BEACH BEAUTY

Ronelle and Möller Bester drew on the rugged good looks of their surroundings to create a home that exudes natural charm

- RACHEL LEEDHAM

HOME TRUTHS

THE PROPERTY Detached new build

LOCATION in South Africa’s Western Cape

ROOMS Sitting room, kitchen-diner, snug, utility room, cloakroom, five bedrooms (all en suite), terrace

BUILT 2017

PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We live on a farm north of Cape Town,’ says Ronelle.

Soon after they got engaged to be married, Ronelle and Möller Bester took a trip to the West Coast of South Africa’s Western Cape and while they were there, they found a plot of land for sale on the untouched stretch of shoreline known as Dwarskersbos. ‘We loved the wild, remote feel of this part of the coast, which is only a one-hour drive from our principal home, a farm north of Cape Town,’ says Ronelle. She adds, ‘At the time, I had just sold my flat in Cape Town, so we decided to invest the money in the plot.’

It wasn’t until a decade later, by which time they had two children, Julian, now 12, and Josua, 10, that the couple finally embarked on the build. ‘During that time, I think our dreams got bigger and bigger; I had never originally anticipated building such a large house,’ says Ronelle. ‘The layout was very much devised around entertainment: we wanted a place where we could go with friends, enjoy good food and relax.’