To get to the front door of Maison Noir, one of the exclusive-use villas in Cape Town’s Future Found Sanctuary, you drive through a grand black gate on a bend in one of the slopey streets of Hout Bay. Once opened, it reveals a secluded seven-acre getaway against a setting that never gets old: Table Mountain serving as a well- suited backdrop to the estate’s sustainably landscaped garden. The private mountain retreat houses three villas that operate as 11 individual rooms. On the winding drive that leads to Maison Noir, the concept of an African kraal comes to mind; only this contemporary village is interconnected by pathways and passages inspired by conceptual design. Each room has a unique personality and a well-curated collection of local art.
At the entrance to the villa, a concierge, who’s an invaluable part of your stay, is the first point of contact we find waiting, and once inside, the use of glass cleverly invites the outside to stay with us. Both interior and exterior design details of this five-bedroomed villa symbolically merge African, French, and Indonesian design cues that tell the storied history of multi-cultural influences that have shaped the Cape region. The interiors are an apt reflection of the visionary owners’ experience in interiors and design. Jim Brett, president of West Elm and former CMO of Anthropologie Home, and Ed Gray, who founded luxury furnishing store Bruges Home, visited South Africa to source crafts for export to the USA, but fell in love with Cape Town instead.
We’re staying in the grand master suite, also known as Equinox, where a gable glass door frames a magnificent mountainside view. The most generous of the five rooms in the villa, it comprises a king-size bed, a work station, and direct access to the enormous garden with a heated pool. This 90-square-metre two sleeper also has a separate and very homely TV lounge, complete with a fireplace.
The en-suite bathroom has a more than sizeable bath tub as centrepiece while the shower’s floor-to-ceiling window allows for a view of the serene gardens, while maintaining privacy. The rest of the villa comprises a master suite (Solstice), which offers complete privacy from the rest of the villa when needed. Botanical wallpaper in its TV lounge is a bold design statement, while a fireplace adds cosy comfort. It also has its own parking, entrance, and a lavish patio garden. The remaining three suites (Sunrise, Noon, and Nightfall) each have a loft that can either be used as a private office, or transformed into an additional bedroom. The top-floor deck area on two of the loft suites has unparalleled mountain views, and is the ideal spot to unwind.
For dining, guests can enjoy the daily breakfast and harvest table prepared by the villa’s dedicated chef. You can then opt for a privately prepared lunch or dinner at the 12-seater indoor dining table, the outdoor undercover dining space, or in the privacy of your suite’s own lounge. Alternatively, ask your concierge to prepare a detailed dining itinerary for your stay and take advantage of the incredible restaurants in Cape Town. During our stay, we’re spoilt with indulgent breakfast spreads that are varied each morning – the likes of homemade scones, fresh fruit, and delectable hot options ticking all the boxes. Between meals, charcuterie boards and wine from the on-site cellar are available to be served on the private decks, in the main lounge, or poolside in the garden. Then a quick descent down a short flight of stairs reveals an entertainment cove with a cinema for movie nights.
Wellness is at the heart of what makes this a unique destination. As Cape Town’s first and only five-star regenerative travel destination, the property borders Table Mountain National Park, and with direct access to hiking trails, the indigenous gardens are an amphitheatre of nature’s beauty. The groundbreaking ‘whole- being’ offering at Future Found is based on four key pillars: rise, realign, reflect, and rest.
When you rise, your day can begin with energising and grounding private experiences that range from a guided hike to the waterfall, a Vinyasa yoga session, a cold- water immersion in the plunge pool, or personal training.
To realign, there is an array of healing arts modalities, such as acupuncture, or simply enjoy a healthy feast from one of the lunchtime harvest tables.
Reflection is enhanced with a Middle Eastern Rasul mud ritual – a Signature Whole-Being spa treatment at the Sensorium Spa – or you can cultivate your chi with a private Tai Chi experience in the healing gardens.
Rest is a core pillar of the sanctuary’s whole-being journey, with options to bathe in the frequencies of sound during the Signature Rest Ritual, or relax and release in a private restorative Yin yoga and meditation experience which encourages deep, regenerative sleep. The spa is a definite highlight, taking us on a journey of the five senses with experienced therapists, a beautifully designed steam room, and a Hammam ritual. Immersed in the beauty of one of the seven Wonders of Nature coupled with the luxury of our stay, we left feeling the benefits of a journey towards whole living.
