Douglas & Company Architects recently renovated a 120-year-old Victorian home in Green Point, Cape Town. The single story cottage takes its name from when it was previously part of a series of three identical cottages called Arklow I-III. The new structure is predominantly made from South African Pine timber, brick, and natural stone, though original features were preserved when possible.
The front of the home remains largely the same as before, but two windows protruding from the roof add a touch of modernity. The roof harvests rainwater that is used to operate the washing machine, dishwasher, and bathrooms.
Designed to offer a healthy mix of private and public spaces, the home is divided into two zones. The ground floor maintains its original, private layout with the addition of a bathroom and staircase. In order to bring some light into the previously dark space, a courtyard was added to the rear.
The next level features a bedroom, a bathroom, and a study that looks over a cozy living space. A selection of interior furnishings from Douglas & Company’s furniture range is on display in multiple rooms, including the E.1027 Credenza and McSorley’s Wonderful Saloon bar cart.
Throughout the home, roof trusses are exposed to bring an element of nature into the space. Any extra trusses were removed and used to create striking interior details.
While the front façade of the home still offers a quaintness reminiscent of the structure’s past, the rear offers a completely modern counterpart. Large sliding doors open up onto a terrace that overlooks the new courtyard below.
Photos by David Southwood.

3 Comments
Peter Storms on 04.08.2020 at 11:42 AM
It would be nice if stories like this would include some before pictures to give a better idea of the scale of the changes made to the structure. I can’t fully appreciate the architect/designer’s vision without seeing where they started.
Mark on 04.09.2020 at 05:21 AM
Did the owners do the design? Otherwise would love to see who did the work
George Hudacko on 04.13.2020 at 10:11 AM
All the art photos but no sense of the space as a real person. Why?
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