My clients were the most wonderful people — an amazing family with whom I shared more than just a project. He was the CEO of a major bank. I was always impressed by how he managed to do so many things properly, all at the same time.
I positioned the lodge on the edge of a ridge, nestled among large rocks, taking great care to preserve the only big tree on the site. At the time, my surveying tools were simple — a dumpy level, staff, tape measure, and my eyes. I marked the site with steel stakes and paint on the rocks.
We spent many days at The Yard in Kensington, selecting salvaged items from old, demolished homes — windows, doors, and even a magnificent wooden staircase that we later reshaped and installed hundreds of kilometres away from its original home. The Bathroom Shop in Melville helped us find beautiful Victorian fittings, and we sourced mosaic tiles from an artist in Krugersdorp.
This was in 1998, three years later, we returned to add an external two-bedroom, en-suite unit, connected to the main lodge by raised timber decks and walkways.
It was a wonderful experience.