This Cape Town retreat was designed by Boyd Ferguson as his own home and has unobstructed views of Table Mountain.

Ferguson, who is creative director of design practice Cécile and Boyd, is best known internationally for his work with African safari lodge company Singita, which he’s designed more than a dozen safari retreats for.

His former Higgovale villa transposes those lessons into an urban setting. ‘This is very much an off-duty space: a retreat from the visual stimuli that pervade Boyd’s working day,’ says the practice, which enlisted architecture firm Sound Space Design to help them transform the run-down bungalow.

A pale colour palette of chalky white and soft grey is in tandem with natural materials across the three-bedroom Cape Town property, which is on the market for R27.5m via Keith Anderson and Byron Kruger of the Dogon Group. More vibrant pops of colour come from beyond its sliding glass doors, which frame views of Table Mountain, its lush fynbos and the city itself.

On the main floor is an open-plan living room and kitchen, which is concealed behind panels of bleached timber sourced from a local forest. Natural knotholes in the wood double as handles, and when closed, the kitchen’s cabinetry blends into the space, hiding it from view.

This textural motif is repeated in the bedrooms, which feature wood-panelled walls. Ferguson has also installed mirrored panels to exaggerate the feeling of space across the South African property.

On the level below is a second living room and bathroom, which tumbles out onto the villa’s garden, where there’s an outdoor swimming pool, jacuzzi and shower. The house also comes with staff accommodation and a double garage.

Furniture designed and collected by Ferguson – including a dining table made from the gnarled trunk of a tree – is included in the sale as an added perk.

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