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Heaven above earth
 Welcome to the most expensive apartment on the African continent – and one of the most original. This is the breathtaking 1 358m2 property that its owner paid R110-million for – and then singlehandedly transformed into an homage to globetrotting glamour. For, besides the sheer sumptuousness emanating from every corner, there are also a few of her favourite pieces that she’s collected on her travels around the world, special items that remind her of adventures in the Far East, Europe, the Americas and beyond. The owner has taken a curatorial approach to design by grouping, having themed and packaged her globe-trotting collections – with the home’s success driven by a clever duality that appeals to the eye as much as the heart.
For guests, the sensory treat is purely visual and tactile; for the owner – who appointed Garland Interiors and Margaret De Villiers Interiors as part of her design team – the space combines both memory and design, a winning combination that simultaneously soothes mind and soul. Quite simply, the interior of the doublestorey penthouse apartment, located at Sol Kerzner’s One&Only Cape Town, is another world. It’s a world where 360-degree views of the magnificent Mother City – including views of two World Heritage Sites, Table Mountain and Robben Island – vie with the larger-than-life beauty and glamour that’s built in to the DNA of its interiors.
From the double-volume entrance hall, shadow shades beckon. All four of the en-suite bedrooms are plush and spacious, each individually decorated in colours that masterfully move through a graded spectrum, starting with bright white in the first bedroom before moving to light grey and then darker in the second and third bedrooms, ending in voluptuous darkness in the main bedroom at the end of the corridor. Throughout the home, little touches of magic provide each room its own signature.
There’s silver and grey in one room, Indo-Chinese masculinity in another, virginal white with jewel-encrusted drapes fit for a princess in a third and the pièce de rèsistance, the main suite… Tread softly here, and your feet will still leave imprints on the lavish carpets. Bedrooms are situated on the right-hand side of the hallway. On the left is a study; next door to a fully-equipped gym, complete with sauna. A door leads outside to another surprise.
 The outdoor entertainment area on the lower level sprawls before you – 282m2 of everything one might need to wind down, or party up a storm. Completely private, the entertainer’s paradise offers one of the world’s most breathtaking views as a backdrop for the vast heated swimming pool, outdoor shower, sunbathing deck, relaxation area, fully equipped kitchen area and two separate dining areas. Back inside, the thick carpets muffle your footsteps as you head back to the entrance hall. A black marble staircase leads upwards to the living area – and, if you’re lazy, you can always take the private lift. On the upper floor of the home, the colour-flows of the interior have been reversed – graded from dark to light as you move through the level. There’s a cavernous kitchen, which offers everything from a sitting room with huge flat screen TV, to ultra-sleek cooking facilities and an enormous scullery.
Clever furniture placement in the home’s open plan living space creates a number of different seating areas, each defined by its own style in a shade of light or dark. There’s the Vegas-style of the formal circular lounge; Ralph Lauren inspiration in a relaxation area; a variety of grey shades surrounding the grand piano centerpiece; and the use of stark black and white in a modern breakfast nook complete with an industrial coffee machine. Outside is the upper deck – offering another entertainment area with go-forever views, where guests can lounge at a smaller pool, or just soak up the sun.
The key to this home’s visual success? It juxtaposes down-to-earth charm against subtly informed glamour that provides a sly wink at the high life. Balance is key. And, as with any other good time, getting high is really easy – and loads of fun too.
It’s the coming down again that presents a challenge, especially after bonding with this Penthouse.
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Sandton Editor's Letter 22/01/2010
I spoke with my mom this week, who was
gearing up for another Northern Hemisphere
holiday season. The weather was cold and
grey, her mood a bit blue.
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