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Inside a Coastal Couples’ Escape Designed by Acre Studio

A romantic Wilderness getaway, Escape is expertly designed for lovers of African design

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By House & Garden South Africa | August 5, 2024 | Interiors

Acre Studio, Couple Escape, Couple Retreat, Beach House, Villa Rental, South African design
A quintessential romantic getaway, Escape is expertly designed for lovers of African design. Image: Supplied.

Established in 2019, Acre Studio is a bespoke interior design studio dedicated to a holistic design approach. Their Escape creation, nestled on the Wilderness beachfront, showcases Acre’s penchant for a romantic visual and textural sensibility.

Escape embraces contrast by selecting both light and dark accents, echoing the contours of South Africa’s dramatic landscape. Image: Supplied.

Escape is the quintessential couples’ getaway, offering breathtaking, panoramic views of its surrounding natural environment. Intimate snapshots unfold from secluded balconies and sea-facing rooms. The layered interior introduces carefully selected fabrics, textural tiles, and arched features that converge to create a cosy and romantic atmosphere.

Shape, colour, and texture come together to bring the outside in. Image: Supplied.

Framing the open-plan space, sheer billowing curtains allow the flow of natural light, creating a gentle ambiance, while elegant bathtubs overlook the ocean from a private vantage. The use of both light and dark materials forms a contrast that lovingly echoes the landscape’s untouched contours.

Image: Supplied.

The interplay between South Africa’s unbridled beauty and the creations of those who pay it homage is an ongoing love affair. Escape is precisely this: a celebration of South Africa’s essence, and of all it has to offer.

A focus on layering encourages a cosy and intimate ambiance, while a sophisticated, nature-inspired palette enhances Escape’s soothing atmosphere. Image: Supplied.

True to their muse, Acre sources custom items from other local designers and suppliers, as well as from the studio’s core range. The sophistication of Escape’s visual design is complemented by the non-invasive integration of sleek and modern amenities, providing a subtle marriage of coastal charm and contemporary convenience.

A multisensory use of texture is diverse yet not overwhelming, ensuring a truly immersive and relaxing experience. Image: Supplied.

Escape invites the ocean indoors. Not only through the strategic placement of floor-to-ceiling windows and large sliding doors that blur the boundaries between inside and outside, but through the movement and flow of its design details.

The patterning of hand-dyed scatter cushions and throws evokes a sense of foliage. The use of light-coloured wood throughout the property conjures impressions of the sandy beach.

Savour the ocean view from the private vantage of a luxurious bathtub. Image: Supplied.

Escape is conceived as an affectionate tribute to texture. The melding of the wild, rugged coast with the soft hues and luxurious feeling of the guest house’s interior tells a story of unlikely lovers – of opposites irresistibly drawn together.

This deliberate but balanced contrast shapes the captivating dynamic of Escape, while a soothing, neutral colour palette emphasises a visual and tactile connection. In this way, the intentional emphasis on texture – indicative of Acre’s holistic approach – provides a multi-sensory experience, immersing guests in an unforgettable stay.

The ultimate couples’ retreat, in an intimate setting that reveals devoted attention to detail at every turn. Image: Supplied.

'The intended effect is to take the guests’ breath away, leading them to new design details around every corner yet not overstimulating them,' says Lianel de Jongh, Acre’s co-owner.