UMBRIA

UMBRIA is a home designed to be inherited. Sited in Hurlingham, Sandton, the brief was clear from the outset: create a sanctuary that would serve a family across generations, with materials and spaces that would only improve with time. The home is structured across two main levels. The ground floor is particularly dynamic, featuring three distinct level changes that mirror the natural slope of the land — guiding movement from the entrance all the way down to the gazebo at the property's edge. This architectural choice adds a grand, immersive quality to the home's circulation. The ground floor also functions as a self-contained retreat. The primary suite and a private pyjama lounge are designed like an independent penthouse, complete with their own kitchenette — allowing for a fully self-sufficient living experience without ever leaving the lower level. Raw materiality is central to the home's identity. A feature stone wall clad in dark granite, sourced from a quarry outside Johannesburg, was installed using traditional stone-packing techniques rather than modern veneers. Sealed to intensify its deep charcoal tones and lit with indirect LED wash lighting, the wall reads as a sculptural installation as much as an architectural element. At the entrance, a double-volume cantilevered porte cochère appears to float over the front arrival point. Beyond its function as a covered drop-off, it anchors the entire facade and delivers an immediate, commanding sense of arrival. The interior narrative was established before the first design line was drawn. The client came to TBAD with a specific condition: Diesel Cosmic Marble – Saturne tiles by Iris Ceramica, personally imported from Italy, were already purchased. The design had to be built around them. Their dreamlike veining — infused with gold, grey, and bronze — dictated the entire palette: soft warm neutrals, rich walnut wood throughout, and carefully selected feature stone slabs layered for texture and depth. The meditation room is positioned on the ground floor, directly adjacent to the swimming pool, with a focused view across the garden — a private space for quiet reflection embedded into the rhythm of daily life. The study, also on the ground floor, sits immediately adjacent to the main entrance with a dedicated exterior access point — functional, private, and separated from the main household flow. UMBRIA is a legacy property. The client and her family have lived on this land for over two decades. The home that now stands on it was always meant to stay.