A light house is not always a tower. Sometimes it’s an elevated and magnificent white home, bathed in light and with panoramic ocean views all the way to the horizon – like Feng Shui No 5, in Yzerfontein. 

This West Coast home is breathtaking. The ‘wow’ factor when you step inside will immediately encourage you to exhale and leave any stress behind. When a home exudes peacefulness and effortless flow, like this one, you feel it in your person too. Décor is pared down, muted and beautifully curated to encourage relaxation and appreciation of the surrounding coastal environment. It’s a study in natural harmony and grace.

Sitting on the sweeping and sheltered deck – that’s over 100m² – and gazing out over the Atlantic all the way to Dassen Island, with its red-banded lighthouse, takes some beating. Here you can see far and breathe deeply, and in every direction are swathes of fynbos or the endless ocean. Being at Feng Shui has a feeling of complete privacy and oneness with nature. It’s the ultimate place of calm, without being too far from lifestyle conveniences.

The windows open wide in the house and glass doors stack away in the open, living area, so light and views and untouched nature are everywhere. A superbly appointed kitchen flows easily onto the unfettered dining area and lounge, anchored by a magnificently sculpted tree-root coffee table. And all rooms open onto the cosy deck, where there is another inviting dining and relaxation space to enjoy.

Imagine whale watching as you laze in the daybed tucked into a vast bay window. It’s big enough for two to gaze at endless sea views – or read or nap to your heart’s content. But do be out on the deck, or in the plunge pool, to watch the sun sink into the ocean at the end of the day, preferably with a sundowner drink in hand. Then maybe light a crackling fire and grill some fresh fish on the coals for dinner. It’s the ultimate way to spend a mid-summer evening on the evocative West Coast, where the living is always easy.

Reviewed by Keri Harvey

What we love!

• The efficient, indoor Austrian-style fireplace that retains heat overnight and releases it slowly to keep the house cosy
• Organic décor in the Nguni skins and natural horns
• That there are no colours vying for attention or punctuating the calmness
• The kitchen and discreet scullery, all beautifully equipped for culinary enthusiasts
• The handmade plates and bowls created by a local potter
• Being surrounded by nature and greenbelts and the privacy this provides
• The massive, natural ‘slice of wood’ which is the beautiful dining room table
• Volumes of space inside, with the ceiling at 3m high

Need to know:

• the plunge pool does not have a cover
• there is only a neighbour at the back of the house, hence the sense of privacy and space
• you can walk to the beach, but it’s easier by car – as the walk back home is uphill