We initially faced some resistance from one or two
neighbours. The house is not in the traditional style which
is quite conservative architecturally. It’s also now painted
charcoal so it stands out a bit. That being said we’re all
friendly now.
The wall on the south elevation in the living room is fully
glazed with three meter tall glass doors at the bottom
opening completely onto a covered external dining table
which seats ten. With the doors open it has a wonderful feel
of the house being open to nature and has the in-out flow
we love.
The master bedroom and little boys’ room are part of the
new additional floor. Unlike the bold and striking palette
of the ground floor upstairs has a soft and serene feel. In
the master bedroom we have white washed floors, under
bedside tables and a bespoke four-poster bed. We have
added gentle texture whilst the ombre green curtains
have a feel of bringing the many surrounding trees into the
space. The extra deep balcony off the bedroom serves as a
peaceful reading space with sun loungers at one end and
chairs and table at the other. There is a beautiful palm tree
happily growing over the balcony and a tall Norfolk pine
beyond which provides shade.
We used a local joiner to make up to my designs the kitchen
units, walk in wardrobes, our four poster bed, dining table,
writing desk, and the drinks bar.
From the UK we shipped half a container of furniture and
some art. Some we sourced for the new house (a beautiful
pair of chairs from Kempton) but the rest was things we
already had. Having moved four times in the last 6 years we
had various pieces furniture and fittings in storage, some
of which we’d almost forgotten about, so it was great to go
through it all and incorporate pieces that worked.
"The house is made from a light steel frame
which I loved working with but it presented a
different set of challenges."
Most of the furniture and art was sourced in South Africa
though including; Pezula Interiors, Weytlands, La Grange,
Block & Chisel, Karu Collection and The Gate House to name
but a few. We’re still furnishing the house and collecting
new pieces as we go.
The house is made from a light steel frame which I loved
working with but it presented a different set of challenges.
There is little room for site adjustments so you have to trust
your design and be very detailed in the information you
provide the steel producers.
I knew about and was interested in a light steel framed
building but hadn't had a chance to work with it until now.
It’s a much more environmentally friendly way of building
and involves a lot less site work which was appealing to me
especially as we are travelling monthly. Most of the structure
is pre-fabricated off site and then assembled very quickly
when it arrives. It’s very exciting to watch it all go into place.
Getting the structural design right for the exposed trusses
in the main living room took a lot of back and forth /
negotiation with the engineer. It’s a big open space and we
really wanted the height we had now which is a 30 degree
pitch. We also wanted scissor trusses as we prefer the look.
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