Located in the Western Cape province of South Africa, in the Swartland village of Koringberg, conservation architect Minky Lidchi’s weekend retreat is a period villa reworked for modern living. During an extensive renovation, Lidchi discovered that the villa’s walls (which appear to be brick) were in fact made of leiklip, or broken slate. Lidchi had her builders lightly plaster over the walls, highlighting the texture, and paint both interiors and exteriors white. The result is a house that stays cool in the hot months and features an open plan, indoor outdoor flow (“If you don’t give old buildings new life, nobody wants to live in them,” Lidchi says). When she’s not in residence, Lidchi rents out The White House; for rental information, contact her directly at [email protected].
Photographs by Martin Hahn via House and Leisure.
Above: The whitewashed brick exterior.
Above: The polished concrete floors are cool to the touch in the warmer months.
Above: A pair of armchairs are upholstered in tribal printed fabric.
Above: Grass rugs add an organic touch to the all-white interiors.
Above: Narrow windows protect from the beating sun.
Above: French quilts in the cave-like bedroom.
Above: A modern bathtub anchors the rustic, whitewashed brick bathroom.
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