Emerging from an enormous granite boulder, and positioned resolutely north, Huis Rots makes a series of statements that aren’t typical to the narrative of the Atlantic Seaboard.
This Brutalist face-brick house belongs to the long, riveting conversation between land and building. It looks out across Llandudno’s beach with the assurance of something that knows it will outlast any architectural trend, influence on taste, or the ever-changing tide.
Originally conceived in the 1970s and sensitively stewarded by the original owner, a ceramic artist, a lineage that remains legible throughout the home. Quarry tile floors underfoot, timber ceilings overhead. Iroko joinery shapes the kitchen, the writing desks and the shelving.
Original ceramic tiles that were designed by the neighbouring ceramist remain intact. Carrying with them a sense of authorship that’s been ardently preserved in the home.
The house was originally one large family home that has recently been subdivided into two completely independent homes. One accessed from the road above, the other (huis rots) accessed from the road below via steps meandering up across the bolder.
Huis Rots is the reconfigured 2 storey wing of the original house which has been refurbished internally retaining many of its original finishes and features, with the addition of a new pool and terrace area solely for the use of Huis Rots.
In keeping with the times, modern interventions are present but measured. Double-glazed, multi-point locking systems, an induction hob with a multifunction oven, and a drinks fridge. A study area on the ground floor is lined with architecture, art and furniture books, and enough weekend novels. Mid-century furnishings and period-appropriate artworks ensure the home’s attire is in line with its character.
The entry level unfolds as a single, composed sequence. The kitchen, living and dining spaces merge with one another. There is a large balcony overlooking the beach, sea, and mountain. The interior areas dart off in one direction to a scullery, and then a shower room and bedroom.
Opening directly onto a sheltered terrace and magnificent swimming pool. Its base formed from the very granite boulder that anchors the house to the earth. A full-height pocket slider in the bedroom creates a Juliet balcony that escorts your gaze over the beach below. In the living room, a lovely bay window beckons you over to lie back or sit, framing the sea. A sublime place to rest, suspended between the pool and the shoreline, with a juicy novel in hand, of course.
Upstairs, two further bedrooms and bathrooms continue the theme. The main bedroom opens through an enormous pocket slider to a Juliet balcony with a view of the beach. Delivering more views of the waves, that are relentlessly audible around the home. A third bedroom mirrors these views, with a separate shower room. The original tiles recur, adding their signature stamp on nostalgia, and the conversation with continuity.
Early beach walks, late fireside talks
As you venture outside, the home’s location feels delightfully private and secluded. A shaded terrace wraps around the pool where mature trees screen the garden from view.
A sheltered braai area rests below with a long outdoor table, generously seating ten comfortably. The external spaces offer respite from the South African summer elements. Plenty of places for long afternoons, out of the sun and the boisterous south-easterly winds.
Spending time in this lovely seaside hamlet will bring about a welcomed state of calm to the whole clan. You’ll succumb to the seclusion and suburban silence. Llandudno itself remains an anomaly along the revered coastal roads of the Cape. No streetlights, no shops, no traffic, and a sky dense with stars at night.
A family beach watched over by the lifesaving club, a small primary school, a squash and tennis court. It never grows old or gathers too many crowds – there is nowhere for excess to land. You can easily explore the peninsula, the Constantia winelands and Hout Bay’s harbour. But you’ll have all that you’ve come for, down the little lanes of Llandudno.
Written by Colleen Ogilvie