Yes, frequenting the spaces of The Liminal still unlocks the archetypal attributes of a hedonistic holiday in Camps Bay. The views of the landscape are spectacular. With the mountain’s apostles towering behind. Lion’s Head acting as sentinel of the suburb, and that eternal glistening body of blue captivating your gaze from almost every space.
It has that renowned, laidback beach vibe of Cape Town. With the affluence of the area sharpening all of the edges. But this hideaway has politely declined the invitation to join the neighbourhood’s architectural arms race. While its monolithic neighbours muscle skyward in glass-and-steel bravado, this house remains elegantly horizontal. Spread like a well-composed sentence across its main level. Poetically dipping and curving where necessary.
The original construct has been discernibly preserved. The owner of The Liminal elected to retain the virtues of its seventies era – not out of nostalgia, but out of a quiet confidence. Curious about all of the stories the walls are willing to share. Keeping its sense of self that’s generous in light, economical in ego and familiar in its embrace. The lines are clean, but not clinical. The living, dining and reclining spaces flow with an ease that modern imitations can only emulate.
The kitchen harbours all of those conversations that come about when the cooks of the clan are working their magic. Picture windows and sliding doors frame the Atlantic, like artworks curated by nature herself. And the breeze still remembers to move through the four bedrooms, unimpeded by too much ambition. The Liminal knows the difference between presence and performance. Less blockbuster, more enduring classic.
Speaking of classics, this hideaway could easily be a West Coast cousin to the set of Mad Men. Not in its geography, but in its sensibility. Like Don Draper’s best suits, the house is sharp but understated, confident without clamour. It exudes the kind of mid-century poise that resists the passing whims of taste, favouring enduring character over flash.
You can envisage yourself in these spaces, experiencing a holiday that elicits an irreverent side. Mixing a drink in the cinema room downstairs with Roger Sterling. Swanning around the swimming pool and outdoor dining area in the perfect Betty Draper attire. Gliding through the sunlit living space like Joan Holloway, pausing by the window, framed like a portrait. The art, the literature, the furnishings and the sounds wafting from the speakers all evoke elegance. With a subtle nod to rebellion, simultaneously.
Eternal days of sunshine
Spending time at The Liminal inspires a sense of belonging on African soil. Courtesy, perhaps, of the artisanal stamp that’s lauded from everything local. Though contemporary in its appliances and high-tech essentials, the rest comes from the country it occupies.
It’s as if this Camps Bay villa understands the power of restraint, and the seduction of finesse, all layered with the essence of character. Just as the owner intended; by lauding the space between the past and what’s present.
Written by Colleen Ogilvie