THE OWNERS of a very beautiful property in Rolfe Valley inherited a slightly shabby out building in front of their home. Their exquisite house, set in beautiful gardens, had old weathered slate roofs, bay windows, and all the charm of a rather stately country manor house. But stuck in front of it was a thatched structure that had originally been one big playroom, and was later converted – rather poorly – to a kind of granny flat. It’s the first thing visitors see when approaching the house and it didn’t make a fittingly good impression. The owners sought help from well known home renovators Howes and Homes to help them re-invent the building.
The building had started out as a vast children’s playroom, basically a storage space for toys and games, and then had later been converted (not by the current owners) to a separate dwelling. The wall facing the approach from the driveway was originally blank, with a set of French doors on the opposite side facing the main house. Its oval shape and thatched roof suggested a very African bungalow, which was not in harmony with the English style slate roofed and rather elegant main house. It seemed like an ill-considered and later add-on that didn’t sit well with the main dwelling. At some stage the vast open interior had been divided up and converted to a bedroom, bathroom, sitting room and a simple kitchenette. The owners were keen to make the structure a more integral part of the home.
Howes and Homes completely removed the old thatched roof and added extensive roof structural timbers to support the new slate roof tiles. Old slate tiles were found from a number of different builders who had removed slate tiles on other projects, only to replace them with Chromadek or other roofing options. Slate roofs are very heavy and require extensive trusses to support them; they are difficult and time consuming to install as each tile needs to be individually nailed on and fixed; and they are notorious for leaking. However, Howes and Homes were undaunted by the prospect of facing a difficult and unusual renovation project which required specialised skills. At some stage the old French doors were moved from the back of the structure to the front and new aluminium sliding doors were installed at the back, opening the interior up to the pool and landscaped garden, which formed a kind of linking outdoor courtyard with the main house.
The interior layout of the building remained mostly unchanged, although hugely renovated and re-fitted. The bedroom is separated from the main space by a dry wall wooden partition, which has built in cupboards on the bedroom side. The open plan lounge and kitchen area was re-configured to make the kitchen larger and the door to the bathroom was moved around from behind a partition in the kitchen to provide more suitable access from the lounge. This meant that the kitchen was more contained without being broken up by a rather inconvenient and unsightly doorway.
The kitchen was completely re-fitted with new melamine faced cabinets with elegant new handles and granite counter tops creating a single integrated and elegant work space. Granite tops were supplied by Les Williams from Home Improvements while the kitchen units were fitted by one of Howes and Homes most trusted contractors Nhamu Murwira. At first glance the granite tops appear to be a single seamless piece, and it’s only on taking a closer look that the joins can be seen. The old door which was reused for the bathroom entrance– a kind of plain, slatted, cottagey door was preserved and now looks chic and elegant in a French Provencal style. Larger wall tiles were hand cut into smaller pieces to make a splashback panel that resembles the hippest ‘metro tiles’. Moving the door also made space for a new modern fridge which together with other up-dated appliances brings the kitchen right up to date.
The bathroom was extensively refurbished. Originally the toilet and bathroom had been spate spaces but they were now combined into one single, elegant, and more practical space. In the new configuration a new shower was installed as well as a new wall mounted vanity unit, totally updating the space. The wall tiles were cut up into smaller squares to create a kind of mosaic effect for the shower floor. Of course the bathroom needed a chandelier to add a final touch of luxury.
In the main section the owner has furnished the space with a selection of old family heirlooms including a matching pair of antique chairs, an ornately carved mirror and a deco style sideboard. The overall ambiance is a feel of country elegance with a dash of African style. Views to the back over the landscaped pool area and to the front over the lush garden make this a special and unique space with echoes of an African heritage in an old European style.
by Michael Nott
