The site, originally the milk shed serving Morningside, had long since become dilapidated when JRD Studio first encountered it.
Encumbered by haphazard extensions and gradual neglect, a once unassuming agricultural building became patched together with awkward additions over time, resulting in a maze-like interior. The redesign required sensitivity and ingenuity. The brief was complex but straightforward: design a home that pays homage to its roots while reconstructing a contemporary sanctuary for modern living.
The clients wanted a private master suite with discreet access to the pool, lounge, kitchen, and patio, while still housing two additional bedrooms and a separate lounge for guests. Privacy and flow had to be introduced into a space whose internal warren-like divisions at the time resisted both. JRD Studio commenced breaking down the patchwork of interior walls, reconfiguring the plan around sequence and utility. Their design philosophy embraces the principles of classic minimalism, where spaces are pared down to their essence, foregrounding simplicity and functionality.
Light and flow
At the core of the redesign, a wide central passage becomes more than a traditional corridor. Rather, it’s translated into a gallery, showcasing the client’s extensive South African art collection, while seamlessly linking the bedrooms and living areas. With a 2,35m width and the addition of a clerestory window, natural light floods in. Glimpses of the bamboo in the master bathroom ground the interior’s link to the garden. This generous passage eliminates the labyrinthine partitions and creates a space connecting all areas whilst still allowing each room to breathe.
The material selection was equally thoughtful. Timber flooring was chosen to bring warmth to the interiors, its inherent tactility counterbalancing the sharp lines of the spaces. Charcoal aluminium cladding on the exterior — selected for its durability as well as its sophistication — introduces a dark, masculine perspective to the home’s light-filled centre. Internally, stone counters and large-format tiles bring weight and permanence, lending the home a sense of timelessness and merging classic and modern elements.The grounds, too, required a dramatic transformation. The garden, now a dense forest, was teeming and unkempt. The vacant and derelict milk shed housed rotting trusses and a resident beehive that was delicately and sustainably relocated. Opting to retain this vestige rather than demolish it, JRD Studio restored and reconfigured it, cladding it in aluminium and adding an exterior spiral staircase to create a work-from-home space above. The addition of a kitchenette, bathroom, and lounge created a fully self-contained guest suite, private yet effortlessly woven into the fabric of the property.
JRD Studio’s meticulousness reveals itself in every design choice, discreet but meaningful. The addition of an outdoor shower in the atrium positions the master bathroom as a retreat as much as a utility. Sliding doors connect the interior with the exterior, framing the garden and creating a sense of continuity with nature, while double-glazing provides comfort and insulation. Slatted timber walls with concealed entries maintain privacy without compromising on openness. Bespoke elements, such as custom vanities and crafted finishes, including a one-of-a-kind front door handle, highlight the project’s commitment to exquisite craftsmanship.
A house reborn
The result of this redesign is more than just a house; it is a thoughtful consideration of memory, materiality, and modern living. An abandoned milk shed has been reimagined as a contemporary residence that embodies flow, light, and understated elegance. This once-fragmented site is renewed as a sophisticated sanctuary. JRD Studio’s vision emerges as a home that demonstrates respect for its origins while remaining oriented towards a future marked by generosity, simplicity, and innovation.
MEET THE TEAM
Architects: JRD Studio | Landscape Designer: Maren Bodenstein Landscaping | Structural Engineer: Stem Structural Engineers | Contractor: PMK Construction | Solar System Installation: Versofy Solar | Gas Installation: High Speed Gas | Borehole Drilling: EDRS Boreholes
SUPPLIERS
Countertops and Custom Vanities: Primo Marble and Granite | Pocket Doors and Sliding Screens: Addeco Carpentry | Lighting: Streamlight | Cabinetry and Door Glass: Fourways Glass | Structural Steel: BSI Steel and African Steel | Doors: Van Acht Doors | External Wall Cladding: BDW sheeting | Planting: CND Nursery | Cabinetry: Specialised Woodworking Projects | Custom Tiling: Integrated Flooring Systems | Aluminium Doors and Windows: Glassville Projects
