Scrapbook > South African House Tour (34)
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Small Fry
We got in trouble shooting a photo of this small two-story charmer, a bit worse for the wear, in the Seapoint neighborhood of Cape Town. We don't blame homeowners who are suspicious of shutterbugs. Because the crime rate is so high in South Africa, we could have easily been working with crooks and our pictures would help analyze the best way in. But we did some fast talking and invited the irate owner to visit the Design2Share website.
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Lacy Balcony
We took several shots of this house. Its Victorian flourishes were lovely, and we liked the covered second-floor balcony and the way the nearby sea breezes can blow through the house.
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Gingerbread
We admired the delicate gingerbread work and details of this house, as well as the subtle tonal changes in the exterior paint job. Well done and very fresh.
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Two Tone
The white paint really helps the architectural details of this charming home pop, from the gingerbread to the coins and roof details.
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Little Guy
We took a snap of this cute smallish home. Note the cobblestone street. Most of the houses we saw in Cape Town had walls and electrified wire, but some of these older homes are pretty vulnerable to robberies. We wish these folks a safe and happy year.
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Compact Yard
We thought this house did a good job of showing how many homeowners need to cram their front yards and gardens tightly between their porch and front privacy/security wall. The vegetation is always lovely, tropical, and exotic and South African gardens are stunningly beautiful and a great source of pride (just as in the States).
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Shutters
Many homes have shuttered windows, both for privacy and to keep out the hot sun while allowing ventilation to flow through the house. We admired the angular lines of this home very much and the beautiful curb appeal of the front wall and gate.
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On the Level
There are great contemporary homes in South Africa, which has a climate and beachside location similar to Sydney or the California coast. This home exudes California cool, but it has its own African vibe, making great use of decks placed at different levels in the home. We're sure this is a fabulous home for entertaining and parties.
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Cape Dutch
Walking along the Atlantic, we took a snap of one of the majestic mountaintops within the Cape Town city limits. The city is probably one of the most dramatic in terms of its setting and natural beauty. We loved the way this Cape Dutch architecture mirrored the shape of the mountain behind it.
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Hugging the Mountainside
Cape Town's many neighborhoods often straddle flat, low stretches of land along the ocean as well as steep mountainsides. This view shows a playground and the colorful strands of lights that brighten up the seafront at night. The palm trees, condos, apartment houses, tourist hotels, and private homes give this neighborhood in the city almost a Miami Beach feel.
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Beachside Condos
See what we mean about this part of Cape Town reminding us of Miami Beach? Only with mountains . . . .
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Deco Swim Center
One of our favorite buildings on our walk, we had to take a few snaps of this Art Deco swimming pool complex. The moderne, streamlined styling goes perfectly with its by-the-ocean location.
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Horsing Around
A detail of Seapoint's swim center building showing seahorses.
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Deco Marine
A final detail shot of the Seapoint swim center building, showing off the round porthole window and "ocean liner" details of the balcony. Delightful.
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By the Sea
There was and still is a building and housing boom going on in bustling Cape Town. Oceanfront properties like these are in big demand, and the views are stunning.
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Old Favorites
Despite the sleek and often white luxury condos and blocks of flats we saw along our walk, we preferred the older and more colorful buildings. We admired the architecture of the building on the right, with generous balconies and stepped design.
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Living High
These luxury condominiums are certainly posh. The sleek balconies and elegant architecture put these near the top of Cape Town residences.
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Duplex
This duplex won't win any architecture awards, but we thought it a typical example of some of the new home construction we encountered in South Africa. We admired the plantings around the home much more than we did the actual design of the residence.
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Elevation
We thought this was a good shot to show you how the Cape Town terrain shifts from flat along the ocean to steeper as the streets begin to climb the sides of mountains. There is probably zoning restrictions as to how far up a mountainside one can build, preserving the natural beauty.
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Garden Spot
We shot this summer perennial garden, planted around the base of a huge palm tree. There are also an abundance of flowering vines, shrubs, and trees in everyone's yard; sometimes we smelled such heady fragrance, we wanted to smuggle plants out of the country to bring back home -- ut we thought the better of it!
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Guests Welcome
This sunny yellow guest house was once a large single-family home.
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Relaxation & Recreation
We liked this shot for many reasons. First, the Romney (on the left) is one of our favorite Cape Town hotels; it has a killer spa that will really spoil you. Second, we liked how this view showed off the mountainside. Finally, can you spot the parasail? There were many parasailers jumping off the top of the mountain and floating down to a grassy spot near the ocean and the construction site for a new soccer stadium which will be home to one of the World Cup games in 2010.
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Glide Path
Here's another shot of a parasailer, riding the strong wind currents that blow over the mountain and towards the ocean.
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Bold
We liked the bold colors painted on the exterior walls and garage door of this small Victorian bungalow. This also illustrates how many homes built right on the mountainside often have a low-level entry and parking level, stepping up to the main living levels of the home.
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Up the Hill
Our walk took us to the Greenpoint neighborhood of Cape Town, known for its many old Victorian homes and its narrow streets running up and down a mountainside. You can clearly see the higher elevation where we took this picture, looking down to the ocean.
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Old & New
We liked the contrast here between some of the older homes in the foreground and the newer construction of multi-level homes and small boutique condos in the background. Again note the California style of some of the newer construction, borrowing on the beachy vernacular of decks, wide expanses of glass, on-deck pools, and tropical landscaping.
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Cottage Garden
This charming front wall and gate, overhung with flowering bushes and trees, was an irresistible spot for us to stop and admire.
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Steep
Many of these Greenpoint neighborhood streets reminded us of some of the steep, hilly neighborhoods of San Francisco. We really got our exercise walking up and down these bad boys.
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Pointer
This lovely roof detail caught our eye, and it was in a bit of a sorry state of repair, along with the tile roof visible in the background of the shot. But that added to the charm of this and many other homes. We admire homes when they're not "so perfect," and there is something genteel and refined about beautiful architecture that is a bit on the seedy and comfortable side of general repair.
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Beyond the Violet Gate
We all wondered what enchanting interiors await visitors once they pass through the violet entryway of Arum's Cottage?
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Hacienda
We admired this hacienda style architecture and the beautiful tiled roofs of this home in the Greenpoint neighborhood. The architectural style, traditionally designed to have walls and courtyards, is very fitting for the security needs of the city; we thought it looked more natural than some of the high, new walls built around older Victorian buildings.
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Party Pad
We wanted to knock on the door of this new construction home and invite ourselves over for a swim. This inviting home features well-designed living levels and a beautiful garden surrounding a courtyard pool. The corrugated metal roof is a stunning feature.
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Feline Notice
This whimsical street sign was located across a secluded street from a cathedral and abbey. We imagined that the abbey residents might be feeding the neighborhood cats, creating a well-worn path across this street that merited a special sign.
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Suburban Gem
We left the city of Cape Town proper and headed to meet friends and family members in the suburb of Constancia, known for its wine farms and sprawling homes. We took a shot of the large side yard and pool area of this hacienda-style home, and admired the deck -- complete with bubble skylight -- that connected the dining room and yard.
