For a quarter of a century, Julia Finnis-Bedford has acted as the conduit between South Africa’s most striking properties and the lens of international cinema. As the founder of Amazing Spaces, she has spent decades scouting locations for major blockbusters, developing an innate understanding of what makes a space visually arresting.
Now, with the launch of Habitat by Amazing Spaces, her property development division, Finnis-Bedford is translating the language of the film set into permanent, liveable structures. Her debut project, Sillery Oaks in Constantia, serves as a masterclass in bringing cinematic presence into residential design—proving that a home is not merely a collection of rooms, but a set where life plays out.
Framing the Narrative: Windows as Lenses
The central philosophy at Sillery Oaks is the cinematographer’s gaze. Rather than treating windows simply as apertures for light, the architecture treats them as lenses. Floor-to-ceiling glazing has been positioned to deliberately frame the property’s ancient stinkwoods and fruit trees, turning the exterior landscape into a series of living paintings.
This attention to “the shot” extends to the home’s flow. Finnis-Bedford incorporated oversized pocket sliders to create what she terms “theatrical reveals.” In the kitchen, boundaries dissolve entirely as the counter slides away, opening the heart of the home directly onto the patio. It is a design choice that transforms a static utility space into an entertainment stage, allowing the architecture to expand or contract based on the occasion.
Mood and Shadow: The Luxury of Darkness
While many contemporary homes obsess over brightness, Sillery Oaks understands the power of the shadow. “The downstairs guest bedroom is finished entirely in black, joinery included, creating a cocooned retreat beneath the canopy of trees,” says Finnis-Bedford. “The dark envelope makes the view outside feel more vivid, more alive.”
This play on contrast is evident in the detailing as well. Drawing on her experience staging properties for the screen, Finnis-Bedford ensured that even functional elements serve an aesthetic purpose. The timber security panels on the upper level function as sculptural art, casting ever-changing shadows and adding the kind of textural detail that catches a camera’s eye.
Architectural Tension in Sillery Oaks
The property’s aesthetic is a response to its specific context. Situated in Constantia, where rolling vineyards and centuries-old oaks evoke an atmosphere more reminiscent of the English countryside than coastal Africa, the design treads a careful line.
There is a deliberate visual tension at play: contemporary steel frames sit against traditional roof cladding, while industrial metal shelving pairs with reclaimed wood. It is a marriage of the modern and the heritage—a “contemporary farmhouse” vernacular that allows the architecture to breathe. By resisting the urge to fill every corner, the design uses negative space to let key features, such as a floating white cement shelf, command attention with quiet confidence.
A Set for Living: Habitat by Amazing Spaces
Ultimately, Sillery Oaks is about blurred lines—between indoors and outdoors, between security and sculpture, and between the imagined world of film and the reality of daily life.
“Having seen the extraordinary, larger-than-life sets that grace the silver screen, I’m uniquely positioned to translate that Hollywood magic into real, liveable spaces,” explains Finnis-Bedford. It is an approach that prioritises narrative over convention, ensuring the home possesses that elusive quality found in great cinema: true drama.
