Some homes have a way of communicating with you, in their own language. With their own tangible words that land in front of you, like a piece of music. Arriving at Villa Santiago is like sitting front-row at a concert hall, witnessing your favourite composer release their sounds into the auditorium.
The slopes of St James can be the audience. The ocean that wraps its blue body around the Southern Peninsula coastline shall be the orchestra. A lyrical sweep of arches and curves escort you on an evocative journey of escapism. Perfectly in tune with the sea below. The harbour clattering with activity from the fishermen and their boats. Securing the daily catch from the greedy gulls that are sweeping down for the steal. The mountains are holding their counsel in the distance, as you settle down for the show.
Villa Santiago unfolds across several levels of living, dining, entertaining and reclining areas that are full of character and complexity. Each storey devoted to the narrative that the owners have ardently instilled into this 1970’s build. The architecture retains its original rhythm that’s soulful, unfussy, and modestly self-assured.
An endless stream of natural light drifts through the curvaceous openings of the villa. Dancing across the textured walls and secret nooks that invite hours of reading and good conversation. There’s a lovely cosiness to the lounge and dining spaces; gathering around the fireplace on deep, comfy sofas. The terraces and courtyards cocoon themselves from the ocean’s gallant winds, shaded by the venerable pepper trees. Beautifully vibrant camellias, bougainvillea, artichokes and fig trees scatter their scents along the pathways in fragrant anarchy. The salty sea air claiming her rightful territory throughout the villa.
Between the sea and the sky
To sit in your chosen spaces, with your chosen travelling companions, and drift out with those views will be moments worth writing about. A glass of something cold beside you, the sound of the train curling around the bay, and the slow rhythm of the surf incites all those lovely holiday feels. Curtains are completely redundant at the villa, as the 270-degree views provide enough privacy. The sunrises are extraordinary! Staining the horizon in juicy apricot tones. The sunsets blush over the harbour, dipping behind the mountains.
There’s a touch of Tangier in the soul of Villa Santiago. A whisper of distant lands, of poets, and painters. Of explorers and artisans who might once have spent time here. It’s the sort of place that teases out the artist in you, at the same time as tickling the muse. A place where we are the composer and conductor of the music we carry within us. In stillness and in motion. Especially when on holiday beside the sea. Inspired by the interiors, the textures, the tones, the art, and the little bits and pieces that the owners have layered together. It’s all delightfully laidback, showcasing a very special part of Cape Town, in harmony with your own internal orchestra.
Written by Colleen Ogilvie