Room To Grow

This Stunning Home Has Adapted Time and Again to See Its Owners, and Their Children, Through Various Life Stages

- Phoebe Belmont & Amy Richardson

When architect Joy and her husband, Lucien, began looking for a home that would grow with them, this spacious 1950s-style abode in Durban, South Africa, with a large, lush tropical garden, fitted the bill beautifully. “Back then, it seemed colossal, and I never thought we’d fill it,” remembers Joy. But with the arrival of their son Ben two years later, and then their daughter Stella, soon every part of the house was accounted for. “It’s amazing to reflect on how the house has accommodated us in our different stages of life, from a young couple who barely used the whole house to a family of four with two dogs, as well as a home office,” adds Joy.

The home’s grand dimensions appealed, but what also captured Joy and Lucien’s imagination was the expansive garden. In a subtropical city such as Durban, a pool and shade-providing trees were all-important factors for the couple, who were keen to create a home that delivered a seamless transition between indoors and out. “I think it was the large flat crown tree [a South African native] in the garden that clinched it for me,” recalls Joy.