32 Mitchel St, Hermanus
32 Mitchel St, Hermanus
Nestled in a serene forest setting along the Constantia wine route, Val and Fred Kuys’ new home offers a harmonious blend of nature and modern living.
Overlooking an old farm dam surrounded by tall pine trees and vineyards, the estate is alive with abundant wildlife, including guinea fowl, peacocks, owls, hadedas and herons. At night, lucky visitors might spot porcupines or lynxes.
The exclusive estate features only 14 houses, each separated by substantial communal green areas.
Architectural designer Nicolette Lloyd, who had previously designed two holiday homes for the couple, was tasked with creating a mountain sanctuary among the trees with uninterrupted views of the dam.
Nicolette embraced the opportunity, saying, “I`ve always had an ambition to design a house in the forest.”
When well-known architectural designer Nicolette Lloyd and her late husband came to Hermanus 37 years ago from London for what would initially have been a period of three years, she had no idea that this coastal town would become her “forever” home.
“Hermanus gets much of its character from the amalgam of buildings in the town`s business centre, and the urban flow through town. That is the most obvious way in which a town expresses itself; it determines how a town ‘feels’ and give it a sense place. That`s why new buildings must be in sympathy with their surroundings and remain sensitive to the essence of Hermanus”
Nicolette Lloyd with her Jack Russel, Mungo in front of her studio on Station Square. It forms part of the heritage property at 32 Mitchell Street, which she owns and has remodelled to include several offices and shops.
