The interior includes sitting room, sun-bed area, master bedroom, various bathrooms, kitchen and dining area. Previously this was part of an old 1926 block of flats, which had been converted into a Sectional Title scheme. Today this development consists of eight apartments, each with separate garden, swimming pool and patio.

The challenge was to transform a very old apartment into a modern minimalist, cutting-edge residence. The clients’ initial makeover involved gutting the area via demolition, to create an elegant contemporary residence dedicated to comfort, and which would facilitate high-echelon lifestyle. This second makeover involved demolishing the old patio area overlooking Clifton to incorporate it into the living space, and engineering a new deck that would cantilever out over the ocean.

The minimalist interior involves a fusion of textures and tones and includes inspiration from designers Donna Karan and Giorgio Armani; Arlene Rottanburg feels that Armani’s work is both classical and revolutionary. In this ocean-side location, the designer decided to relax her typically structured interior signature and chose an ‘eco-chic’ look in the form of furniture and sculpture to match the internal architecture. She says: ‘The result is that the residence and its surroundings defer to each other.’

May/June 2012 Issue

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