Life In Colour

Meets colour, light and joy in this spectacular home that blends the inside and out.

- Tamara Simoneau

There’s a distinct feeling of magic in the air inside this elegant home, nestled below the looming mountains of Stellenbosch in one of South Africa’s prominent wine-making regions. Its lucky owners are Elsa, an avid artist and connoisseur of colour, her semi-retired husband, Edwin, and their Italian greyhound, Luci. As you meander around the architecturally intriguing residence, it’s clear that Elsa has thrown caution to the wind and embraced a distinctly avante garde approach to decorating. “I think out of the box; I don’t like clinical, hard houses with no warmth,” says Elsa.

Guiding her along the way was graphic artist turned interior designer Joan Viljoen, who delighted in indulging Elsa’s passion for anything out of the ordinary to source unique and bespoke pieces and to bravely mix unexpected colours, textures and finishes. “Joan sourced so many unusually beautiful pieces of furniture and she is a real artist in putting everything together,” comments Elsa.

Elsa and Edwin were drawn to the location because of the lush trees and flat block, and they could easily see their future dream home beyond the dilapidated old house that stood at its heart. It was soon demolished as the couple teamed up with Cape Town architects Wynand Wilsenach to come up with something dramatic, yet downto-earth. Joan was involved every step of the way, taking cues from the architecture of the home and the spectacular garden surrounds.