Binnekring Road, Stellenbosch, Western Cape | Alterations & Refurbishment | 2022
A 1960s home is given a new lease on life with small design interventions. The brief as very simple: keep true to the mid century modern style of the house yet at the same time modernising it for today’s family. The next constraint was to reuse as many of the existing joinery and fittings. Although the house is not a “master piece’ of mid century design ( particularly from the outside), the interiors speak somewhat differently. What ensued was a close working collaboration with the owners – a blurred line between interior design intervention and architectural elements. The main layout change is the introduction of the contemporary “open-plan” living theme with strategic wall to ceiling openings between the kitchen and living/dining areas. Keep the original sense of place by not opening up the kitchen completely. These new openings are inspired by built-in kitchen/door unit. And the glass toplights of one of the bedroom doors.
The house had an “inwards” living attitude: a new full length timber doors with toplight in the kitchen creates a connection between inside and outside. Furthermore, this helped get more natural light into the house. Strategically placed skylights aid this – one in the kitchen and one in the passage. The long, dark passage is now pleasant: a floor-to-ceiling opening in the passage creates a sense of connection and continuation between the two arms of the passage. These are just some of the many minor interventions done to the house – small interventions, big results.
