Set on two levels alongside the meandering Liesbeek River lined with Poplar trees and with Table Mountain as a backdrop, this magnificently tranquil and private setting lent itself to an equally beautiful transformation.
The Brief
Our brief was to transform this property into a luxurious Gentleman’s home/lodge that offered generous entertainment areas with an easy flow between these spaces both internally and externally.
The biggest challenge being to open it up and invite the light, the trees and mountain in.
Set on two levels both of which were entirely disjointed we needed to focus our attention on bringing it all together. The house ran the full extent of the width of the property so we had to make the space work extremely efficiently.
Height and light remained a vital factor throughout the design phase with big sections of glass to perform both an exceptional aesthetic together with functionality and energy efficiency. Double glazing was used throughout on all the alluminum doors and windows.
The client favoured Natural materials, so these featured high on the agenda when sourcing all the fine finishes of this project from the newly installed mazista slate roof to the custom made cabinetry.
Before
The challenge on the lower level was that the existing space housed a large yoga studio with a small flatlet. A spiral staircase linked the two balconies above and below both with sharp angles. There was no existing third bedroom. There was however, an old long and thin disused outside patio next to the studio with a curved wall supporting the garden above.
The Curved Wall
This curved wall served as my inspiration for the beautiful curve and extension of the new balcony and for the inclusion of a third guest bedroom with en suite bathroom. I loved that it offered in architecture, a soft repeat of the natural curve that the river below followed, so being able to create a better connection between the two and to allow for a natural extension of the outside into the interior flow of the house. This drove the entire inspiration for this magnificent metamorphosis.
Bedrooms and Bathrooms
A critical part of the brief was to have the master bedroom en suite on the upper level and two guest en suite bedrooms on the lower level for visiting family and guests.
Lounge Time
The downstairs studio became the new informal lounge with the two bedrooms leading off on either side offering privacy and a lovely connection with a long galley kitchen to service the entertaining and living for the guests on the lower level.
On the upper level the entire floor was gutted to reveal the desired affect of glassed areas, new mazista slate roofing, stacking doors which lead our onto the newly created balcony. A newly designed garage with generous proportions was essential to comfortably house the cars.
Entertainment being an integral factor to this brief. Constant consideration was given to this.
