Apartment Sanctuary
Sector
Residential
Location
Sandton, Johannesburg
Type
Residential – turnkey project design and project management
SQM
200sqm
Goal achieved
Losing 12cm of floor to ceiling height – gaining transformational lighting
This project reflects the importance of remaining open to learning, evolving and challenging established ways of thinking. The brief was to fully strip back and renovate the apartment. The owners themselves, experienced property developers, embraced the opportunity to step beyond their comfort zone and explore new design approaches.
The apartment block, now over thirty years old, required a contemporary reimagining that respected the owners’ eclectic art collection, antiques and iconic furniture. The existing layout presented clear challenges, including poor circulation, unbalanced spatial proportions and the absence of ceilings, all of which limited both functionality and atmosphere.
Strategic structural interventions transformed the space. Interior walls were removed to improve flow, ceilings were introduced specifically to allow for a considered lighting scheme and standard doors were replaced with bespoke full-height doors to create a heightened sense of scale.
The lighting intervention proved pivotal. Once the space and artwork was properly illuminated, the apartment gained clarity, focus and cohesion where the overall design resolved naturally.
Materiality played a key role in grounding the contemporary update. Solid vintage oak floors, high-gloss cabinetry, mirrored surfaces, bespoke floor-to-ceiling charcoal internal doors and a white epoxy balcony floor combine to create an interior that feels elegant, layered and timeless.
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The renovation stands as a reminder that reinvention requires curiosity, restraint and a willingness to rethink familiar solutions. By expanding both the physical structure and the owners’ expectations, the apartment was transformed into a confident, forward-looking home that reflects continual growth and evolving perspective.
