It’s not every day that someone commissions the reworking of a chapel. When Mr. Chandler was asked to recreate this little bethel from bespoke, hand-painted ceramic tiles, it almost inspired a religious epiphany – almost. The owners of this chapel are a special pair of people who, after falling in love with Cape Town, bought a glorious home in Noordhoek. The house had an existing chapel attached to one of its exterior walls.
The new homeowners decided that the property & garden required a renaissance of sorts; a revamp with a fresh, sophisticated eye. They considered demolishing the chapel, but out of respect to the powers that may be, it was decided that the chapel should be rebirthed as a new, reinvigorated, sacred space. Growing up in an Eastern Cape Methodist Christian family, Mr. Chandler once flirted with the concept of being a re-born Christian before denouncing his belief in a monotheistic power & entering an extended period of Agnosticism where he still dwells today.
Regardless, Mr. Chandler is a big believer in the ubiquitous power of nature, the ‘Mystery of Life’ & all things in between. The final design held a space for the mother Madonna & her Child figure to rest that was partly architectural & part ethereal whimsy. To channel some esoteric mysticism, Mr. Chandler borrowed Classical columns from the Tarot Card ‘The High Priestess.’ The awe of nature was called to with a backdrop of mountains that the Noordhoek home itself, is surrounded by.
East meets Western Cape Once upon a time, a family from far away shores fell in love with Cape Town. Pulled between the sweet nostalgia of their native home and their fierce love for the Cape, the family found themselves adrift, unable to decide where they should root themselves. But these were lovers of the …
The Gardner family mural was the very first of Mr Chandler’s private commissions. The Durban-born client wanted to add a touch of Natal nostalgia & old-world glamour to the family’s newly-refurbished Cape Town home.
The Lavenhof Chapel
A Cape Renaissance
It’s not every day that someone commissions the reworking of a chapel. When Mr. Chandler was asked to recreate this little bethel from bespoke, hand-painted ceramic tiles, it almost inspired a religious epiphany – almost. The owners of this chapel are a special pair of people who, after falling in love with Cape Town, bought a glorious home in Noordhoek. The house had an existing chapel attached to one of its exterior walls.
The new homeowners decided that the property & garden required a renaissance of sorts; a revamp with a fresh, sophisticated eye. They considered demolishing the chapel, but out of respect to the powers that may be, it was decided that the chapel should be rebirthed as a new, reinvigorated, sacred space. Growing up in an Eastern Cape Methodist Christian family, Mr. Chandler once flirted with the concept of being a re-born Christian before denouncing his belief in a monotheistic power & entering an extended period of Agnosticism where he still dwells today.
Regardless, Mr. Chandler is a big believer in the ubiquitous power of nature, the ‘Mystery of Life’ & all things in between. The final design held a space for the mother Madonna & her Child figure to rest that was partly architectural & part ethereal whimsy. To channel some esoteric mysticism, Mr. Chandler borrowed Classical columns from the Tarot Card ‘The High Priestess.’ The awe of nature was called to with a backdrop of mountains that the Noordhoek home itself, is surrounded by.
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The Vandevalle Mural
East meets Western Cape Once upon a time, a family from far away shores fell in love with Cape Town. Pulled between the sweet nostalgia of their native home and their fierce love for the Cape, the family found themselves adrift, unable to decide where they should root themselves. But these were lovers of the …
The Gardner’s Mural
The Gardner family mural was the very first of Mr Chandler’s private commissions. The Durban-born client wanted to add a touch of Natal nostalgia & old-world glamour to the family’s newly-refurbished Cape Town home.