Issue 54 - National Geographic

Neil Stemmet of Koncept Design and Architecture has built himself an extraordinary beachside home at De Kelders on the Cape south coast. Mark Williams' pics on pages 94 -103 are already quite dizzying, but if you're ready for more, dive right in...

The interior is filled with a lifetime of collections, and also amazing textured surfaces, like the feature wall made of sections of branches.

Striking blocks of colour are a feature of the house. Just look at those amazing kitchen blue tiles and the deep red curtain and sofa in the living room.

My favourite colour statement is those blocks of well-thumbed National Geographic magazines on Neil's curiosity-filled shelves.

Outside, the house has been carefully designed to work with the natural environment, with a low-maintenance indigenous garden, and smart use of recycled and re-used materials wherever possible.

Along the sea-facing side of the house, a canal runs the length, cooling the house and bouncing reflections onto the interior walls.

The good news is theres still more to come from the marvellously Issue 54 before the week is up, so check in again soon.

PS: Neil also has a beautiful apartment right in the centre of Cape Town. Check it out here.