194 SEPTEMBER 2019BEFORE & AFTER OPEN-PLAN RENOVATION
OPENING
up
Trisha Harinath takes you behind the
scenes of an open-plan renovationBEFORE
wner and designer at Metaphor
Design Lane Reeves was
responsible for the total
renovation of this home that
was originally built in 1934. She
explains that the original property had multiple
interleading rooms off a long, dark passage
that did not allow for natural light to enter.
“There was no integration of the different
living spaces and kitchen, and only one real
bathroom for three bedrooms.”
The brief for the renovation was to create
an environment that would be easy to live
in, beautiful and modern while remaining in line with the aesthetic of the
traditional architecture.
To create the ideal open-plan design, Reeves looked at different layout
options. “Eventually we decided to swap the kitchen with one of the
bedrooms to allow the kitchen to be the hub and create a clear and open path
of light through the central space of the home.”
In terms of challenges, Reeves explains that to get as much light into
the home as possible, one of the first ideas she had was to increase all the
door and window heights. However, she discovered that the ring beam that
encircled the home would result in a very costly engineering nightmare had
she gone with her plan. “Instead, we opted to make the windowsills lower
and this worked out really well.”
The other challenge came from trying to preserve the original parquet
flooring, which was laid in different patterns with intricate borders in certain
spaces. “We had to plan carefully when reconfiguring the spaces so as not to
interfere with these special details.”
Through careful planning and creative thinking, this once dark and closed-
off home is now an airy open-plan space that is bathed in light.
Metaphor Design, http://www.metaphordesign.co.zaO
AFTER