Albert Road

Renovating an historic home is not a task for the faint of heart. From securing heritage and council committee approvals to dealing with unforeseen structural challenges and placating neighbours located at close proximity while noisy equipment does its necessary work, it’s a process that is both complex in design terms and costly in execution – overall, a major challenge. And so it was with this Victorian cottage in Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, which was built in 1904 and is set in a terraced row of houses on one of the suburb’s most charming tree-lined streets. The design planning process here included carefully weighing up each aspect and element of the house, from the characteristic cast-iron trim on its façade to its original wooden floors, mouldings and fireplace. All of these aspects have been retained and renewed, and with the addition of further wall panelling and mouldings, as well as cleverly revised room arrangements, have enabled the interiors to be brought up to date in a manner that elegantly acknowledges the past while also extending it practically and aesthetically into the present. Completely new aspects of the design include the substantially expanded and updated kitchen, and the creation above this enlarged space of a first-floor bedroom suite with its own private balcony courtyard.