Vivez Bien * Live Well

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Weekend cottage - Swartland


I have been MIA for a while. We had an eventful Saturday last weekend with both a burst appendix and a burst geyser. I'm pleased to report that my 10 year old came home from hospital on Thursday and he is making good progress. The house also survived the burst geyser with no damage, so all is good!




Just a short post today to show you the house that was the House and Leisure's (a South African magazine) "House of the Year" last year. It is the weekend getaway of a talented architect based in Johannesburg





The renovation of what is now called The White House was conducted long-distance for a year and a half. The challenge for the owner was to find a balance between keeping the integrity of the original house and reworking it for modern living. ‘If you don’t give old buildings new life, nobody wants to live in them,’ she says.




 As in many period houses, an array of small rooms led off from a central passageway.  The owner wanted a country house that was open and sociable … a space for relaxed living. Interior walls were knocked out to create a vast open-plan kitchen, dining and living room space. To add to the sense of flow,  the owner removed the timber floors in the dining area and opted to install quartz-based flooring throughout the living space, extending it seamlessly outdoors. 







Many of the original features of the house were retained, including the exterior walls which give the cottage it's distinctive character. The
 windows with original internal shutters were just scraped down and lime-washed. 






The cottage had great proportions with high ceilings to keep it cool in summer.




Touches of colour, some African artefacts and a huge frame leaning casually against a wall all add up to an eclectic and inviting living space.







I'll be back on Monday with some Musings. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.


Till then


Sharon x


Source: here

15 comments:

  1. Sharon you have had an unpleasant week glad to hear your son and home are both safe and sound.

    That's a beautiful home and I'm a tad jealous of all the light you have in SA. As owners of a very old home these owners are right nobody wants to live in a house that doesn't function in todays world and they did a beautiful job.

    Enjoy your weekend!
    XX
    Debra~

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my gosh! I am so glad your son is OK. That must of been frighting. Hope now things will be calm for you. Life does throw us a curve ball sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love the walls and how fresh this house looks.
    So beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Exactly. If you don't give old houses new life no one wants to live in them. I can turn a warthog into a jewel box given enough time & money, like most of us ladybugs. xx's

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wishing your son a speedy recovery, glad he is ok. Just admiring your vegie garden.x

    ReplyDelete
  6. Glad your son is ok. This is a lovely home that you shared!
    We need to do our house swap some day (need to save those airline miles). Bring the boys to California :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. This home is a stunner! I particulary like the exterior and the use of white throughout. Happy to hear your son is OK. Leahx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Superbe cette maison ! J'aime particulièrement l'extérieur ... J'aime beaucoup toute cette blancheur ...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy to hear you all are ok!!! Hopefully you will go back to normality soon!! a big kiss

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello Sharon, thank you for sharing. The cottage almost looks like an Irish cottage, but the decor is different. I imagine it is lovely and cool inside an antidote to the heat outside. Glad your son is home, and I hope he is recovering well. Sorry to hear about the burst geyser too, hopefully all is calm and restored now. Have a relaxing Sunday, love Linda x

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am so glad your some is doing well, that must have scared you both!! I love the old walls of this home-beautiful! Leslie

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am happy to hear your son is well. My son had the same event when he was young, so I know how frightening it can be. This house is charming with the stone walls, high ceilings and incredibly beautiful light. Thanks for showing it.
    Best...Victoria

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sharon,
    Happy to hear your family survived the bursting issues. Nice to have your son home and on the road to full recovery.
    I love this house. I read that white roofs are the most energy efficient. The overall effect of this white brick and roof is spectacular. So fresh and pretty.
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh my gosh Sharon I just found this post. So sorry to hear about your son being in the hospital! Glad he's home and I hope he's on the mend and feeling better! Another GORGEOUS home my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  15. hope your boy gets better fast, sending him lost of love and light...
    what a home you feature here Sharon. i asbolutely adore the living area lovely mirrors, and mirror frames, grogeous space...

    ReplyDelete