Favorites

The kitchen cabinets have also been cleverly designed by 4 S Architecture to combine a luxury appearance with cost-effective construction. The carcasses were sourced from DIY Kitchens and delivered preassembled, which cut down on labor costs. While the white cabinet doors are also from DIY Kitchens, the cherry veneered doors are bespoke. “We worked with as many off-the-shelf products as we could to minimise cost and added a few bespoke items to elevate the scheme,” explains architect Julia Hamson.

Engelsman gave the kitchen an L-shaped layout with a large island workspace at the center, and pushed the tall storage into the garage, to create a wide circulation space to access the dining room and backyard.

A skylight was added to bring in more light, and the existing ceilings painted Benjamin Moore ‘Black Tar’ for contrast. The island pendant is the Schoolhouse Ray 17” Pendant and the stools are the Artek Aalto High Chair K65.

Boy Boy fabricated the framing for the flue shroud and base, which was then finished with plaster, and given a limestone benchtop. The Arto Ceramic tile extends into the kitchen, which has a preserved wood ceiling with new skylights.

Natural light provides the kitchen with an ethereal quality.

The existing Macael marble counters were polished to restore its original appearance. The cabinets were refinished, and additional tiles installed to accommodate a new opening for the fridge. The sink was relocated, and the space left by the old sink was replaced with a built-in wooden cutting board. The floors are terrazzo.

A view looking into into the kitchen, which features an original light well and two art pieces by unknown painters.

Polished concrete floors and pale clay plaster on the walls were used throughout the kitchen and living spaces.

The custom dining table—which was made by a local artisan—is located in front of west-facing windows that frame the sunset in the evenings. The table can be easily moved inside or out depending on the weather.

Gibson built a window bench out of birch plywood and that was paired with an Ikea table and a vintage Cesca chair by Marcel Breuer in the dining nook.

Incisive openings to the garden make the interior feel more spacious. “The interior spaces have a generosity and benefit through actively borrowing external views,” says Bokey-Grant.

Motta also built the breakfast nook, which was finished with vintage Bertoia chairs. The artwork throughout the home is a mix of Tiffany’s pieces and photographs, the work of friends, and pieces found on the website Fy.

In the dining room, a tabletop ceramic by Marlene Steyn is one of many South African artworks in the colorful home.

The upper floor layout was rejiggered so that the kids' bedroom could be relocated, and now a cantilevered addition at the back of the house hosts a library space with full-height glass capturing a view to the backyard. The built-in shelving has a rich blue laminate, and the tiled wall to the left denotes the light well into the kitchen.

Made of oak, a wall of shelves accommodates an office nook accented with a slim Superlight table lamp from Pablo.

Custom-milled built-ins provide ample storage.