HEART OF STONE
Living space|August 2023
An opulent Edwardian home on Johannesburg's Westcliff Ridge provides the perfect setting for the romantic, eclectic style of its vintage fashion connoisseur owner.
GRAHAM WOOD
HEART OF STONE

Stonecrest - one of the most beautifully unaltered Edwardian homes on the Westcliff Ridge in Johannesburg - is named after the carved stone crest high on its red brick façade. Set above two tall, gracefully arched windows, the crest features a sleek, noble-looking hound at its centre.

"One early owner, I was told, had 17 dogs," says Annabelle Desfontaines, who has lived there for the past 30-odd years and can still remember walking up the driveway for the first time as a young woman. She has a couple of hounds who look very similar to the one on the crest, which adds a strange sense of timelessness to the way she and her family inhabit Stonecrest - it seems they could always have been here. Her beautifully eclectic style only adds to the effect.

The house was built in 1902 and, although it had a few alterations along the way - by none other than the master of colonial architecture, Herbert Baker, in 1911 and later, in 1935, by Cowin & Ellis - retains the spirit of its age.

It's a classical colonial Arts and Crafts mansion - part country pile, part suburban grande dame, part castle on a hill. From a plinth of local stone (the architects at the time celebrated earthy, honest local materials and handcrafted details), the house rises with a broad layer of red brick and a strip of stippled Tyrolean topped with a slate roof. The terraced gardens fall away so that the bedrooms seem as if they're among the treetops and the views carry the eye over Joburg's urban forest. (The Randlords - Johannesburg's instantly rich turn-of-the-century mining magnets, moguls and captains of industry and commerce, for whom these grand houses were built, liked to feel they were masters of all they surveyed.)

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2023-Ausgabe von Living space.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2023-Ausgabe von Living space.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS LIVING SPACEAlle anzeigen
'Tis the season to upcycle
Living space

'Tis the season to upcycle

From handmade adornments to uses for everyday items, we've unwrapped a box full of creative ideas to refresh your festive season decorating. Trust us, yule love them all.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
December 2023
Less is MORE
Living space

Less is MORE

So many people are considering life without alcohol that the notion has been given a name: sober-curious. We find out what you can do to help lower your current alcohol consumption.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
January 2024
Up in smoke
Living space

Up in smoke

Darrel Bristow-Bovey discovers that letting go isn't always easy (or entirely painless).

time-read
3 Minuten  |
December 2023
HAPPY AFFORDABLE HOLIDAYS!
Living space

HAPPY AFFORDABLE HOLIDAYS!

Whether it's quality time with family or me-time on a beach, a vacation is good for the soul but it shouldn't break the bank! Use these eight tips to make sure yours doesn't.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
December 2023
WISH WE WERE HERE
Living space

WISH WE WERE HERE

You can eat with your eyes, so why not travel that way, too? Captivating, unexpected and inspiring these destinations should be on every decor-lover's bucket list...

time-read
3 Minuten  |
December 2023
WELCOME, 2024!
Living space

WELCOME, 2024!

Get a head start on styling your space for the new year with our forecast of what's to come. Hint: you're going to be a natural...

time-read
3 Minuten  |
December 2023
LIFE THROUGH THE LENS
Living space

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS

Travel photographer, writer and editor Anton Crone has many years of exploring Africa's backroads under his belt. Christi Nortier asks him what makes a place one-of-a-kind.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
December 2023
INNER-CITY ISLANDS
Living space

INNER-CITY ISLANDS

The birds and the bees need safe, green spaces to survive and thrive in the urban jungle. Here's how you can help...

time-read
3 Minuten  |
January 2024
BEYOND THE BUNCH
Living space

BEYOND THE BUNCH

From wreaths to posies, flowers are a quick and easy way to light up a room and all you need is a store-bought bunch (or two) and a touch of creativity.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
December 2023
IT'S ON THE HOUSE
Living space

IT'S ON THE HOUSE

Household insurance: two words that strike fear (and confusion) into the hearts of South African homeowners. But don't panic! Here's everything you need to know...

time-read
4 Minuten  |
January 2024