Before/After: Ranch House and Cottage

This home presented itself as the classic "renovator's delight." With a pokey floorplan and dark spaces, we opened it up, flooding it with light and a new life.

Let there be light: by opening up this home's living spaces, we created more room to grow

The South African family who purchased this ranch-style home in 2014 had definite ideas about how the home should function: it needed to grow with their young family as well as house a large collection of antiques and family heirlooms.

One step at a time

There were two buildings on site with the owner initially wanting to renovate the ranch-style home to reflect a Hamptons' aesthetic and later on to transform an old machinery shed into a man cave. A home office was planned for the home along with an opening out of spaces to increase entertaining options as well as accommodating larger pieces including a grand piano and oversized furniture.

The entrance was enlarged, double glazed windows added and dry stone to ground the dwelling

The ceilings were raised to lend open plan living spaces gravitas, and plenty of storage allowed the family to rotate pieces seasonally or as the mood took them. By using a crisp colour palette of white and simple fixtures, the stage is set for special pieces to stand out in a quietly opulent setting.

After four years, the machinery shed was tackled. Now, with a teenage daughter in the family, a man cave was seen as less of a priority than a space where she could retreat as her need for greater independence increased. The machinery shed was completely rebuilt with new weatherboard cladding and a floorplan that accommodated a bedroom, living area and two bathrooms.

A machinery shed was transformed into a self-contained cottage

What's next

The colours and textures selected for the home are designed for longevity and to showcase activity and special pieces. The owners view their renovated home as a permanent residence where they can continue to live as their family needs change.