‘We made it our own'

A dynamic duo took a DIY approach to their renovation, knocking down walls, laying their own floors, doing their own plumbing – and, of course, decorating their new space to perfection.

- Ina Baard

The leather loops on the curtain rod are belts purchased from Woodheads; Simoné punched holes in them and attached them to hooks bolted into the ceiling. Curtain rod and throw from MRP Home; glass vessels and copper planter from La Grange Interiors; basket from Weylandts

Simoné Visagie-Davids always knew that she and her husband Anwar Davids would one day either build their own place or take on a full renovation project to create their perfect family home. She is no stranger to creative expression, being an interior designer who specialises in retail spaces.

So when the opportunity arose, she and Anwar – who co-owns chemicals company Demron Chemicals – took on a sorely neglected house in the charming suburb of Zeekoevlei in Cape Town. Here, finally, they could create a haven for their two boys, Noah and Isah. “It’s a quiet neighbourhood quite close to a bird sanctuary – we have beautiful wild pets of our own all year round! ” says Simoné.

Design and layout

Listening to their story, and how the house became theirs, it seems that it was destined to be. “My brother-in-law lives across the road from the house,” explains Simoné. “We’ve always loved the close community vibe of the suburb and whenever we were in the area, we loved that there was laughter and a happy buzz coming from this house that we now own. We grew very fond of it, but back then it was just a dream.”