Modern CLASSIC

With authenticity as a guiding design principle, a young family has created their happy space in a 105-year-old house in the heart of vibrant Sea Point.

- Marian van Wyk

We need to buy this house," Rob said as he and Taryn stepped out of the 105-year-old Sea Point home they viewed on a whim. It was spring 2017, and Taryn was delighted: "I assumed Rob would need some convincing. The house already felt like my space, even though it had some quirks, such as a courtyard that could only be accessed via a small alley door, and an unconventional layout."

Rob, who saw the potential of creating the outdoor entertainment space of his dreams in the soulless courtyard, needed no convincing. He works in the tech industry, but has a keen interest in interior design, and his head was already spinning with ideas.

"I've been designing my family's interiors since I was in high school. I love improving spaces, and I'm very aware of how much my physical environment affects both my mood and productivity," he explains.

A successful transition

By the time they moved in in May 2018, the demolition work such as opening the back bedroom (now their home office) into the courtyard had been done. And after another renovation in 2021 - the couple added a shower room upstairs - they are blissfully happy with their transition from an apartment to a family home where they can still enjoy an urban lifestyle, right in the heart of a bustling neighbourhood.

"Living 30 seconds from Sea Point's Main Road has been the best part of this house for me," says Rob. "We use the supermarket as our pantry, the hardware store as my work shed and the promenade and beaches as our garden."