House van Os Alteration & Addition Parkhurst, Johannesburg

My husband and I purchased an old house in a beautiful, very sought after suburb In Johannesburg. The house was originally built in the 60’s and it needed a complete renovation. We wanted to preserve the original style of the area whilst adding a contemporary finish to it. The previous owners had a quirky style, which translated into interesting outdoor spaces, which we also wanted to retain.

We stripped the house down to its basic structure, moved a couple of walls to redistribute the room sizes more evenly; demolished the existing kitchen to open plan the living area; re-planned the bathrooms, the cottage, and added a guest bathroom. We added a pantry and a feature wall to create a reading lounge and an entrance within the main living area.

The entire garden was paved, and we had to lift layers of paving to be able to plant grass; we halved the pool in size, as it was taking up the entire back garden. We also moved the pedestrian entrance to make space for a second garage. Secure parking is essential in South Africa, so it was an necessary value add to the build.

The feedback we have had has been overwhelmingly positive, and we have increased the value of the house by a substantial amount.

I ran the project on site, as well as doing all the drawings, specifications and finishing. It was a hugely successful project, which ran very smoothly. Much can be said for having an excellent contractor!