In many respects, the minimalist approach that interior design studio OKHA took in this Cape Town home on the slopes of Table Mountain has to do with its views over Green Point and Sea Point.  From its elevated position, overlooking the bustle of the city, OKHA’s Adam Court discerned a duality at the heart of the home’s character. “You’re overlooking the entire city, but you’re away from it,” he says. “There’s a connectedness but disconnectedness at the same time.”

From the street, the house has a discreet, modest presence. Passers-by see little more than a slatted timber fence, which gives no indication of the panoramic vista on the other side of the front door as you enter and descend into the living spaces. Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors embrace the view over the city towards the ocean and let in abundant natural light.

OKHA decided to embrace the contrast and harness this spirit of place. They wanted to slow time down, press pause and create a sanctuary. That idea of ‘slow time’ is the golden thread that brings together every interior decision in this house. OKHA rigorously pared back the detail and dialled down the colours of the interior to create a refined minimalist setting. There is so much visual information from the setting and the view. The design studio didn’t want to compete or challenge it.

The internal finishes adhere to a restricted range and have been kept consistent throughout the house. The walls are white, and pale oak has been used throughout for the floors, cabinetry and screens. Whatever colour there is comes from the natural materials. Apart from the timber, OKHA’s choice of stone, such as the leathered Spanish Nero Marquina marble around the fireplace or the waxed steel used in some of the furnishings, retains a rawness that expresses their natural materiality.