Mint Designer Renovations: Finessing Fernwood

This home by Mint Designer Renovations, perched on the slopes of Table Mountain, lent itself to a fabulous transformation that prompted an exciting opportunity to really play with different materials, texture and colour.

“Wherever I can, I love to magnify the nuances of our beautiful mountain. Its shapes, its colours, its light and textures,” explains Mint’s owner, Sue Lloyd-Roberts.

This renovation nestled just beneath the mountain provided the perfect opportunity to frame it and include it in the finishes. All the windows on the ground floor were therefore replaced with aluminium in a matte umber grey tone, with the biggest being a dramatic mountain kitchen window.

Sue explains: “I wanted the owners to experience ‘slices of light and slices of the mountain’ from different perspectives, whether seated in the lounge or in the dining areas. These ‘slices’ constantly change during the day and during the seasons too.”

The teal and green shades, combined with the black metal and solid oak detail, naturally extend into the house and really frame these ‘natural works of art’. This allows for a real sense of tranquility to flow in.

“One of my favorite aspects of design is the sourcing of the light fittings,” adds Sue. In this home, the mix of lighting plays with glass, rattan and metal, complimenting the tones of the mountain. The soft warm grey in the vinyl flooring allows this story to connect easily with the cabinetry in the kitchen.

The Kitchen Café

Having broken through and extended the kitchen into their original dining room, the thinking behind the design here was to create, for this young family, an informal, easy and accessible breakfast and lunch space. Where, simultaneously mum and dad could sit at the café counter with laptop and coffee while taking in the mountain view.

The gorgeous stacking doors and windows, when opened, reveal an uninterrupted view of the mountain and reservoir. The granite countertop that extends onto the deck allows for effortless entertaining whilst experiencing a beautiful flow between the interior and exterior.

Working with layered materials, Mint chose a dramatic combination of burnt Japanese cedar, in both vertical and herringbone installations, tying in the metal and oak perfectly framing the mountain.

The laundry and scullery form the connection between and link both the more formal side and the kitchen café. This provides easy access from both sides of the kitchen.

The tiles featured in the revamped family bathroom, the guest cloak, the fireplace surround and the entertainment area all have a sense of stone, moss, and the canopy of leaves.

The end result is a beautiful home that features prominent views of the mountain.