A short gravel road leads to the main farm gate. Just before you reach it, you turn off toward a small forest of trees. The cottage sits there, separate from the rest of the farm. You won’t see it from the house. When you turn into its narrow driveway — covered overhead by trees — it feels as though you’re driving into something quieter. 

By the time you reach the cottage, the world behind you has already started to fade.

The cottage stands quietly ahead of you — simple, unpretentious, and built with care. Nothing is designed to impress. It is designed to be lived in. 

When you step through the door, you’re greeted by a kitchen and living space that feels lived-in rather than styled. The kitchen was made from repurposed timber from the farm. The finishes are simple and honest. We built much of it ourselves, using timber from the farm and materials that feel solid and real. 

In the corner sits one of our Silver Lily coffee machines. You might grind fresh beans while the kettle heats just off the boil, pour the water, and pull the lever slowly for your first cup. It asks for a little attention — and rewards it. There’s a small note telling the story of how Hardy designed and built it — if you’re curious. 

In the other end of the open plan kitchen / dining area, there is a reading corner we’ve quietly fallen in love with ourselves — a comfortable chair beneath a hanging lamp, surrounded by shelves of books collected over the years. It’s the sort of space where you sit down “for a few minutes” and realise hours have passed. There’s no television. Wi-Fi may come in time, but for now the evenings are quiet. 

The cottage has two bedrooms and one bathroom — simple, comfortable, and designed for rest rather than distraction. (Please note, the bathroom is off one of the bedrooms)

Step out the front door and you look across fields that are still part of the working farm. Depending on the season, you may see rows of peppers growing or tractors moving slowly through the day’s work. In the evenings, guinea fowl wander past, and birdlife fills the quiet spaces.

The view opens toward the base of the Outeniqua Mountains. On the right evening, the sun sets almost directly ahead, painting the sky in layers of orange and gold. It’s the kind of view that makes conversation slow down. 

There is a sitting-height fire pit at the back, designed for a proper South African braai, along with hammocks strung between posts where you can lie back and watch the light change. It’s easy to imagine a glass of wine in hand, a small fire going, and nothing more urgent than the fire in front of you. 

Silver Cottage is not designed as high-speed, high-turnover accommodation. It’s a place for people who want to unplug for a few days, to read, to walk, to sit outside at sunset, and to remember what quiet feels like.

It’s for people who value privacy, open skies, mountain views, and a different rhythm — even if only for a few days.

If that sounds like you, you’ll feel at home here.