July 23 Ballito Umhlanga

The swimming pool was extended, elevated and painted black
to match the house. It has a gorgeous, oversized ‘martini step’ ...
perfect for lounging in with a cocktail in hand.
“I love design and I love a challenge,” says Bruce, who
has spent much of his life working in landscaping,
and was also the chairman of St. Lukes Home of
Healing for more than 25 years. He also has 'green
fingers' and Bruce's passion for growing and
collecting beautiful plants and flowers is evident
both inside and outside the home.
There are countless unique elements and points of
interest and everything – from the wide staircase
leading you into the home, “because you want
your guests to enter side-by-side and not lined
up like ants”, to the one-of-a-kind, specially-made
double stable front doors – was carefully thought
out and executed by Bruce himself.
The fact that the exterior is painted entirely black
adds to the dramatic appeal, as does the incredible
facade (made from concrete blocks from the old
tennis court), which features its very own porthole.
Bruce used re-purposed, plantation-style Natal red
brick, which he harvested (with permission) from
an old nearby sugar mill, extensively for both the
interior and exterior and married it with a plaster
band theme, which runs throughout the home.
Always looking for ways to make things interesting
and unique, Bruce wanted a double volume
entrance hall, which features striking black and
white tiles and is finished off with an oversized
window that looks out onto a magnificent span of
manicured lawn, swimming pool, sugar cane and
the ocean in the distance.
The beautiful farmhouse has been in the Millican family
for four generations.
July 2023 Get It • Ballito • Umdloti • Umhlanga 43