Seaside Sanctuary

With Its Spectacular Ocean Outlook, This Clifftop Holiday Home Provides the Ultimate ‘away From It All’ Escape for Its Owner

- Kerryn Fischer & Amy Richardson

REST & RELAXATION

To unwind from his busy job, investor Kearnon has no need to check into a resort or health retreat – his holiday home is custom made for slowing down and recharging the batteries. Courtesy of a recent redesign indoors and out, it is also now a magnet for guests (opposite). The chic dining room (below) stars two dramatic ‘Nama’ rattan pendant lights in Black by Ay Illuminate, available from Spence & Lyda, an antique yellowwood table and a collection of mid-century chairs by South African designer EE Meyer. To get the look, try Weylandts ‘Copine’ chairs in Black. At the ends of the table are original Philippe Starck chairs, with legs powder-coated black (for similar, try Philippe Starck ‘Costes’ or ‘Pratfall’ chairs).

Every time Kearnon arrives at his holiday home, he jumps into the pool and, within moments, feels a million miles away from his busy life. It could be the salty ocean air, the cool stone floors under bare feet – or the fact that he is literally 12,000km away from New York, a city he has called home for the last 20 years. For South African-born Kearnon, this gorgeous abode overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Cape Town is both a vacation retreat and a physical anchor to the country of his birth. “I split my time between New York and Cape Town,” he says.

Set on a 1500 square metre plot amidst huge granite boulders, the home hugs the contour of a cliff with a 45-degree gradient, 35 metres up from street level. “When I first saw this property I was drawn to the natural landscape and topography of the site,” says Kearnon. “It reminded me of a residential suburb a little further along this stretch of coastline, where I grew up.”