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PEAK DRIVE
Project category: Private residence
Furniture: CH24 Wishbone Chair in white pigmented oak, black paper cord. CH445 Wing Chair. CH56 White pigmented oak, leather. All by Hans J. Wegner
Location: Capetown, South Africa
Architect: Architect, building: Renato Graca, GSquare. Interior designer: Ramón Casadó
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PROJECT
In his search for a home, Bulthaup’s South Africa director Ramón Casadó fell head over heels for a cottage from 1929 in a beautiful, old garden. It was crucial for him to retain the original character and intimate scale of the place when converting and extending the property, and he has been highly successful in this endeavor. In order to avoid a hulking appearance, the 250 m2 residence has been transformed into a number of smaller, coherent units with individual thatched roofs. To protect the garden as much as possible, the complex has been executed in a horseshoe formation around the boundaries of the land. A separate guest house (formerly a garage) makes up one half of the horseshoe. All of the façades are finished in white plaster with dark gray window frames and bars. The lush garden is home to a large variety of flora, including Ficus, Syringa, Strelizia, Stinkwood, Australian Paper Tree and Cabbage Tree.
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LAYOUT & FURNISHING
The elements which make the biggest impression when you step inside are the sumptuous rays of daylight, the delicate balance between white, black and gray, and the high-quality furniture. The original and the new parts of the building blend seamlessly and naturally into one another. The overall design is stringent, but the atmosphere is relaxed and bears witness to a modern lifestyle free from superfluous elements. The center of the home – the kitchen – is partially located in a new link building made entirely from glass, which allows natural light to flood in. The Bulthaup kitchen is finished in white laminate and features a high counter, where you can sit on one of Wegner’s high bar stools in oak with a leather seat. The glass building is directly connected to the living room, and both have silvery gray granite floors. The furniture is gathered on a large, patterned, black and white rug: Wegner's CH445 Wing Chair upholstered in light gray wool, a glimmering black coffee table, and another armchair by Wegner. The dining room contains a C3 table in dark stained oak from Bulthaup. The accompanying oak Wishbone Chairs interact beautifully with the materials in the open ceiling: Timber rafters and battens and the thatching above, which make up both the ceiling and the roof.
RAMÓN CASADÓ, OWNER AND INTERIOR DESIGNER OF THE VILLA ABOUT HIS CHOICE OF CHS FURNITURE:
’’I was introduced to Carl Hansen & Søn around 2001 when I was working for Bulthaup in Barcelona. I fell in love with the Wishbone chair, and since then I became a fan of Carl Hansen & Søn. I always wanted those pieces for my house. They are classic pieces that never date and in my mind they originate from the same philosophy that we have at Bulthaup, timeless design. On top of that the craftsmanship and the ergonomic design of the furniture is incredible.’’
Photographer: Elsa Young
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