Opening it up

The original cottage was basically a rectangle with a bathroom; there was no kitchen. “The windows were small, making it cold and dark, the ceiling was low, and the floor was covered with those terracotta tiles that used to be so popular,” Deidre recalls. “My idea was to open it up and add volume by removing the ceiling.” At that stage, she wasn’t sure what was above the ceiling; fortunately, she loves the honey-coloured trusses and the way they contrast with the black waterproofing. “Because the roof is covered with slate tiles, the waterproofing membrane is quite thick and we just replaced sections of it,” she says.

All the electrical wiring in the roof had to be redone so that it’s not visible. Luckily, the plumbing was concealed under the floor. To highlight the trusses, Deidre had small spotlights installed which bring the roof to life at night. “I think it’s so important to direct light up as well as down,” she adds.

The cottage was extended on one side to form a long galley kitchen and a powder room was incorporated into the living area. On the opposite side, a study was built on, as well as an open-plan bedroom and bathroom with a toilet hidden behind folding shutter doors.

Both spaces have floor-to-ceiling windows and doors that open onto a veranda with views of the adjoining golf course.

“To make the most of the view, we added a covered patio,” Deidre explains. “The beam and column used to construct it were left over from a project we did some years ago, so all that was needed was the opaque polycarbonate roof.” >>

Since this section of the kitchen is visible from the living room, Deidre wanted it to look furnished rather than fitted. The cabinets were painted in the same colour as the house, Grey Tones No. 9 from Barney’s Paint Centre. Carved wooden cows from Amatuli

The covered patio is protected from the elements, so Deidre can enjoy the view all year round.

The pendant lights in the kitchen are old VW headlights.