Stunning facelift for a Victorian grand dame in Cape Town

This classic Victorian home has been lovingly restored with a modern open-plan design and trendy touches.

St. Bedes Cots No. 1, 1895. This is the inscription on the marble stone at the front gate of this house in Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town. If the original owners of the house were to stand at the gate today, they would recognise the façade – but that would be all, because on the other side of the front door a whole new look awaits...

Gone is the dark hallway with all the doors leading to equally dark rooms. Now, from the threshold, you can see right through a light-filled space to the back where the house ends in a glass-covered atrium and an outdoor courtyard.

This is one of the features that Leán and Michael Muller, who are currently renting out the house, love the most.

Glass does the trick

“The atrium brings fantastic light into the house,” says Leán. “It’s an old Victorian house and there was very little light, but the atrium and glass doors have made an incredible difference. There is an effortless flow from the interior to the outdoors – the kids used to play outside all the time.”

The Mullers tackled the renovation in two parts. Ella was seven months old when they moved in here in January 2019 and the first part of the project was completed by the end of that year. Shortly after Jamie’s birth in February 2020, it was time for the second instalment.

“It was quite a story!” says Leán. “Everything happened bit by bit around us during the Covid-19 lockdown.”

But when the restoration was finally completed, the Mullers were only able to enjoy their beautiful home for four months because Michael was offered a job opportunity in Amsterdam. The family moved overseas and left St. Bedes in the hands of tenants. >>

[ LEÁN’S TIPS FOR RENOVATORS]

• Live in the house first before renovating or restoring it, because what you think will work or look good initially is not necessarily true after you’ve lived in it for a few months (or even through all the seasons).

• Get good advice from experts – from neighbours who have done restorations to architects, builders and agents. You want to add value but not spend more than you’ll get back when you sell later.

• Make sure you and the contractor understand each other 100%. We made sure about everything before construction started, and were involved throughout. Unplanned issues always pop up, so it’s vital to be able to communicate effectively with your contractor. You also need to trust that you are getting the best advice.

• Decide where you can spend more money. For example, we installed quality tiles, sanitary ware, windows and doors, as well as quartz in the kitchen.

An open plan

When the Mullers were house-hunting, it was this home’s wooden floors, front stoep, high ceilings, wooden finishes and timber doors that stole their hearts.

“We wanted to retain its old Victorian character but also bring light into the typically dark semi-detached house,” says Leán.

“The biggest challenge was the layout, which was almost U-shaped, with virtually no light entering from the sides. We wanted an open-plan living space that opened onto the courtyard, and added a second bathroom.

“Paint colours were important in bringing out our home’s classic character while also creating a fresh and modern look.”

Although Leán and Michael were clear on what their home needed, they turned to Kyle Coetzee and Stacey Russell of House2Homesa for professional help. (See Stacey and her husband Aaron’s home on page 34).

Their brief to Kyle and Stacey, who specialise in interior design and project management, was to lift the darkness and create a more open-plan space. Which is precisely what they got.

“The house was also enlarged with the addition of the atrium and new doors,” explains Leán. “The new kitchen and bathrooms, and the cupboards, were also excellent additions.”

And the best part of the restoration?

“Definitely the way the atrium was designed and the addition of an extra bathroom – these were not easy solutions. And the excellent use of our available space!”

Although they now live in romantic Amsterdam, Leán remembers well “how close their home is to Rocklands Beach and Green

Point’s beautiful park, and the fresh smell of the ocean”. >>

Photographs Greg Cox • Production Marian van Wyk

Artificial grass in the courtyard (left) always looks good and is thick and soft so the kids can happily play on it. Ella (below) plays on the stoep, which gets lovely morning sun. In summer, the Mullers loved to relax under the two giant Ficus trees; they also enjoyed the smell of the ocean from here.

The original Oregon pine floor is separated from the new vinyl tiles by a step (above centre). The bookshelves were hand-medowns that the Mullers painted black to match the interior. The courtyard is visible in the background; it provides a refuge from the noise of the traffic in the neighbourhood.

Plant from @home; candle from Woolworths

Tiles in a herringbone pattern decorate the main bathroom. Laundry basket from Weylandts

Picture and rug from MRP Home

All of the ceilings and Oregon pine floors in the front part of the home were retained as a nod to the history of St. Bedes. The half-moon stained-glass window in the hallway and marble fireplace in the living room are also original elements of the house.

Leán and Michael with Ella and Jamie. The front door was painted pink in honour of the two little girls.