This heritage home in the established suburb of Rosebank in Cape Town had had a poorly executed extension done at the back of the property at some point in its past, but fortunately, the front part of the house was still fairly original. After years of neglect and a layout that didn’t suit family living, it needed a complete redesign.
We restored the Victorian section with its elegant large Teak windows and sprung floors. We decided to demolished and rebuild the rear extension, raising the roof at the same time to make way for a system of three meter tall bespoke steel and glass doors…think lazing on your sofa looking out at the tree tops and clouds drifting by. The old and new sections got opened up forming a clear line of sign from front to back and are linked by a continuous bagged wall built using recycled bricks from the demolition. The kitchen was shifted to a central location and constructed from locally sourced solid materials. Interesting fact: The predominant timber used in the joinery is Japanese cedar, which we had machined from logs that had been abandoned by a film production.
Many of the details and light fittings were designed and made in our studio for this project.
The result is a timeless home for easy family living with a beautiful contrast between old and new.