Cleverly designed 4-bedroom family home ticks all the right boxes

This well-considered home is a swinger, providing something for nearly everyone. Looking for relaxed KZN Midlands or Dullstroom country vibes in the City of Gold? Tick. Or you might prefer the feeling of being on a permanent holiday? Tick. Or perhaps you have a four- or five-person family where everyone wants his or her own private space – did we hear you say ‘teens’? – as well as shared space to gather en famille? No problem. Relaxed, private homebody? Perfect. Oh-so-social entertainer? Easy. Whoever you are, or whatever you’re after, then look no further than this perfectly positioned home in Lakeside Village, Modderfontein.

The secret is in its clever U-shape design, which provides a central living area from which a pair of bedroom wings (each with two bedrooms and two bathrooms) pivot. One might almost think of this home as a resort, with its triple-volume central living area serving as its grand lobby, combining an open-plan living-dining-kitchen in a gallery-style space.

Both split-level family wings have two bedrooms – one up, one down – each on its own floor. The primary family wing features an upper-level main bedroom complete with vaulted ceilings, a balcony, his-and-hers wardrobe gallery and a five-star-sized bathroom. Below it is a massive bedroom (the size of a double-car garage) that could also function as a home office, family gym, guest suite or – with a light design intervention – a stand-alone in-law apartment, complete with private courtyard.

The secondary wing also offers two bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as a media room that opens onto the central courtyard. The courtyard – complete with covered outdoor seating area, built-in braai, swimming pool and expansive, raised views – serves as the heart of the home, connecting the central living area and bedroom wings through its form and function. The courtyard is intimate enough for a solitary espresso al fresco, yet large enough for grand occasion entertaining. While this home offers many bonus lifestyle features, it also provides all the functional classic suburban South African elements including a double-car garage, scullery, and staff quarters with private entrance. Duality is key, forming part of its design DNA.

Living in Lakeside Village means never worrying about security again. It’s a neighbourhood of open doors and gates, low picket fences, well-tended public parks, and gardens – a place where children play on the streets and residents take after-dinner strolls. The neighbourhood is perfectly positioned in the heart of historical Modderfontein, an area that’s quickly becoming known as ‘the Irene of Johannesburg,’ combining the best of a relaxed country lifestyle and the convenience of city-smart living. The Flamingo shopping centre (Checkers, Starbucks, Dis-Chem, and Woolies Food) is within easy walking distance, located across the street from Lakeside’s entrance; the Modderfontein Reserve, a golf course, padel courts, gyms and mountain bike trails are all within five minutes’ drive. Laidback Modderfontein is mentally detached from the mad frenzy of Joburg yet remains physically integrated to it – with quick access to Gauteng’s extensive freeway system – offering the best of country living in the big city.