Pellerade Design House have created a “mansion in the sky” in the luxurious The Houghton golf course development in Johannesburg
Combining three “white box” apartments into one, Pellerade have created a 1200m², triple-storey penthouse paradise for its owner.
Featuring a private cinema, gentleman’s library, billiard room, Italian-bricked wine cellar and personal spa, the residence features every conceivable luxury.
Commenting on the new “white box” property trend, Stephen Pellerade says: “White boxes allow those who can afford to, to live in developments of their choice with the exact space layouts and finishes that they want; as opposed to what is offered as standard.”
The white boxes typically occupy the prime location in a development and are usually the penthouses. As they are entirely bespoke, these “trophy” properties can command staggering prices and are breaking records from New York to Hong Kong to Johannesburg.
Having recently done a two week study of the new building property scene in London, Pellerade comments: “Our South African standard of bespoke architectural and interior design service is on par, if not ahead, of what’s happening in the London market. South African designers are really thinking out the box with layouts and features.”
Pellerade is currently completing another three-storey white box penthouse at The Houghton with a staggering triple-volume internal staircase, at a cost of about R75 million.
The Houghton overlooks the fairways of a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course and the owners of these opulent apartments are seeking a lock-up-and-go, off-the-grid luxirious home. The white box buyer may be someone who already has a holiday home at the coast or in the bush, but while in Johannesburg they want a safe, low-maintenance home but with certain square meterage and all the necessary luxuries they had in their old one to two acre properties in the suburbs. They know what they want and will pay any price for it, often upwards of R43,000 a square metre.
“For the well-heeled, the unique lifestyle offered by The Houghton is the future of living in Johannesburg. With its discreet state-of-the-art security, you are free to live the good life, from playing a round of golf in the afternoon to enjoying a stroll to the club house for lunch,” says David Nagle, a director of Seven and Twelve on Houghton (Pty) Ltd.
