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Property of the Month

 One of a kind

I’m on top of the world. Well, on top of One&Only Cape Town, to be exact. On my right is the magnificence of Table Mountain, a breathtaking backdrop made more beautiful by the blue of the cloudless sky. In front, the harbour is picture perfect, a hustle and bustle of ships and sea. On my left the rolling ocean stretches all the way to Robben Island, and behind is the World Cup stadium; it looks close enough to reach out and touch. I’m standing on a deck the size of an average house and garden, offering a bright blue expanse of swimming pool, magnificent deck area to laze upon, two different table settings, a full-on outdoor kitchen area…

This is the R110-million, two-storey penthouse at One&Only Cape Town. The anonymous owner has just opened the penthouse doors to the public. From November, visiting celebrities and royalty, and anyone else who can afford spending upwards of R75 000 per night, can call this palace their home. (It’s R75 000 for four people staying there, and R95 000 per night if there’s five or more.)

I’ve stepped outside for a breather, because the interior is too much to take in all at once. To call it spectacular is not giving it sufficient credit. To call it amazing is also not enough. The moment I walked into the entrance hall, with its high ceiling and vast expanse of light, it took my breath away. Wherever I look, there are floor-to-ceiling windows offering 360º views of the magic of Cape Town. Right here in the entrance, shades of white and grey stretch out before me, tone on tone creating a sense of space. These shadow shades give way to an opulent corner reminiscent of Coco Chanel… Gold and mustard and every shade in between are reflected in the lush curtains and mirrored on an opulent couch. This is the library, a place to browse through a collection of books on a row of shelves. Or to wonder at the beauty through the window.

Throughout the apartment, seating invites one to stop and stare at a choice of spectacular views. In fact, the view is paramount in every single space in this palatial setting – even the bathrooms. Choose from any of the fouren-suite bathrooms (it’s actually five, as there are his and hers bathrooms in the main bedroom) and you can bathe with a magical view.

Most of the vast, en-suite bedrooms have their own verandahs, as well as floor-to-ceiling stretches of light and beauty, all hidden behind plush skirts-full of curtains. And each is completely unique. The first is snow white; the second one’s done in shades of grey; the third offers darkness and light with a Chinese-style  trompe l’oeil and deep-brown bedcovers. The pièce de résistance is the main bedroom, which is dark grey and black, with blue-black feathers intertwined to form unique bedside lampshades. Panoramic views are offered on three sides of the vast space. Here too is a lacquered Chinese cupboard, though what one would put in it is beyond me, as there’s also a vast walk-in closet.

Did I mention that the carpets are so plush your feet sink into them? That there’s also a study and a gym with its own sauna? Oh… Let me not forget the flat-screen TVs everywhere, including in the kitchen (but I’ll talk about the kitchen later). Walking up the stairs to the living area (ultramodern, airy, no banister in sight), it finally sinks in. This is what R110-million looks like. Mind-blowingly beautiful.
Behind me as I ascend the stairs is the private elevator, which comes up all the way to the seventh floor. As it opens, visitors walk past a welcoming committee, a trio of portraits. This whimsical touch is given a dramatic effect by the spotlights that showcase each picture’s expressions.

I can see Madonna in my mind’s eye as I reach the second floor. She’s settled at the Baby Grand, with light behind her and in front, entertaining her consorts, who sit perched on chairs in the circular living area. I can see servants silently entering from the kitchen area beyond, bringing refreshments and titbits. My eyes stop at the breakfast nook on the other side of the open-plan dining area, which is simple and modern, complete with industrial-size cappuccino maker. Beyond is a 280-bottle winery – you could call it the biggest minibar in the city, I guess – and then there’s the vast kitchen space.

I can visualise people lolling on the couch next to the kitchen window, watching TV with one eye and the chefs with the other, as they cook cordon bleu on an exquisite modern gas hub. Beyond is a scullery and pantry big enough to accommodate all the chefs it would take to prepare a royal feast.

Here, upstairs, the colour scheme has been reversed, starting with a startling white Ralph Lauren-style relaxation area complete with vast white couches that lead to an outside deck and pool. Coming inside, one descends to a light-grey area around the piano, going darker grey as it passes over the lounge and dining areas to the black of the coffee nook and the silver-and-black modern kitchen beyond.

The apartment’s interior was lovingly put together by its anonymous owner, who called upon the expertise of Garland Interiors and Margaret de Villiers Art & Interiors. It took her 18 months to create a tantalising travelogue, a memoir of her world travels. The pieces she has collected on her adventures are lovingly placed throughout the apartment, reminders of time spent in the East, in Europe, America and beyond.

Despite a mix-and-match of cultures, dates and places, the interior melds into a coherent kaleidoscope of shades and places. What holds everything together is the woman who chose it all, her intrinsic style evident in the placement of a sculpture by a window, a beautiful object on show in an armoire. Few paintings are evident, but those that surprise around a corner, or welcome as you enter a room, are all dramatic and beautiful – and all locally produced.

Ah, you don’t pay all that money not to have your luxe at the touch of a button. Curtains open and close, panels glide open to reveal a hidden TV, music plays softer or louder, the air is regulated… all through the sense of touch. As silent and hidden as the servants, your every wish is granted by modern technology.

Orchids abound, fresh fruit is offered in a silver bowl in the kitchen. This is a help-yourself kind of place; the grandeur doesn’t detract from the homely feel. Here the couches may be exquisite, but they’re also plush and inviting. The beds may be huge, but they beg to be lain upon. The pool is exquisite, but it’s waiting to be used. Given the opportunity, I’d tell heaven to wait.    One&Only Cape Town.