ON THE JOB...
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The hallway was the first space the couple tackled after they moved in. “It lacked any character,” Karien says. “Many of the floor tiles were broken and the walls were in desperate need of fresh paint.”
3 “A varnish job gone wrong made the old pressed wood kitchen cupboards look dirty, even when they weren’t!” says Karien. The space was also dark and appeared much smaller than it was. The couple really wanted to get rid of the cupboards but were on a budget so they decided to keep the bottom ones and simply update them. “Adriaan and I spent days sanding them to remove all the varnish!” says Karien.
4 “In the bathroom, our first step was to remove all the old wall and floor tiles – a job my mother Louise Fourie (far right) and I tackled,” explains Karien. The window was bricked up and the entire room plastered with Coprox Masonry Waterproofing. However, not everything went according to plan… “We initially hired a masonry worker to do the plasterwork but he turned out to be a painter who knew nothing about plastering! We only discovered this after a few days. We then spent almost a week trying our hand at the plasterwork, which didn’t go well. Eventually, we hired a different masonry worker who managed to complete the job after a lot of time, effort and money had been wasted!”
2
A wall between the back of the house and an adjoining flatlet was demolished to create an airy open-plan dining room and lounge.
I don’t like dark spaces or dark furniture; I like clean lines and everything must be in its place. Keeping everything light and fresh settles me. – Karien