Behind the palest rose-pink facade of this elegant 1920s villa, is this gloriously peaceful six-bedroomed retreat and secret garden, pool and conservatory with some of the most sought-after views in Cape Town. Tucked away in Upper Oranjezicht and set on the slopes of Table Mountain, Hope House is an inner-city sanctuary. It took two years to bring this gracious home to life, but its beautifully proportioned rooms are now filled with the owner’s mix of 20th century antiques, contemporary designer pieces and a personal collection of art acquired over two decades spent living between South Africa and London.

The first work bought for Hope House was the Fred Schimmel, from SMAC gallery, and then an early piece by Deborah Bell from the Goodman Gallery in Joburg in ’99. ‘We’re loving the fact that Goodman Gallery is now also in London – that’s where we discovered our new Kudzanai Chiurai series, currently on loan at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris,’ says the owner. ‘We also liked Cape Town sculptor Egon Tania’s early work and started collecting when we moved from Joburg to London over 20 years ago. It was during this time that we found ‘High on Hope’, one of Harland Miller’s Penguin covers and the inspiration for the house name and we love the way the narrative now pulls together with Kudzanai. But one of our earliest favourites remains Nicolaas Maritz. The purchase of of our Table Mountain painting was inspired by a similar one we have in London which we received as a wedding gift.’

‘For a few years, we migrated from collecting South African art to European art but have come full circle now. When renovating, we enlisted the help of a colour expert and art consultant. We needed to get to know the artists again and wanted an introduction to the rapidly changing art scene in South Africa. It was wonderful to get to know the galleries and discover new artists, such as Lorienne Lotz – a Zimbabwean artist I’m very fond of, represented by Everard Read.’ But artistic talent extends further than the works enjoyed on the walls of Hope House… when travel was out of the question during lockdown, a large mosaic project took over creative family life and today guests can enjoy the upstairs balcony table that was inspired by the mosaic patterns of ancient Pompeii.

Perfect for multigenerational families visiting theCape, the house has several versatile living spaces. The glamorous kitchen and dining area leads out onto a generous covered verandah with views over the pool and mature treed garden, but it’s the Jacuzzi, steam room and the gym in the conservatory, with drop-dead gorgeous views of the mountain, that are the attraction here. In the evening, an open fire glows in the fire pit, while the stars light the night sky and silhouette the city’s most famous landmark, Table Mountain.