Perfect Hideaways: Stone House Hermanus

This Hermanus Perfect Hideaway, perched atop the cliffs looking out to glorious, uninterrupted blue sea offers a curious mix – contemporary interiors meet timeless stonemasonry. It’s a bold blend of wood, concrete, glass and stone. Open fireplaces, solid pillars, lengthy verandahs, outdoor showers and courtyards, all made from stone.

Designers chose to ‘grow’ the house organically on the cliffs of Hermanus with rock in muted earth shades of pink and ochre, quarried and set painstakingly down over three years. From the ocean, it is at one with the skyline of clinging fynbos and the cliff face.

You approach the house over a low wall and enter the front courtyard that houses a boules court shaded by a giant Madagascan cedar. Over the threshold, you enter the true heart of the house, a double-volume courtyard and living area.

You may look around and upwards but you cannot escape the instant pull of a 180 degree view of the bay. Should the wind pick up, it is here, sheltered by glass and stone that you will live and entertain. The one fireplace is topped by a massive yellowwood beam salvaged from a harbour. Sea worn and battered over a century, the ‘find’ started out as the owner’s rather unconventional birthday gift to be stored until it could take centre stage in the interior architecture.

The hearth is one of several sheltered gathering points in this expansive courtyard. A low stone boma surrounded by benches is another. It is here that guests relax, read, chat and braai. No-one need use a car when staying here.

The town and all its provisions from specialist shops to food markets is a five minute walk away – or a short cycle. When summer comes, throw on a gown, sandals and grab a beach towel.

The  Stone House  is available for rental  from Perfect Hideaways

Perfect Hideaways has a portfolio of farms, villas, houses, cottages and boutique hotels – each unique, each with huge character and each handpicked because of their individual beauty, quirks and charm. Perfect Hideaways wants to take you to a place that appeals to your every sense… transport you to a world away from the one you know… and match you to your ideal getaway.