Studio Ashby transforms Tamodi Estate & Polo Reserve

At Tamodi Estate & Polo Reserve in South Africa's Western Cape, Studio Ashby has created interiors where craftsmanship, landscape and quiet luxury combine to offer a new vision of contemporary countryside hospitality

WORDS BY SPACE EDITORIAL

Luxury hospitality has long been associated with grandeur, but a new generation of boutique retreats is redefining the experience through something far more understated: calm. Across the world's most sought-after destinations, designers are moving away from spectacle in favour of spaces that encourage guests to slow down, reconnect with nature and experience a stronger sense of place. Few recent openings embody this philosophy more completely than Tamodi Estate & Polo Reserve, an intimate ten-suite retreat nestled within the landscapes of South Africa's Western Cape. Situated between the Robberg Peninsula and the protected wilderness of the Garden Route, Tamodi occupies an enviable setting beneath the Tsitsikamma Mountains, where ocean breezes, indigenous vegetation and an equestrian tradition shape the identity of the estate. Rather than competing with its surroundings, the project embraces them, creating a destination where architecture, interiors and landscape exist in quiet harmony.

Central to that vision is Studio Ashby, whose founder Sophie Ashby (raised between South Africa and the UK) has brought a deeply personal understanding of the region to the interiors. Working from the studio's London and Cape Town offices, Ashby has developed spaces that balance refined contemporary design with the warmth and authenticity of local craftsmanship, avoiding unnecessary ornament in favour of natural materials, generous proportions and tactile detail. The estate is organised around a central clubhouse conceived less as a traditional hotel lobby than as a private country residence. A library and reading room, terraces overlooking the landscape and a swimming pool encourage guests to linger throughout the day, while the boundaries between interior and exterior are softened through expansive openings, timber decks and carefully framed views. Stone, timber, clay and textured finishes reinforce a palette rooted in the surrounding landscape, creating interiors that feel both timeless and unmistakably connected to place.

Tamodi Estate & Polo Reserve Library and Reading Room. Image credit: Tamodi Estate & Polo Reserve

Within the guest suites, Studio Ashby has deliberately resisted wholesale reinvention, instead refining the existing layouts through furniture, colour and craftsmanship. Each suite spans more than 100 square metres and features a fireplace, freestanding bath and panoramic views across the reserve, while bespoke furniture, layered textiles and carefully considered lighting create a residential atmosphere rather than a conventional luxury hotel aesthetic. Bang & Olufsen audio systems and movable decorative lamps allow guests to tailor the ambience to their own rhythm, reinforcing the estate's emphasis on personal comfort over technological wow factors. Materiality plays an equally important role in establishing Tamodi's identity. Large handwoven rugs, crafted in Cape Town on looms developed specifically for the project, introduce texture and warmth beneath a colour palette inspired directly by the Western Cape landscape: olive greens, terracotta, lavender, sky blue and deep earth tones.

Bespoke timber furniture sits alongside South African antiques, including traditional riempie pieces, while handcrafted ceramics and locally produced accessories further strengthen the connection between design and place. Nearly 80 per cent of the furnishings have been sourced locally, complemented by carefully selected European vintage pieces. Art is treated as another layer of storytelling rather than decoration. Curated by Sophie Ashby in collaboration with Reservoir Projects, the collection brings together works by emerging and established South African artists whose compositions echo the palette and materiality of the interiors. Elsewhere, an underused corner of the clubhouse has been transformed into the Library Bar – complete with an honesty bar, games table and shelves dedicated to South African culture, travel and design – creating an informal social hub that feels closer to a private home than a hotel lounge.

That residential quality extends throughout the guest experience. Seasonal menus celebrate ingredients from the estate's own gardens and neighbouring producers, while an extensive South African wine collection reflects centuries of regional viticulture. Beyond the interiors, polo remains an integral part of Tamodi's identity, with stables, training facilities and invitation-only tournaments complementing walking trails, vineyard visits, wildlife encounters and horseback excursions across the surrounding landscape. Looking ahead, the estate will continue to evolve through the addition of a spa, wellness café, restaurant and further guest suites, alongside an environmental rehabilitation programme focused on restoring indigenous fynbos vegetation and wider biodiversity.

Together with community initiatives supporting local education, the expansion reflects an approach to hospitality that considers sustainability and social responsibility as intrinsic elements of the guest experience rather than separate initiatives. Tamodi Estate & Polo Reserve demonstrates that the most memorable hospitality experiences often emerge from restraint. Through Studio Ashby's thoughtful interiors, locally rooted craftsmanship and an unwavering connection to the Western Cape landscape, the estate offers a compelling example of how design can slow the pace of modern life, creating spaces that invite guests not simply to visit, but to truly inhabit their surroundings.