Fresh architecture

Any vintage piece should be functional, timeless and beautiful. – Serina

Although Serina is well-known for her vintage merchandise, she prefers contemporary architecture. “I’ve always loved a house in a modern style as it’s clean and fresh.”

The exterior of the home has a beach feel, especially with its shiplap Nutec cladding. On the inside, it’s clean and open with light grey-green walls and a single raw brick wall finished in white cement for a bit of texture.

Just as Eugene and Serina wanted, the living areas and main bedroom are situated on the upper level. Below are two bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom and a separate entrance and patio.

“Building a house isn’t easy,” she says. “You really need to be constantly involved in the process, otherwise things can go wrong with huge financial implications. At our age, you also don’t get a bond easily, so we had to build with cash – it can be quite nerve-racking and, for the most part, it was a matter of faith!” Serina and Eugene tackled the final finishes of the house with the help of subcontractors. They asked Chico Shumane, a contractor with whom they had previously worked, to come from Cape Town with his own team of painters and tilers. “It was the best decision,” says Serina. “I really believe that good painters can recognise potential problems and with the correct preparation and good quality paint, they can make a huge difference to the final outcome. The right floor covering completes the picture.”