The Olive Barn – Franschhoek

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I was involved in the development of The Olive Barn right from the start. From the initial planning of the complex, The Barn House Village, through to the architectural plans, building management, landscaping and finally the interior decor.

It is a project very close to my heart – something that I spared no expense on, while pouring my heart and soul into every aspect of the project. Absolutely everything was meticulously chosen.

The Olive Barn

Inspired by al fresco living, a glass of wine and beautiful mountain views.

The Olive Barn features an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, three luxury en-suite bedrooms (one being a semi-private suite), expansive patio with elevated pool deck, indigenous landscaped gardens and self-contained cottage.

A major highlight of the house is the dual living opportunities with a separate self-contained unit above the garage as well as a semi-private suite with its own entrance within the main house. These two spaces can be used for out-of-town guests or rented out – offering two additional income generating streams.

Inside, the modern and sophisticated interiors compliment the cleverly designed architecture. No expense was spared with the use of oak floors, solid marble bathrooms, seed-cloth wall coverings, and stylish cabinetry. High-end luxury brands were used throughout that are both sophisticated and functional, with proven ability to stand the test of time.

Open-plan kitchen and living area

The kitchen features natural wood and tones of muted grey. The space is cleverly designed, keeping the kitchen work triangle concept in mind, with an open plan main area, adjoining work ‘nook’ and separate scullery. Workspaces are deeper than normal and made of unpolished Rustenburg granite, set on top of sleek treasure island coloured Arlington Oak and grey duco cabinetry. Built in appliances include Smeg gas hob, Smeg electric stovetop and Smeg refrigerator along with charcoal coloured energy efficient LG air conditioner.

The kitchen leads into an open plan living room with central Morso-style fireplace, textured seed-cloth feature wall and spotlight lighting in place to highlight featured artwork.

Outdoor entertainment and al fresco lifestyle

Al fresco living will become daily life with the large covered patio featuring practical Italcotto tiles, preparation area with built-in gas braai, refrigerator and wide Rustenburg granite work tops. The inside aesthetic flows outside with a dark feature wall, spotlights and interesting recycled woven sphere-like lampshades that create a unique spider-like design on the ceiling at night. Just off the patio, the raised wooden champagne deck and pool area is the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine as the surrounding mountains turn pink at sunset.

Specific tree choices were made to create an ideal outdoor space. Silver Birch trees are planted outside each pocket of the house, to ensure that whichever room you look out from, your eye meets the familiar soft and delicate leaves that so perfectly let the light peak through. A Water Pear tree was precisely planted to help break the wind coming from the mountains, while Liquid Amber trees are the chosen feature trees by the pool. The garden features a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees, allowing a change throughout the seasons while never being completely bare.

Luxury bedrooms

Upstairs, the oversized main bedroom is all about luxury. Featuring a gas fireplace, LG energy efficient air conditioner, lush carpets, seed-cloth feature wall and private balcony overlooking the pool area and La Cotte vineyards. A cavity sliding door leads into the main bathroom with solid palomino white marble tiles, contemporary freestanding bathtub, walk-in shower and his and hers basins. There’s also a wood-slated outdoor shower, taking advantage of the breath-taking mountain views.

The second bedroom upstairs features an en-suite bathroom with spacious walk-in shower, seed-cloth feature wall and private balcony also overlooking the La Cotte vineyards and Franschhoek mountains.

Bespoke interiors and consistent design theme

A consistent design theme, inspired from nature, was used throughout the house. A colour palette of greys and oaks have been used in different proportions in each section. You will find the same cabinetry throughout – from the kitchen through to the bedrooms and bathrooms. The same goes for the handmade Crystallite® basins, black matte Hans Grohe taps, textured seed-cloth wallpaper for the feature walls and the controlled dim lighting.