Like walking into a Dutch Masters painting, this stately farmhouse offers rich, welcoming interiors, spaces that envelop you in deeply saturated colors, luxurious textures, and fascinating, age-old curiosities. This circa 1856 home is one of two classified Cape Dutch heritage houses by the same owners set only a hundred meters apart. Slightly smaller than its neighbor, this residence showcases 18th-century furnishings mingled masterfully with contemporary South African art in an immaculate look that earned it a place on Elle Décor France’s April/May 2019 cover.

This luxuriously warm home emanates an air of nostalgia for gentler times when life was lived in a more leisurely fashion, and utmost attention was paid to creating spaces of lasting beauty. Built in 1856, the charming gabled residence is one of the most celebrated structures in the well-preserved historic community of Montagu, in Klein Karoo on the Western Cape, some two hours’ drive from Cape Town.

With rugged Bloupunt peak as its backdrop, the home is surrounded by majestic views and wide-open spaces, and offers immaculate rooms inviting deep relaxation. The residence’s traditional lime-plastered walls and well-tended garden are both bursting with life, from fragrant potted citrus to resident free-range hens to a shared greenhouse lined with succulents and cacti.

Inside, gleaming, clay tile floors in shades of ochre and earth glide from one richly colored room to another, and river reed and wood-beamed ceilings hark back to to earlier days. An oxblood red living room envelops you in confident warmth with its large, wood-burning fireplace opposite deeply cushioned sofas and antique armchairs. A brick-floored country kitchen opens via French doors onto the garden terrace, where peonies bloom, and the adjacent dining area seats eight around its farm-style table lined with simple spool chairs under a classic, glass lantern chandelier.

King-sized, four-poster beds are each of the two bedroom’s centerpieces, laid with pristine white linen and goose down comforters, and kept cozy and private behind classic accordion-styled wood shutters. And the en-suite bathrooms are rooms unto themselves, bright, inviting spaces with decadently deep, cast-iron bateau bathtubs and adjacent showers brightened by dazzling, multi-paned windows.

Outside, a courtyard type garden features a small, elevated swimming pool, created to mimic a farm dam and a sweet graveled garden plot planted with herbs, flowers, and potted citrus.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

The two suites in this villa for rent in South Africa can be rented separately or together. When suites are booked individually, breakfast is provided. For whole property bookings, it is available on request. The Jonkmanshof breakfast is prepared from seasonal ingredients from the garden and the surrounding area. A three-course farm-style dinner is available for an additional charge for a minimum of four guests, and the booking must be made at the time of reservation. The hosts will gladly assist with recommendations and reservations for restaurants within walking distance.

AROUND

A rural mountain escape along South Africa’s well-traveled Route 62 wine route in the Western Cape, Montagu is surrounded by peaks and rocky outcroppings and is also celebrated for its pastoral landscape of vineyards, orchards, and fertile fields where stone, citrus, and soft fruits are grown in abundance. The area offers a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, including mountain biking and hiking—from gentle strolls to more challenging trekking—in its scenic Langeberg range. 

A stay ideal for those seeking the tranquility of a bygone era, this villa for rent in South Africa allows you to unplug and unwind. There is no television, no front desk or animated lobby to distract from your nostalgic experience, only the opportunity to feel at home in a gentle space where utmost attention has been paid to creating beauty. Enjoy meals crafted from local produce, seasonal fruits, homemade preserves and fresh farm milk. Discover handmade ceramics and local lemonade, and artisanal creations. Unwind in or around the pool in the sunny, ivy covered courtyard garden, and stroll through the village taking in historic architecture.

LOCATION

Montagu, Western Cape, South Africa. Nearest airport: Cape Town (approximately 2 ½ hours).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Year round. Spring is September to November, and summer is December to February.