For the next year or so this blog will be dedicated to the renovation and rebirth of my home in Johannesburg – now newly occupied by myself and my partner Sarah. Her move to Joburg and our decision to stay in this house, at least for the foreseeable future, has prompted us to re-imagine the space.

I am no stranger to renovation, having been a part of four office revamps in the past fifteen years. I am aware, of course, of the pain and expense ahead of me. And of the many treacherous decisions that have to be made – structure, space, fittings, interiors. The disappointing service providers. The missed deadlines. The endless Pinterest boards of homes more beautiful, more lavish and more impressive.

However I have also always want to create my own space – to construct something bespoke which suits my idiosyncrasies. I now have a partner who is up for the challenge and equally excited about the outcome. And so, we begin.

I will post here all the contractors, options, stores and suppliers as we go along and I will do my best to offer some advice where I can.

The house itself is in Craighall Park and is a fairly typical home in this area. It has been renovated previously so that much of it is fairly modern, although some corners were cut. In particular the exterior “cottage” is actually in the prime position on the property whilst the house itself sits somewhat uncomfortably up against the road and behind a beautiful, but huge, oak tree. So it lacks both sunlight and view which are both easy to imagine from the cottage.

So the overall plan – at this early stage – is to move the main bedroom and some kind of living space to the cottage, join it and the house, put in some kind of deck from which to enjoy the sunsets, and then refit and refurnish everything. We are determined to create a space worthy of a Pinterest board rather than just inspired by one.

Wish us luck.