Originally built in the vernacular style – like many fisherman’s cottages here – long, low-slung and whitewashed with small shuttered windows to keep cool in summer, it occupies the most enviable spot on this little-known treasure lagoon.
It’s only when you stand at the water’s edge and look back at this seemingly humble ‘langhuisie’ or ‘long house’ that you realise it is anything but traditional. A corner glass window, stack-back shutters enclosing a deep outdoor stoep and fresh thatch suggest a contemporary makeover and modern-day comforts, a first clue of the transformation by none other than interior designer Clinton Savage who describes it as a ‘harmonious blend of nature and architecture while staying true to the roots of the structure’.
The inspiration? The awe-inspiring natural beauty of Schrywershoek, particularly the mesmerizing blue lagoon water and the soft, white beach sand. ‘We believe that it serves as a testament to the beauty and serenity that can be found in nature,’ says Clinton, ‘and the sense of calm in the interiors, now infused with a touch of modernity that integrated seamlessly with the existing house, allows guests to truly immerse themselves in the serenity of the environment’. Inviting bedrooms are cocooned in luxuriously soft fabrics, both layered and tactile. En-suite bathrooms are now spacious and dreamy with raw, hewn counter detailing offset by glossy artisanal tiling that literally glows in shafts of pure West Coast sunlight.
Life at Schrywershoek is simple… it’s totally off-grid, there are no cafes or restaurants, not even a shop, and the locals in this area fiercely protect their little corner of Eden on Langebaan Lagoon. The old-time lagooners are a fascinating breed. Their bloodlines are mixed with sailors and runaways, whalers and deserters. The ‘founding fathers’ include the Barsbys from Devon, Meyers from St Helena, Lloyds from America and De Montforts from France. Strange customs and traditions have been handed down through these families, such as sheepskin dances and secret herbal remedies.
Schrywershoek, a large farm that once extended across the entire peninsula from the lagoon to the Atlantic, was bought by the grandson of the current custodian in the 1960s. Three generations have renovated and extended this fabulously located hideaway, where only the front lawn separates the cottage from the lagoon, its turquoise colour a balm to the eye after the harshness of the veld in summer. And while the use of local materials and a natural colour palette may have been the order of the day over the decades, the cool, contemporary look of the latest refurb, offers a level of comfort and style never seen before in this corner of the world!
Back-to-basics barefoot lifestyle
One of the great privileges of staying at Schrywershoek Beach House is that guests have sole access to the southern end of the lagoon, which lies within the farm’s borders. You can wander for hours along these pristine shores, impossibly rich in bird life, and not see another soul. It’s now an idyllic modern-day retreat, where it’s possible to detox in sublime comfort, restore sleep patterns and to reconnect with those dearest to you.
Guests spend lazy days gazing at the parade of flamingos that stain the lagoon rosy pink or the snowstorms of terns falling from the sky to feed on pilchards. You might spot a family of ostriches ambling along the beach or eland browsing the brush. Go cycling in the national park or simply wander through the fynbos feasting your eyes on nemesias and mesembs, gousbloms and babianas.
In the evening, pour a tall iced drink and watch, mesmerised, as lagoon and sky dial through the colour spectrum. Then it’s time to light the candles, hurricane lanterns and braai fire, and settle in for a sociable gathering under a star-spangled sky utterly free of light pollution, serenaded by the faraway booming of surf on 16-Mile Beach. There’s truly no place quite like it in South Africa and this discreet yet sophisticated interior makeover serves as a testament to its spectacular location.
Reviewed by Justin Fox and Michelle Snaddon