A touch of nostalgia

It was the Edwardian style of this home in Paarl that fascinated Michael and Janine O’Grady when they bought the house from Janine’s parents five years ago. Although they loved the original wooden floors and high ceilings, the two bathrooms were dated and cramped.

Michael, the owner of a plumbing business, and Janine, who owns Makietie Fabrics, immediately set to work renovating the bathrooms. “We wanted any changes we made to complement the style of the house. Plenty of storage space and clean surfaces were also a priority, especially since we have three children in the household,” says Janine.

The O’Gradys drew up the plans for their new bathrooms in the beach sand at Stilbaai, and from there their dreams became a reality.

Since both bathrooms are compact, they had to devise clever ways to make the most of every centimetre. Each bathroom now boasts a spacious walk-in shower, striking floor tiles and smart solutions for storage and hanging space.

Mirrors from On Tap; floor tiles from Moroccan Warehouse

The O’Gradys changed the layout of the main bedroom’s en suite quite substantially. “We bricked up the door of the original bathroom to enlarge the shower. We no longer have a bath in the house but our walk-in shower serves as a steam room, which is much more waterwise than a bath,” says Janine. The new entrance is through the bedroom closet – this gave them an additional length of wall where the new contemporary vanity now stands. A modern bamboo rack from Weylandts provides more than enough hanging space for towels, while a kokedama provides greenery.