Exploring inside the stunning Kloof Road home

Leigh Leigh
House in Kloof Road , Nico Van Der Meulen Architects Nico Van Der Meulen Architects Modern living room
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Modern, edgy and contemporary home design have never looked so good in South Africa as they do in in the form of Meulen Architects' magnificent 1,100sqm masterpiece, which has been built at the bottom of a nature reserve in Bedfordview, Johannesburg.

The Kloof Road House, illuminated by the northern Johannesburg skyline, was designed as a family home that utilises the views and can be appreciated and enjoyed both inside and outside. Entertainment areas in both the interior and the exterior of the home are comfortable, vast and slick. Upgraded significantly from a single-storey house, the house is seemingly sculpted to pure design perfection.

Grand, chic and ecletic, this home makes the most of both horizontal and vertical space. Every detail has been planned meticulously, delivering a sleek design that seems to almost precede its time. 

Follow us on a tour that could change how you see architecture.

Multi-layered

This angle shows how the Kloof House works with space, taking up the vertical and the horizontal with different layers and shapes. These architects don't believe in doing anything in half measures. 

The home is open plan, with each facet rolling out onto the next as the spaces flow between the interior and the exterior. The architects have explained, With every room in the house opening outdoors, linking the home with the landscaped garden indoor/outdoor living is guaranteed.

Ever innovative, the architects took morphed steel and wrapped it to frame the structure. This is called parasitic architecture, which is defined as an adaptable, transient and exploitative form of architecture that forces relationships with host buildings in order the complete themselves.

The architects have managed to achieve the sculpted look because of this parasitic architecture, creating a collision of strong, hard lines and softer, more flexible shapes. 

Volumes of style

From the street, it's clear to see how the volumes of space have been utilised. Here, the house looks shut off from the rest of the world with a big steel shapes and large, looming walls. From the front it is safe, guarded and protected.

The architects have explained, The black steel sliding garage doors of the four new garages that were added on top of the existing house, combine with the sculptural steel forms of the guard house and porte cochère. Diagonal strip lights featured within the wall of the entrance create an abstract pattern at night that guides visitors to the entrance gate.

Light is also a prominent force, adding to the sleek, modern and robust look and feel of the exterior. 

In South Africa, this is a huge plus as it deters any potential intruders and allows family members to feel safe and protected inside of their home. 

Outdoor spaces

A large, outdoor entertainment space sits slightly apart from the main house, creating an abundance of space for family time by the pool, afternoon braai's and parties for the grown-ups. 

The architect's use of steel, glass and concrete is interwoven into every facet of both the exterior and the interior, including this space. Sharp, diagonal lights create a trendy edge while modern furniture decorates the space. 

Meulen Architects have played around with shapes and angles, evident by the roof that covers this area, the surrounding walls and pillars. Strong, neutral colours like charcoal, grey and beige are used throughout. Even the Koi pond is edgy, sleek and eclectic

This space shows how the architects have achieved something modern and contemporary, without compromising on the comfortable family aspects of a home. A gorgeous garden for running, jumping and playing complements the innovative structure, bringing the family aspect of this home in full circle. 

Stepping in

While this may be the interior of the home, the outside and the inside transcend. According to the architects, this is their trademark of seamlessly connecting the indoor and outdoor spaces, which is achieved through the use of frameless folding glass doors, transforming the lanai into an extension of the living room.

With furniture, décor and lights sourced from M Square Lifestyle Necessities, the interior design is homely and warm. It also mirrors the exterior design.

Burnt orange is a colour used throughout the living room, complemented by charcoal sofas and dark wood coffee tables. The living rooms also spills into the dining room and out onto the patio or lanai, creating the ultimate open plan space. There is also both an inside and outside dining room table and chairs, allowing the family to dine together regardless of what the weather is. 

Diagonal lines and funky shapes are used throughout the interior, giving it the same sleek and edgy tone. 

Sleeping sound

The bedrooms in Kloof Road House open up onto the garden or exterior spaces surrounding the home. There are four en-suite bedrooms featured in the house, including a main bedroom upstairs, a guest bedroom downstairs – pictured here – and two children's bedroom. 

This bedroom features perfect views of the cantilevered Koi pond and the large entertainment area at the bottom of the garden, as well as the gorgeous views that surround the house. 

The decor is stylish, sleek and modern with the use of steel, glass and concrete. Blacks, yellows and whites feature prominently in this bedroom. 

Despite the size of the house, the architects have worked very hard to ensure that it is energy efficient. A water-based under floor heating system warms the floors inside of the house. This system is rigged up to solar panels and a heat pump, so it works to both warm and cool the house.

Classic style

The upstairs of this incredible family home features a playroom and a more relaxed living room, which overlooks the living area and the kitchen. This space transforms into a large balcony, overlooking the whole of Johannesburg and it's iconic skyline.

Even the more relaxed living room is stylish, however, featuring a funky sofa and modern lighting. Trend is not to be overlooked in any area of this house. The furniture complements the room in gorgeous charcoals and greys and the transcendence between the inside living space and the outside living space has never been clearer.

This large, sweeping balcony is also tribute to the space that the house occupies and how each facet is meant to be enjoyed. 

Kloof Road House is the future of architecture and the epitome of courageous and bold design. 

Love the modern style of the Kloof Road House? Read these: 10 Modern Ideas For Your Entrance Hall.

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