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