I got a little glimpse into the lives of the wealthy when I got to see the luxurious minimalist interior of the Pearl Breeze Penthouse in Umhlanga recently. Situated on the beautiful Umhlanga stretch of coastline in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pearl Breeze is one of three cutting edge contemporary towers of luxury apartments that form part of the Pearls residential resort.

The Penthouse takes up the top three floors of the tower and faces the Indian Ocean. The glass facade allows for magnificent unobstructed  views of the Indian Ocean as well as the Umhlanga coastline.

The Luxurious Minimalist Interior

With a view this beautiful it was important that the interior design maximised the impact of the setting and did not distract from it. This in addition to the owners wanting a calming atmosphere resulted in a minimalist approach being taken for the interior.

While many assume luxurious minimalist interiors contain very little colour, pattern or texture, this is not the case. Many beautiful minimalist interiors contain colour and texture, in fact these two vital design elements prevent a space from being boring. The penthouse at the Pearls is a perfect example of how colours and texture can be used to great effect.

The Colour Scheme

The colours of the interior were carefully chosen to fuse perfectly with the sky, ocean and coastline. A muted aqua blue wall colour -more on the warm than the cool side of  aqua blue  – was chosen for the open plan living, dining and kitchen area.

The muted aqua blue creates a seamless flow from the ocean and sky to the interior, creating a feeling of space. The colour works well with the many neutrals in the interior including the marble floor – which is the colour of beach sand – and the furniture, in crisp and contemporary white.

Texture

Visual interest in apartment is enhanced with a diversity of textures, patterns and materials. Reflective and translucent glass, marble and stone, steel, leather and wood to name a few.

While artworks are minimal, large scale 3D artworks complement the interior colours of the scheme and the architecture.
The modern kitchen units in a soft grey blend in well with the wall colour.

The window facade on the staircase provides beautiful views inland. The aqua blue wall colour frames this view well too.

Minimalism implies quality rather than quantity and this is evident in all the rooms. While the view is the main focus in the master suite, there are some special extras, like the Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona chair on which you can read a book or just enjoy the view.

Another special piece in the master bathroom is a basin made from natural agate with back lighting. Aaaah if only!

While there is a limited palette of muted blue and neutrals in the apartment, there are pockets of colour in the other bedrooms. A stress relieving green in one of the bedrooms is contrasted with a bright fresh green in the bathroom.

The price of a penthouse like this is a snap back to reality. A penthouse on the beach within walking distance to the vibrant Umhlanga Village is rare and the price reflects this.

There is a growing demand for high end properties in Durban Kwa-Zulu Natal, which makes me think that Durban is becoming more and more like Miami. For more info on this property you can contact Tony Dennyschene from Dormehl Phalane Property Group tonyd@dpgprop.co.za

Have a wonderful week