Romantic Intentions

Through careful restoration, a heritage home in Cape Town is re-imagined as a high-glam escape from the bustle of urban living.

The entrance hall, with its white walls, solid timber flooring, and solid brass chandelier, immediately sets the quietly dramatic theme that is carried out throughout the home.

Homeowner Bruce Peach was looking for a home that veered away from the modern and soulless. “He wanted to live in an urban environment but from the spaces he required a sense of heritage,” says interior decorator Lindie Ferreira, who was tasked with making the homeowner’s vision a reality. “He loves authenticity and history, having spent so many years living in London, so opted for this smaller home that offered quality over quantity.”

It should come as little surprise, given the home’s status, that an update was in order. Over many years — and owners — the home had gradually lost its lustre, becoming not only quite ordinary, but losing touch with its unique architectural history. It required a nuanced strategy that was equal parts renovation and restoration.

The original Oregon pine floorboards were sanded down to reveal their natural grain, the ceiling planks removed to reveal the imperfect, hand-hewn planks above, that, along with the widening of room entrances, immediately created voluminous, open-plan spaces.

Not only did this reestablish the flow of the house, but also clearly set the mandate for what was required of the interiors: a feeling of cool serenity, of modern elegance, and an almost ethereal lightness unpinned by a reverence to site.

The entrance hall, with its white walls, solid timber flooring, and solid brass chandelier, immediately sets the quietly dramatic theme that is carried out throughout the home.

But it isn’t all old-school glamour, as Ferreira is quick to note that this is a house geared towards modern living and, though it fully embraces its architectural roots, never at the cost of modern comfort. “Take the kitchen,” she says, as an example. “It’s a workhorse, a demanding and practical room that is at the same time personal and also highly technical.”

To this end, the entire space was modernised according to Peach’s requirements, most notably with the installation of the timber island that serves not only as a social gathering point, but also a well-planned storage unit, leaving the surfaces clean and uncluttered without breaking the free-flow of space from the formal living and dining rooms to the cosy lounge and outdoor area.

Similarly, there is a raw naturalness to the upholstery that infuses the interiors with a feeling of light and air. When it came to furniture pieces, Ferreira opted for a mismatch of chairs and tables, a clever synergy between Cape antiques, touches of Quaker-style simplicity, and bold Brazilian modernist collectables. “All of these feed into the materiality of the home: the grain of the wood, the flecks in the marble, there’s an honesty that isn’t over embellished,” she explains. “It’s precisely because of these noble materials that the interiors of this house will never date.”

In the main, marble-clad bathroom, a photograph of Dita Von Teese is prominently displayed above the bath.

For Ferreira, the small guest cloakroom has become her favourite room in the house, an irreverent streak in the decorating that serves as something of a tonic to the otherwise sober, more pared-back interior scheme. “That was my little crazy moment,” she says,” because the rest of the house is so serene I could create this little jewel that offered an entirely different experience.” After more than a little convincing on her behalf, Ferreira finally got Peach to agree on using the 1800s William Morris ‘Snakehead’ wallpaper, which paired perfectly with mirror and antique brass lights.

In the main, marble-clad bathroom, a photograph of Dita Von Teese is prominently displayed above the bath.

“I think the house is really successful, because even though every room is so specific in its function and appointment there is still this common thread, this feeling of congruency,” she says. “After all that’s what we set out to achieve, living spaces that both challenge and enthral.”