Classic Historical Extraordinary House in Cape Dutch South Africa

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To become the owner of an old South African Cape Dutch homestead, set among its own vines, is the dream of many. This rare and extraordinary house has been in the same family for hundred of years, and its contents reflect the fact.

It would be impossible to buy, in a single lifetime, the diverse and eclectic range of objects and furniture that fills every room. It is a house that can be read like a book; page after page of the family’s history is displayed, from the earliest arrivals who brought European furniture with them, right up to today as the current owner add his own choice of pictures, lamps and objects d’art.

Those bedrooms and bathrooms that are set under the towering thatched roof are quite different from those on the floors below. Each one somehow takes on the character of its material and varying light levels. Some rooms appear to be entirely European in origin, others very African, especially where furniture has been locally made of native woods rarely seen in Europe.

Bold colour is to be seen everywhere: red leather, pink and blue velvet, yellow and lime-green stripes, and floral patterns are all juxtaposed, and yet nothing bothers the eye. This wonderful house is a compelling cabinet of curiosities.

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