Wave break
On the West Coast of South Africa, a family’s holiday home is a cosy social hub from which to dash off into the waves and enjoy a sporting lifestyle.
WORDS Tracy Chemaly PHOTOGRAPHY Warren Heath
After years spent decorating beach resorts in dreamscapes such as Seychelles, Mozambique and Tanzania with her interior design company, Carla de Fondaumiere was finally presented with the opportunity to create a very personal beach home.
The Capetonian designer found a beach property just an hour away from her hometown. “I used to holiday on the Langebaan lagoon as a child,” says Carla of South Africa’s West Coast village where her new family holiday home lies. “When I met my husband Marc, I took him to Langebaan, and he fell in love with all it had to offer, too.”
NATURAL IMPACT One wall has been left raw – its rough stone surface softened visually by the white cement of the staircase leading up to the master bedroom.
A perfect match for the family’s sport-filled lifestyle, their house allows direct access to the beach and lagoon from its backyard, allowing Carla and Marc’s children – Chloe, 15, and Alex, 10, to run out and catch a wave as soon as they see the swell appear from their rooftop terrace.
“The weather dictates our activities here,” laughs Carla. She’s an avid runner and surf-skier, while Marc enjoys cycling and kitesurfing, a sport that has put Langebaan on the international kitesurfing map. “There are no typical days in this home, which is exactly what one wants when on holiday… a break from routine.”
She admits, however, that one thing common to every day spent in their beach pad – over the summer holidays and as many weekends as possible during the year – is a daily feast. “Whether it’s lunch or dinner, there’s always one meal where the table is filled with family and friends, good wine and tasty meals,” Carla smiles.
The sturdy wooden Meyer von Wielligh dining table, surrounded by wicker bistro chairs, plays host to indoor occasions when the wind picks up, but gatherings are usually held outdoors on the patio, lounging on the oversized built-in sofa, Malawian cane armchairs or casually spread out benches around the 10-seater French oak table, all presenting views of the lagoon and peninsula hills beyond.
BEACH-CHIC AESTHETIC Natural wood and raw cane elements are complemented by textured cushion fabrics and pops of colour in the patio area.
Covered by eucalyptus latte, the natural wooden forms of the patio roof create beautiful lines of dappled sunlight passing through, adding to the home’s beach-chic aesthetic, brought to life in organic materials and pops of aquamarine colour. “It seems predictable to use blues,” says Carla of the decor’s tonality, “but it just works so well with the internal finishes and the external surroundings.”
The finishes she’s referring to include the large raw poplar timber beams on the living area’s ceiling and hardwood sliding bedroom screens, as well as the rough stone walls in the children’s bedrooms and on the staircase leading up to the master bedroom; elements that Carla feels keep the interiors grounded and suited to Langebaan’s no-frills atmosphere.
HOT THEN COOL the master bedroom leads to a bath inside and an outdoor shower, ideal for cooling off from hot West Coast days.
By including furnishings from Meyer von Wielligh, which she champions for their attention to detail, the interior of the home maintains a sense of the outdoors. “The furniture is handcrafted and inspired by nature,” Carla explains, pointing to the kitchen’s sculptural stools. “It’s a look that’s raw yet refined.”
Be it seated on these stools, sipping a breakfast smoothie, or positioned on a stand-up paddleboard or lying on a surfboard, awaiting the perfect sunset wave, this family takes full advantage of every aspect of its beach home. It’s what holidays are made of.
