There are those abodes that speak volumes about the way in which we ought to live. Irrespective of its material substance, its statements on style and signature artworks that evoke profound, poetic sentiments.
It’s the way in which the home furnishes your mind with inspiration, as a conduit to your best self. When the spaces represent you as your own muse, as you navigate the essence of ambition. Walking through the art deco hallways of the iconic Mutual Heights building and opening the front doors that lead into The Assembly Room does just that. Escorting you along a pathway to a world that you’ve always yearned to discover. Exhibiting every vessel of incentive.
Three ensuite bedrooms, a study and an entrance hall. A family room, a lounge, kitchen and dining room. The high volume open-plan areas faintly separated by the unique furnishings and avant-garde ornamental pieces placed with a curator’s narrative. Le Roux Smith Le Roux frescoes on the walls, foliage in just the right spots. Timber, marble, hand-carved granite, onyx crystal, brushed stainless steel, glass frames and the moodiest colour palette bind every room, and partition of every room, together.
In perfect harmony with one another, ensuring the architectural attributes of this hideaway sit centre stage. And then there are the balconies, overlooking the city and her rambling urban landscape. You could be anywhere, all at once. Istanbul to Bordeaux, Lisbon to New York. The views of the mountain and Lion’s Head affirm your footing on Africa’s rich soil. Inciting the wonderful, wild adventure that awaits.
Travelling to the Mother City on your cosmopolis escapade with the clan, you’ll likely have your itineraries chock-a-block. Accommodating as many as six of you, The Assembly Room will be the perfect place to pivot from as you venture out into the cultural capital of the south. Being located in the heart of the historical district of Cape Town, there are a plethora of award-winning eateries to choose from. Music halls, theatres, cocktail bars and the odd disco, should the feet be calling. Gallery spaces, museums, cathedrals and some curious, cultural market stalls, all within walking distance.
A designer’s manifesto
Whatever your reason for visiting Cape Town, or deciding on a little city escape for a change in scenery, this state-of-the-art hideaway will satiate your wish list with elegance and intrigue. The Audrey Hepburn of homes, The Assembly Room suggests a slow unpacking of the holiday and a graceful gallivanting of the town.
You’ll likely cook and gather around the tables, out on the balconies, lingering on the sofas, reading in the sunny corners, reclining on the heavenly beds, absorbing the ambience of the art deco aesthetics around the clock. The contemporary elements complimenting the age-old ones that have been ardently restored and compassionately modified. Yes, you’ll cherish those Cape Town moments outside of your own pied-à-terre. But you’ll cherish every single moment inside it, with its boundless beauty, mirroring that muse. The making of your Mother City memories.
Reviewed by Colleen Ogilvie