Serene Spot
An elegant staircase in the double-volume entrance hall of a former 19th-century homestead in Constantia.
Pure and Simple
This family home in the heart of Hyde Park, Johannesburg, celebrates a mix of classic Italian craft and forward-thinking design for a luxury aesthetic that works. A dramatic spiral staircase makes a sculptural statement in the entrance hall.
Seaside Chic
The four-storey staircase in a John Jacob-designed Llandadno home. The interior was designed to be a ‘nightclub by the sea’.
French Connection
Two unique visions – one French, one African – meet in a Joburg home that pays tribute to the owner’s heritage and the house’s location. Here sits the architect Angele Whittaker-designed balustrade.
The Grand Scheme
Photograph: Elsa Young
Interior designer John Jacob uses a modern approach with classical inspiration in this Constantia villa. The staircase and door in the entrance hall were reconfigured to create a sense of unity between them.
Paradise Found
In this East-inspired Clifton villa, the dramatic scale of the spaces sets off owners Robert and Lee O’Brien’s statement pieces to perfection, while floating stairs offer a Zen feel.
A Grand Understatement
Photograph: Elsa Young
For a toned-down take on classical, Cécile & Boyd introduced unassuming neutrals to gracious architecture in this Joburg home. In the entrance hall, designer Paul van den Berg honed the marble floors to remove the shine and sanded the stairs to lighten them, after which he installed a bitter-chocolate sisal runner edged in charcoal linen. The owner’s trio of William Kentridge works adds a sense of gravitas to the space while the signature Cécile & Boyd nod to nature lightens the mood, complemented by a Philip Jeffries sand wallpaper.
Urban Legend
Photograph: Greg Cox
A high-end penthouse in the heart of Joburg’s city centre. A spiral staircase acts as a focal point in the open-plan kitchen and living area.
Elemental Exchange
Straddling Joburg’s Linksfield Ridge, this glass house demonstrates how architecture can create a showpiece of nature’s elements. The indoor staircase allows unrestricted views.
True to Form
Photograph: Elsa Young
A Joburg home that flies the flag for modern living is an exercise in three of architecture’s most supreme elements – light, proportion and balance. The smoke-oak staircase infuses the space with organic warmth and the owner’s horse-riding saddle serves as a sculpture draped over a beam.
Simple Elegance
In Bantry Bay, designer Mario Rodrigues creates an artfully composed home through timeless but eclectic pieces and precision tailoring that’s all about elegant comfort. A sense of space was achieved with the modern staircase where a Günter Herbst artwork hangs.
Modern Beach House
Beautiful views were the springboard for a beach escape that finds a blissful medium between natural beauty and bold lines. Natural light bathes the secondary family room from several directions while a sense of luminous space is amplified by the abundant use of glass, white finishes and sand-coloured upholstery.
The Next Level
Photograph: Adam Letch and SAOTA
Surprising spaces and raw textures combined with family-oriented thinking up the ante in architect Stefan Antoni’s home. The entrance on the top floor winds down to the living level and then down furhterto the bedrooms, by way of granite staircases that accentuate the long lean spaces of the L-shaped family wing.