Into The woods

This couple ditched city life for farm living and recently added off-the-grid Airbnb accommodation to their spacious plot in Stanford.

- Kim Arendse

For the past 20 years, Cathy Marriott and Basil Stilwell have owned Sondagskloof, a 14-hectare farm just outside Stanford. For 12 of those years, they lived in Cape Town but spent most of their weekends on their getaway property.

In 2010, after building their dream eco-home with strawbales, site-sourced clay, ROK bricks and a steel frame (it was featured in the February 2019 issue of Home), they moved to Stanford permanently. Then last year, Cathy, a former fashion designer, and Basil, a commercial diver, decided to add two cabins to their property as Airbnb rentals.

“Our daughters recently left home to study and it felt like the right time to invite the outside world in to enjoy our sustainable lifestyle,” says Cathy who raises livestock and grows organic vegetables on the farm.

Cathy and Basil opted for solar-powered, off-the-grid timber cabins from Swissline Design. “Beautiful timber construction is a Swissline trademark, but I had a good deal of input when it came to the design,” says Cathy. “I wanted a high mono-pitch roof with clerestory windows to introduce as much natural light as possible and to create a sense of spaciousness within a small footprint. This way, you can also stargaze from your bed at night!”

[FOR A TIMBER FRAME]

Nadia Lüdi of Swissline Design says a timber frame built like this one can last for three generations or more.

“There are houses in Europe built with these materials that have lasted more than 200 years,” she says. “The Siberian larch façade is UV-oiled: UV oil penetrates the wood, keeping it flexible; the surface is rendered water- and dirt-repellent. Thereafter, no sanding is required and it rarely needs to be touched up with an oil or sealant, if at all. The timber is kiln-dried, so it’s of a good quality and can contend with various climates.”