SITUATED in the picturesque Banghoek Valley, ideally located between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, about an hour from Cape Town, The Homestead at Oldenburg Vineyards offers exclusive luxury villa accommodation for up to 12 guests.
Its prime location in the Cape Winelands ensures easy access to numerous internationally recognised wineries and award-winning restaurants. The historical university town of Stellenbosch with its beautifully preserved Cape Dutch architecture and oak-lined streets complements the boutique shopping and art galleries of Franschhoek.
With majestic, wrap-around mountain and vineyard views guests can relax in a private, secluded environment, conduct wine tastings at Oldenburg’s cellar door and explore the surrounding area.
Surrounded by large, established gardens, the original 200-year old homestead was the private residence of present owner Adrian Vanderspuy’s grandmother for 50 years. Now carefully restored, renovated and opened up for easy modern family living, it retains its essential historical provenance with gracious Cape Dutch and Cape Revival proportions.
The Homestead is the Vanderspuy family’s private home in South Africa, which in their absence they would like to make available to those exploring the Cape Winelands. ‘The idea of sharing our home is to create an experience that enables guests to connect with the vineyards and gain an understanding of our wines’, explains Adrian.
Oldenburg has been an integral part of Adrian’s life from early childhood and he was the driving force behind the renovation, working closely with architect Simon Beerstecher who also designed the estate’s cellar door.
One of the key features of the property is its unique position with stunning mountain or vineyard views in all directions. The most important component of the design brief was to open up the house, allowing more light to enter thereby exposing and framing the views. This was achieved by enlarging all the exterior window and door cavities, whilst remaining true to the original design and architecture.
‘The idea was to modernize the house, whilst keeping its essential character. The overall structure of the house hardly changed, except for the addition of the master suite in the attic,’ explains Adrian.
The ground floor features a reception room leading to a deep, covered verandah, extremely conducive to outdoor living, a formal dining room and a living room, all with open fireplaces. There are also four en suite bedrooms downstairs. At the heart of the 600-square metre house is a glass-walled wine cellar, housing Adrian’s personal wine collection, and a magnificent eat-in kitchen fully equipped for formal or relaxed entertaining.
‘One of my grandmother’s traditions during the winter months was to host ‘kitchen suppers’, a tradition that we intend to keep,’ says Adrian. A counter-to-ceiling window is the focal point of the double-volume kitchen with its sleek cabinets designed by Bulthaup in Geneva and installed locally by Procraft. French doors lead to an inviting outdoor entertainment area with a built-in barbecue beneath an enormous oak tree. From the swimming pool and small gym the views of vineyards, the valley and surrounding mountains provide a breathtaking backdrop.
A staircase from the double-volume entrance hall leads to the master bedroom suite and a small twin bedroom with its own bathroom, suitable as a nursery or for young children. All rooms in the house have air-conditioning, ceiling fans, wireless internet access, flat-screen satellite TV, a safe, and under-floor heating in the bathrooms.
When considering the interiors, Vanessa Vanderspuy’s inspiration came from the traditional aspects of the house – high ceilings, solid wood floors and elegantly proportioned rooms – that give it such natural grace. She collaborated with Creative Interiors from Geneva, where the family is based, and with Dewald Prinsloo and Leonard De Villiers of Ebony Design and Ingrid Fuller of Fuller Décor. The majority of the furnishings and decorative items were sourced from local South African artisans to create a contemporary yet elegant feel.
The stunning dining room features a 12-seater walnut table crowned by a series of dramatic lights, called Vonk Pendants, designed by Woltemade. A beautiful, antique French cylinder-top writing desk is an heirloom, which belonged to Adrian’s grandmother, Dorothy Vanrenen, who collected antiques. A black lacquer Chinese cabinet in the reception room comes from the family’s time living in Hong Kong.
Throughout the house, an eclectic collection of art adds individuality and life to the sophisticated contemporary interiors.
‘We have been collecting art for 20 years, representing the many countries in which we have lived during that time. Vanessa and I are particularly keen on photography, both contemporary and classical,’ explains Adrian. There are various photographs by Marc Stanes, a British artist residing in Cape Town and one of the founders of Ebony Design, who played an integral part in fashioning The Homestead’s new interiors. Cape photographer Stephen Inggs took the pair of black and white photos in the kitchen, which were acquired in London.
Paintings range from two large oil canvasses by Catelin, a French artist, which used to hang in a previous home in Provence, to a small oil painting by Olaf Bischoff, part of a growing collection of contemporary South African art. In the entrance hall is a mesmerizing metal sculpture titled ‘Eroded’ by Regardt Van Der Muelen.
Wine lovers, foodies and those with a passion for art and design will all appreciate The Homestead as a luxurious base offering all the creature comforts of a private villa, complete with two dedicated housekeepers. Rates, starting from R14 000 per night, include a Continental breakfast daily. A minimum 3 night stay is required and the services of a personal chef, butler or driver are available on request and at an additional cost.
