|
Greg explains, 'A house is always
changing with you. I don't think one ever finishes ironing out the
finer particularities of one's home.' During construction the owners
generally spent two weeks in Cape Town and two weeks in London -
an arduous task, but ultimately worth it. Greg worked on the project
with an old friend, local architect Dr Hameed Khan. They decided
to use the existing layout of the house and expand on it as it lent
itself to the final design. The first thing you notice on entering
this home is the incredible amount of natural light and the captivating
views. Greg points out: 'We live in the dark in England. We have
deliberately used floor-to-ceiling glass in virtually every room.
This maximises the light and makes the most of the wonderful uninterrupted
views available to us.' One of the original architectural features,
which was kept in the final design, is the wooden roof with a large
skylight running across the entire structure - from the bedroom
through to the living room, dining room and finally the kitchen.
It offers exquisite views of the surrounding mountains. The house
faces breathtaking ocean views, while sights of the majestic mountains,
for which Cape Town is so famous, surround the rest of the house.
The abundance of glass invites the outdoors into the house and creates
the impression of being part of the outdoor environment instead
of a mere onlooker. Greg decorated his own home. He decided on a
modern but warm style and achieved this by toning down contemporary
characteristics with the use of interesting local ornaments, art
and a selection of warm colours. There is a muted African theme
running through the house, creating a very chic tone but at the
same time encouraging a feeling of relaxed comfort.
|