PHI | Arambrook brochure

Gracious grandeur!

Bishopscourt is the Beverly Hills of Cape Town; Arambrook, a large, comfortable, well-upholstered mansion in one of its leafier streets, epitomises its style of luxury. The interiors are stylishly decorated, there’s a collection of contemporary South African art and furniture, bathrooms, sitting areas and private terraces are well appointed. Bishopscourt is in the city’s southern suburbs, the well-heeled alternative to the gritty urban lifestyle of Cape Town’s centre. So why would you expect anything less?

ARAMBROOK

Bishopscourt, Cape Town

Eight suites look out over well-manicured gardens punctuated by crisp lawns, rose arbours and formal parterres of mixed planting. An orchard and the kitchen garden, part ornamental, part pragmatic provide seasonal vegetables, herbs and fruit for the dining room, paying more than just lip service to that concept ‘farm to fork’. The styling is up-to-the-minute in that Christian Liaigre way, the smoky colours of the décor offset with a highlight palette of dusky crayfish orange and murky deep-sea navy, sultry tobacco and baby blue. Light fittings, fabrics, furniture and upholstery are clean and contemporary. Heaps of books, sculpture and bowls of fresh flowers complete the look.

A large sitting room dominated at one end by a grand piano and at the other by a fireplace, opens to a dining terrace, which, doing extra duty as a conservatory, opens onto the garden. In the background, formidable Castle Rock looms over the setting, almost daring you to ditch relaxing by the swimming pool in favour of heading out for a hike up what is thought to be one the world’s oldest mountains. Or you could simply sit there and gaze up at it, while sipping orange juice made from freshly squeezed fruit from the garden. The views are incomparable.

Named after the Archbishop of Cape Town’s historic residence nearby, Bishopscourt is the leafiest of districts, an arboreal suburb very close to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Devoted to South Africa’s indigenous flora, it sprawls across the eastern flank of Table Mountain and its array of plants, the restaurant and café, and its walks, some of them up into the mountain itself, are easily accessible from the Arambrook. And not far away, the Constantia wine district offers some of the Cape’s most revered wines. The False Bay coast isn’t far away either. Between them, Muizenberg, St James and Kalk Bay offer surfing, safe swimming, fish restaurants and a whole host of bric-a-brac shops and Saturday morning markets.

Or just stay at home and park off by the pool under a striped umbrella, or go for a jog along the banks of the nearby Liesbeek River, which flows down to the sea from the mountain peaks of the Cape Peninsula. If it’s peace and calm you’re looking for, well, this is it.

Specs

• Erf size: 12 270 m²

• Dwelling size: 1 265 m²

• 8 bedrooms en-suite

• 8 bathrooms

• Four reception rooms

• Library

• 3 garages

• Saltwater pool

• Poolhouse and bar

• Fruit orchard, greenhouse, herb garden and floral walkway

• Guest cottage / staff accommodation – 1 bedrooom en-suite

• Laundry and scullery

• Airconditioned

• Direct access to the Liesbeek River

• Comprehensive security including guard house

• Business rights – Hotel trading license / Liquor trading license

• Vat registered

• All furnishings are included, sculptures etc.

• Items not included are the Grand Piano and personal artwork

www.perfecthideawaysforsale.co.za helena@perfecthideaways.co.za Helena Smith +27 72 190 9112