A cliffhanging family cabin near Montagu in South Africa balances bold lines with eco-sensitive choices to connect deeply with the remote landscape it’s embedded in.
“We had always wanted a pool hanging off a cliff,” says William Mellor. Both he and his wife Sam are keen hikers and couldn’t resist the tug of inspiration when they spotted a small recess in a cliff while on a walk, presenting the perfect recess for the pool’s position. “It was very important for us to disturb flora and fauna as little as possible,” says William. “The brief was for a house that looks like a spaceship had landed on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere, which challenged the architects to develop a modern interpretation of a traditional timber cabin.”
The location and exposure to the cabin elements challenged the team to consider energy efficiency and temperature control. The building and orientation design allow for natural ventilation and airflow for cooling to reduce energy consumption. The use of natural materials was vital for the design team.
Cocooned by timber and glass, the lounge (above) is home to generously proportioned low-slung leather sofas. The custom drinks cabinet lends a lighthearted touch to the space.
The main suite deck opens up to the north, taking in the koppie (hill) peak, giving a sense of the landscape pouring down into the suite itself.
With walls of glass, the cabin has a warmth to it thanks to the wooden structure, sun-drenched tones, and handpicked furnishings, including a Chesterfield sofa and Scandinavian retro chairs the couple had reupholstered. A suspended fireplace is central to the living space, its flared organic shape contributing to the constantly changing interplay of light and shadows in the room throughout the day.
They wanted to seat 12 people comfortably at the dining table which gives way to a raw edge table that dominates the kitchen. The design team wanted the kitchen counters to echo the landscape’s natural stone, so they chose a Rio Blanco granite. They enhanced the visible natural grain in the stone with a leathered finish. The Plascon Dark Onyx colour was specifically chosen to contrast with the timber and is the closest shade to the aluminium door and windows’ powder coating colour.
The main bedroom features an elegant, custom four-poster bed and a black freestanding bath with a thin rim style. Set alongside the window and deck, the space can be opened up to the surrounding landscape.
“We wanted to make the most of the views which are in all directions, create outdoor living spaces from which to enjoy them, whilst maintaining privacy from each suite or living area”.
The cabin features multiple private spaces to relax and recharge, such as the outside shower.
A third bedroom (right) and bunk room are tucked into the site’s natural gradient and are clad in dry-stacked natural stone hand-collected from the site to ‘disappear’ the mass of the building. The roof has been carpeted with the indigenous renosterbos flora found naturally on the site, further ghosting the building and permitting beautiful unobstructed views from the main living area above.
“To be in such comfort, on top of a mountain with nothing but endless views all around, is truly something to behold,” says Sam.
Dining under the star-filled desert skies is a highlight of the cabin. After dinner, the family can huddle around the firepit alongside it.
On the west, the pool terrace drops away steeply from the pool’s edge to the valley below and looks out at the mountain peak rising beyond the valley. The couple has always had a passion for design, and their love of raw, natural traditional Malawi cane furniture led to them sourcing and distributing the product globally. The raffia and cane items from the collection were ideal for this project, as the tones and textures are rooted in the landscape outside.
Words — Lori Cohen
Photographs — Warren Heath
