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| Feature: |
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Van Wyk & Smit House
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| Brief Description: |
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A designer couple combined history and modern, eclectic design in their compact Cape Town semi
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| Location: |
Cape Town, South Africa
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| Photographer: |
House and Leisure
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| Credits: |
GAP Interiors/H&L/Greg Cox/Styling Jeanne Botes
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Synopsis
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The house has been here well over 150 years. It clings to the slopes of Cape Town’s Signal Hill and has stone walls a metre thick. Angular and flat-roofed with a subtle moulding running along the top and a window on either side of the front door, the look is Georgian. It’s typical of the Cape buildings of the period that were settled by freed slaves on the edge of the city and have since become prime real estate. Yet, though the house is traditional Bo-Kaap, the feel inside is contemporary. Simplicity is the key and the overall aesthetic breathes the current no-frills mood and ambience. Nothing hijacks the sense of double-volume spaciousness.
Clearly there’s a nice overlap between the skill sets of the two designers who created this streamlined, refined space for themselves. Schalk van Wyk is a stylist who works on high-end interior decor glossies. Chris Smit is an interior designer who’s been involved in local and international projects, including Knysna’s Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa and the interiors of Cape Town International Airport. What attracted the couple to the house was its seductive courtyard. ‘We immediately fell in love with this shady oasis in the city,’ says Chris. ‘Star jasmine that climbs all over the walls and windows. Goldfish in the pond. We could even hear birds in the trees. It’s a tranquil place where lunches go on for hours.
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