Brave Heart

When Debbie and Robert Coombe couldn’t find a suitable house for their growing family, they took on the challenge of rebuilding their own

Apart from the L-shaped footprint, our new home in no way resembles the original,” says Debbie Coombe. Some time ago, she and her husband, Robert, realised that their family of five had outgrown their house in Kenilworth, Cape Town. “Our daughter had to move out of her room to accommodate guests, and the sewing room, which had been the perfect nursery for our youngest son, was proving too small for a bedroom,” recalls Debbie, who also needed a larger office as she works from home.

As well as needing more space, the Coombes wanted a covered patio and an open-plan living area that would make entertaining and spending time as a family more social. “We had a modern, classical style in mind with lots of wood finishes. I started gathering inspiration and by the time we approached our friend and architect, Bert Pepler, we had a clear idea of what we wanted for both the interior and exterior,” says Debbie.

The entire house was demolished except for the garage. As the new design involved adding another storey for the bedrooms, bathrooms and the TV-cum-study area, the existing foundations had to be reinforced.