You’d be forgiven for assuming Camp Canoe was the work of a Wes Anderson superfan. The cabins marked with embroidered scout badges, the meticulously clashing plaids, the pleasing symmetry of the pegboard kitchens: It’s like a beautiful, Moonrise Kingdom fever dream.

But camp founder Amy Kropman sheepishly admits that she hasn’t even seen all of the director’s films. “I’m not a die-hard fan necessarily,” she laughs. Never mind, though. Andersonphile or not, the result is quirky, quaint, and utterly inviting.

Amy runs the glamping retreat in South Africa’s Cape Winelands with husband Tal, and their boys, Reef and Jax, play underfoot. The Kropmans previously operated a successful boutique hostel in Capetown, but when Covid hit, it offered the family a moment to reassess and figure out their next steps.

“We’re always on the lookout for things people aren’t doing,” says Amy. So when the family moved out to a wine estate and found the property had a collection of heavy-duty safari tents set up out back—the remains of a never-completed vacation-rental project—the opportunity was too enticing for the hospitality power couple to resist. They called up acclaimed South African design firm Mr. with one directive: “Go wild.”

Mr. came back with a presentation focused around Wes Anderson’s playful aesthetic, and while it initially took Amy and Tal totally by surprise, the more they sat with it, the more irresistible they found it. “I became an ambassador of the idea,” laughs Amy. “And now we have Camp Canoe in our backyard, and it embodies that spirit; it’s magnificent.”

The compound includes seven tents that each sleep two or three, with a queen bed for a couple, and a daybed that can accommodate a little one.

Each tent also features a simple pegboard kitchen and Pedersen and Leonard table and chairs, perfect for prepping and enjoying an intimate meal. For bigger groups, the hub tent awaits, with a full kitchen and long dining table—situated beneath a hanging canoe sculpture that Mr. sourced from a nearby vintage shop.

To soften the look of the military-grade safari tents, Mr. focused on covering the canvas walls. Hanging on the back of each tent are quilted, oversized blankets from local maker Casamento. Sandalwood pegboard covers another wall; patches line yet another.

Summer camp has inherent American connotations, but Mr. and the Kropmans took care to put a South African spin on the project. The blankets, for instance, are crafted by local makers, using iconic South African patterns and colors.

While the design is something special, the environment—mountain views, chirping birds, the crystalline waters of the dam—is better than a movie director could even imagine. “Kids in general love being here—it’s a bit of a wonderland,” says Amy. She calls her boys “free-range children” because they spend all day running and climbing and jumping and pretending they’re Davy Crockett. “It’s what childhood is supposed to be.”

Related Reading:

Perfect Pairings: 9 Sofas Match-Made For Every Wes Anderson Movie

A Family of Five Adds a Whimsical Tree House to Their Slice of Paradise

Project Credits:

Location: Camp Canoe / @camp.canoe

Interior Design: Mr. Design Studio / @instabymr

Builder/General Contractor: Tentickle

Landscape Design Company: Delken

Soft Walls: Casamento / @casamentodesign

Graphic Design: Moser Knows Graphic Design / @moser_knows

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