A modern house that is not only lovely to look at, but has been designed with sustainability top of mind. Take a peek inside Brandon and Avril Diamond’s beautiful Dunkirk home.
With its breath-taking ocean views, clever use of space and contemporary finishes, the Diamond home is the perfect combination of style and practicality.
Having built homes in various cities around the country, as well in the USA, retirees Brandon and Avril have lived in Dunkirk Estate in Salt Rock for the past 11 years. This is the second home they have built in Dunkirk and it was designed by local architect, Andrew Clarkson.
“From the moment we first set foot on Dunkirk Estate in 2008 we were sold. We were living in Johannesburg at the time and owned a small holiday house in Chaka’s Rock, but we wanted to get something a bit bigger. A friend brought us to Dunkirk and we fell in love,” says Avril. They then built their first Dunkirk home, designed by Ballito architect Charles Taylor. Afterwards, they built this home and moved in at the end of 2016.
One of the biggest requirements they had for the home was that it be on one level – no easy feat given the piece of land they were working with. But, through careful planning and design, the end result speaks for itself.
With four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a sizeable double garage and 180-degree sea view, this 480m² open plan home has everything you could ask for, and more.
Which is why, Avril says, it is with a heavy heart that they have made the decision to sell the home. “Our two sons and grandchildren live overseas (one in Australia and one in the United Kingdom) and we need to be somewhere smaller so we can lock up and go visit them for a few months at a time.”
Most of the living area is open-plan (apart from a cosy formal lounge to one side), and you are able to enjoy the exquisite sea views from the moment you enter the front garden where you are also greeted with a beautiful swimming pool and deck area.
From the entrance and living area you walk straight out onto the massive patio area overlooking the estate and the ocean – the perfect place to entertain, enjoy sundowners or watch early morning sunrises.
Their main bedroom and bathroom are situated just to the left of the lounge and feature a fantastic oversized shower and walk-in closet. There are clever little details that add to the functionality, such as hidden built-in medicine cabinets behind the mirrors in the bathrooms and strategically placed windows to let light, but not damp air, in. “We love our bedroom and often sleep with the doors wide open,” says Avril. The rest of the rooms are situated on the other side of the home.
The kitchen, arguably one of the most important rooms in any house, is fantastic. It has a large island in the centre, a beautiful gas stove and features both a scullery and a sizeable laundry, perfect for ironing and additional storage space.
The other rooms run down a long passage adjacent to the kitchen and have en-suite bathrooms. There is also a study and a separate fourth bedroom (ideal for maid’s quarters or teenage room) with its own separate entrance and bathroom.
The double garage is impressive, with lots of cupboards and storage space. This is also where the home’s UPS system is stored. “The house can run without electricity for up to eight hours,” says Brandon. This system gives them use of all fridges and televisions as well as a bedside-lamps and a few other lights.
Sustainability is a big theme in this home and Clarkson is well known for his use of environmentally friendly and ‘green’ architectural techniques. The Diamond home is a great example of this with carefully placed solar geysers throughout the house and four massive 10 000-litre JoJo tanks cleverly hidden underneath the home. “We use these for irrigation and for the swimming pool, but the filtration system means the whole house can run off of these tanks if necessary,” says Brandon.
While they are sad to be leaving their beautiful home, the Diamonds say they have loved every minute of living here and will always have special memories of this home in this fantastic estate. Details: The Dunkirk home is currently on sale through North Coast Real Estate: www.northcoastrealestate.co.za / 032 880 0099. Coote Clarkson Architects: 032 586 0952 / [email protected]
Text: Leah Shone | Photographs: Chris Allan Photo
