition of the house until they had a good understanding of the site, and knew exactly what they wanted to achieve there. “It’s a good job we did,” says Anthea, “because our ideas changed; in fact, we did a complete U-turn.”
The family used the ramshackle beach house for two consecutive summers and, in that time, they revised their existing plans to build a striking, block-style structure – in line with the other properties along the shoreline – and engaged the services of renowned architect, Menno Meinesz. “We had fallen in love with the easy-going feel of the original property and asked Menno to build us a new, relaxed beach house with a contemporary twist,” says Anthea.
Accordingly, the house now encapsulates the taking-it-easy ethos of its surroundings, while accommodating the demands of urban family life. “It’s a very open, sociable space, but there are areas you can retreat to if you wish.”
ECLECTIC DREAMS
When it came to decorating the interiors, Anthea called upon life-long friend and interior designer Kim Stephen to help her achieve the look she sought. “Anthea was very much the driving force behind the design, while I provided the technical know-how,” recalls Kim. “She wanted a comfortable, welcoming home with a Morocco-meets-ibiza feel.”
The pair took their time scouring local flea markets, as well as trawling Cape Town’s thriving design scene. Although the finished rooms may appear bohemian and carefree, each piece has, in fact, been painstakingly chosen to create a layered, nuanced look. Roomy sofas and hand-knotted rugs have a laid-back feel, while rattan chairs and fluffy sheepskin throws provide the texture and depth that underpins the entire scheme. “I’m a very tactile person,” says Anthea. “I need to feel things that are delicious to the fingertips. It’s a very organic process.”
A BLANK CANVAS
In many ways, the beach house provided Anthea with a tabula rasa to express her personal style, although some compromises were necessary. The predominantly white colour scheme, for instance, was chosen to appease Anton’s need for peace and harmony. Left to her own devices, Anthea gravitates towards bold pattern and colour, but the neutral base, she concedes, did allow her the freedom to “throw anything at it”. Specifically, the couple’s contemporary art collection, which infuses the scheme with vibrant colour. “Like everything here, it’s more relaxed, more us. As soon as we arrive we feel our shoulders drop.”
Although the finished rooms feel carefree, each piece has been chosen to create a layered, nuanced look.”