CLARITY

ON THE SHORES OF WALKER BAY IN THE WESTERN CAPE, A CONTEMPORARY HOME CREATED BY A PAIR OF GRAPHIC DESIGNERS COMBINES CLEAN-CUT ARCHITECTURAL LINES WITH FRESH INTERIORS.

- ROBYN ALEXANDER/BUREAUX

LOCATION, ESTATE AGENTS LIKE TO SAY, IS EVERYTHING. And this newly built home's position in Vermont - a holiday hamlet on the pristine shores of Walker Bay - is exceptional.

Tucked into the fynbos just steps from the ocean, the plot of land on which it stands has been in the family of one of the two homeowners, Alida Kannemeyer, for 60 years.

Throughout her childhood, Alida spent her holidays in the house next door (the rest of her family still does so); in 2014, she was given this adjacent plot by her parents.

In 2017, Alida and Piers Buckle her partner in both life and work (they run a graphic-design agency together) - decided to build their own holiday home on the property.

At the time, the couple were living in Observatory, Cape Town, and the new build was envisioned as a weekend escape from the city at which they could also spend longer holidays.

The initial plan, done with the help of an architect friend in Cape Town, was a simple single-storey cottage; it was later amended slightly by Onrus-based architecture firm Engelbrecht & Scorgie, who also assisted with the build.