second NATURE

A neglected Franschhoek valley farmhouse is reimagined with gracious spaces that capitalise on the breathtaking mountain views

- EDWAIN STEENKAMP

When Marc-Ludolf von Schmarsow and James Jayasundera first saw the house, known today as 7 Koppies, for sale in the Franschhoek valley while they were visiting South Africa on holiday, ownership seemed like a wild dream. In fact, neither of them spoke of it for a long while after returning home – that is, until a chance conversation sparked the decision of a lifetime. ‘Neither of us realised just how much the other was thinking about this property and its potential,’ says Marc. ‘Then one day it came up, and we knew it was something we both really wanted to invest in.’

But for all its manifold charms, the property also had a few challenges. The main house was dated and in need of attention, and the land was neglected. The vision was clear from the start: to create a small sanctuary they could call home one day.

Now, several years (and countless hours of construction and landscaping) later, the property is almost unrecognisable, having been transformed under the careful eye of Marc and the team at his Munich-based design practice, Lumisol.