Faline Edwards’s contemporary villa feels like it’s miles from anywhere.
It's hidden behind a grassy ledge and nestled on the banks of the Kastaiing River, the Afrikaans name for the chestnut trees lining its clear waters. Moody late afternoon light catches the magnificent mountain peaks ahead through oak and willow trees, and guinea fowls scuffle through the undergrowth and up onto the summer deck overlooking the river, calling as they go. It seems like the ultimate rural idyll. The truth is, though, that it’s just minutes from the nearest village in South Africa’s Winelands country.
“Klein Kastaiing” is what the interior designer calls her ultimate “lifestyle farm”. In place of the original 1970s bungalow that occupied the plot, Faline built a new house that's surrounded by mountains and has 360-degree views. Here, she grows Merlot wine grapes. “[We] produce around 600 bottles a year, just for our visitors of course, but there’s a cellar, used for storage and bottling,” she says. Fruit trees bear apples, mulberries, figs, avocados and pecan nuts, and all the herbs, vegetables and lots of basil are grown in the kitchen garden. The entire top half of the farm is irrigated and fertilised, ready for planting more grapes, olives or capers.
“I designed the house to blend into the site and merge with the colours of the surrounding mountains. In summer, with all the trees and vines, it’s barely visible from the road,” she says. Rendered in charcoal grey, the structure echoes the mountains behind, giving you the perfect outdoor feeling while still keeping in mind the different seasons. The home caters to the weather in other ways, too: wooden ceiling fans whirr in the summer and welcoming log fires burn in the fireplaces in winter.
The house faces north and south, allowing for ideal temperature control no matter what the weather. In the winter months, the leafless trees open up the farmland in front of the house, giving expansive views that you don’t see when cocooned in summer greenness. And on hot days, all the glass doors can be opened on both sides of the house, but particularly lovely is the seamless flow to the pool from the bedrooms leading off the light-filled passageway.
Every effort has been made to recycle the vegetation that once lined the river. “The floorboards in the living room and passage are all crafted from this wood, which was planked and laid out to dry for around six months before being laid and then limewashed to take away the slightly yellow hue,” explains Faline. “The ceiling is made from thinner offcuts and these were varnished in a darker colour in order to ‘ground’ the room.”
In the kitchen, a floating ceiling highlights the Tom Dixon lighting installation. Says Faline, “I had all the furniture manufactured by local craftsmen and, when the old barn was demolished, they used the roof trusses to make the long dining table.”
Klein Kastaiing is also perfectly placed near wineries, tempting bakeries and restaurants serving dishes by world-renowned chefs. “It’s wonderful the way the village transforms itself with festivals,” says Faline. The town clearly has a wealth of attractions and social buzz, but for Faline, the best experience is returning home to Klein Kastaiing – a modern sanctuary that’s tucked away from the world.
Photography: Lar Leslie; Production: Greg Cox / www.bureaux.co.za
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