General Practitioner by day and mother of four (3 boys aged 7,10 and 12 and a girl of 5), Deseré Ferreira and her family opened their doors and shared their chic family home filled with art, happiness and surrounding oceanic views.
Originally from Pretoria, Deseré now runs her own practice in Umhlanga after they relocated to Durban in 2005 for her husband’s career as a mechanical engineer. We had a quick chat with her about the history and inspiration behind the renovation.
6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms with an open plan kitchen/living/dining room and a covered patio with lovely sea views. It’s a combination of Industrial and softer Victorian finishes. We love art!
How long did the project take to complete?
We bought the house in 2005 and just gave it a good clean and a coat of paint. We then had our plans drawn up by Andrea Van Dam- local architect (Avid Architects). Our main request was to turn an odd double story house into our dream home without leaving the premises, erasing areas and rebuilding it. The project took around 10years (June 2010). At some stages we were staying downstairs and other times staying upstairs.
What is your favourite feature of the home?
The upstairs and downstairs area is connected by the double volume staircase, making it possible to know where everybody is at anytime. And my Marike Prinsloo ” swimmer” at the swimming pool.
What was the inspiration behind the design and architecture?
A home where we can maximise the sea views with enough space to be on your own, but not too much space that you can’t be found. We wanted a space where we could combine our different creative personalities, cook up a storm and entertain family and friends.
Who designed your home’s interior?
Myself. I would not have been able to do this very stretched out project without the help of our builder and friend Nico Janse Van Rensburg from Bluestone Construction. He use to break down and rebuild with a smile and always gave his honest opinion.
Images: Supplied
