Leydenhouse Loft

Loft Living in the Heart of Classic Gardens

Big views of Table Mountain are the backdrop for this loft apartment’s glass-walled living room and deep balcony. It’s even framed in the loft’s office, dining, kitchen and island bar. This is the real deal—a refurbished industrial building with 18-foot ceilings, a steely, open-air staircase, windows floor to ceiling, and metal girders lining the space overhead.

Inspired by the urban lofts of New York City, this vacation home for rent in South Africa is characterized by soaring ceilings, walls of windows, and its spare, urban minimalist décor. Occupying two floors—one lofted, mezzanine style—the apartment’s upper level is sleek, shiny and vivid. A gleaming galley workspace opens into the whitewashed sleep cubby splashed with a tropical bedspread, and featuring three steps up into the open-plan tiled bath.

On the lower level, the home’s living spaces designed by Visual Arthouse spread in simple sophistication between faded, robin’s egg blue walls. A full kitchen, gas fireplace and additional bedroom complete the loft’s lower level, which is generous, elegant, and distinctly urban with a touch of mid-century flair. Pendant lights, a mural and large scale art, plus edgy concrete built-in furnishings marry harmoniously with Visual Arthouse’s saturated gemstone décor palette, area rugs, and European antiques.

AROUND

Set in the leafy, trendy Gardens neighborhood of downtown Cape Town, this vacation home for rent in South Africa overlooks majestic Table Mountain, the country's most-photographed landmark and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. The flat-topped outcropping can be hiked or summited via cable car. The surrounding neighborhood offers dozens of chic restaurants, cool cafes, coffee shops, artisan boutiques and loft ateliers, and is home to a young creative class. Step out onto vibey Bree Street or walk over to Kloof, where galleries and theaters create a buzz, joining more traditional pursuits such as the luxurious afternoon high tea at the landmark Mount Nelson Hotel. 

Houses in the area have a classic residential appeal, many of them showcasing colonial styling, others veritable mansions. Company Gardens, the oldest South African garden dating from 1652, is in the neighborhood, and Long Street, like Kloof, is a destination avenue lined with bistros and boutiques. The Atlantic beaches and the V&A Waterfront, one of Cape Town’s biggest attractions, are easily accessible from the home too, and further away (requiring a 20-minute drive), you can take in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens or Table Mountain National Park.

LOCATION

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. Nearest airport: Cape Town (approximately 20 minutes)

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Shoulder season—March to May and September to November