Says ARRCC director Mark Rielly, ‘This house had to be as multi-functional as possible, so that it could adapt to family holidays, feasts with friends, and more formal moments when hosting executive guests.’ Mark and his team achieved this by maintaining an uncluttered thread throughout the five-bedroom home, while linking spaces that could be used simultaneously. The double-volume entrance, reached by way of a concrete bridge placed over a welcoming water feature, is encased in dark grey walls on the exterior, providing a cocoon-like enclosure to lead one into the glass-fronted doorway. Once inside, the stark contrast of white surfaces and light-filled spaces offers a switch in perception. ‘The move from dark walls to expansive, open spaces created an indoor environment that allowed us to give breathing space to the owner’s impressive art collection and introduce very specific furniture pieces that have their own voice within this space,’ Mark explains. ‘The home is almost gallery like, while still maintaining the casual comfort of a living environment.’ Pops of greenery from the garden and patio beyond can be appreciated from this entrance, the screen being both a separation and a link to the open-plan home. ‘It was inspired by the work of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma,’ explains Mark of the screen, ‘and adheres to the interior’s philosophy of natural, simple, bold elegance.’

In the formal lounge, OKHA’s clean-line, pureform furniture pieces create an environment of easy-living elegance that epitomises African luxury. Two large-canvas artworks hold the room together, accenting its lines and forms.

The subtly coloured triptych by South African Penny Siopis offers an element of movement in the otherwise formal space, while the stronger lines in the work by Burundi-born Serge Alain Nitegeka offer a dynamically bold and overtly graphic attraction. ‘The tension between these two works enlivens the room,’ says Mark.

The upstairs landing further conveys the artistic bend of this interior, a Big Shadow standing lamp by Marcel Wanders for Cappellini and collage artwork by Asha Zero filling the volume that leads to the bedrooms. These en-suite bedrooms offer individualised comfort, each one furnished with a different accent colour. In the master suite, a painting by Conrad Botes brings brightness to the predominantly grey room. Textures of wood, marble, wool and ceramic further enliven the bedroom. ‘Besides being a space for entertaining, this is a house in which to lie back, relax and just enjoy being home,’ says Mark.

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