renovated cape town apartment
Smart
moves
Combining budget-savvy ideas with her flair for
design, property developer and guest house
owner Jess Latimer transformed a rundown
Clifton apartment into a chic, city abode
Who lives here
Property developer Jess Latimer who recently returned from
London. She also owns a luxury guest house, Cape View Clifton,
which is conveniently right next door.
The house
The dining room table was made from (Formica?) offcuts from Jess’s
new kitchen counters (?) by Kitch Inc, while the chairs were secondhand finds. The pendant light fitting is an old fishing net from Amatuli
which she sprayed white. The hide rug came from Woodheads, a
leather wholesale store. The curtains made by Ilse XXX are
inexpensive mock linen which gives privacy, while letting in the light.
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JULY 2013 | gardenandhome.co.za
Text Sarah Stuart-reckling Photographs Henrique Wilding
A two-bedroom apartment in Clifton, Cape Town, with open-plan
living areas opening up onto a deck with magnificent views of the
Atlantic Ocean.
I
t was while she was studying fashion design in London that
Jess Latimer, who is originally from Durban, discovered her
talent for reinventing tired properties. “I was looking for a
flat and my father was adamant that I shouldn’t buy – and
pay a premium for – one that someone else had done up. I
ended up with a very small, rundown one-bedroom flat that
I completely gutted and renovated,” she recalls.
She so enjoyed the experience that a year later she bought
another flat and started the process again. “I continued doing
this right throughout my studies. The process of finding the
right place and making the most of it while working to budget
is what I find exciting,” she explains. “When I started working
in the fashion industry I soon realised that my real passion was
for renovating properties.” 
Jess opened up the
enclosed section of the deck which is now the perfect place
to enjoy the view and, as it leads off the dining area, to
entertain guests. The basket weave chairs and ottomans
were hand-me-downs. Jess had new cushions made for
them by Supreme Upholstery. The couch was custom-made
to fit the space by Bloc Outdoor. New caption, maybe
something about the planter? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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These box shelves from Pax
are a practical, cost-effective
storage solution for books,
ornaments and photo
frames. Combined with a
floating shelf and artwork
they create an interesting
wall display in
the dining room.
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JULY 2013 | gardenandhome.co.za
When she returned to South Africa, Jess came across
this apartment in Clifton, Cape Town, which, although
it hadn’t been touched since the ‘50s, had amazing sea
views. “I didn’t have the budget to change too much
structurally and I definitely wanted to keep most of the
traditional elements like the picture rails, wooden floors
and skirtings,” she says.
She first removed all the kitchen cupboards and
sanitary ware to create a bare shell. To give the spaces a
modern look, she painted the existing parquet floors with
white Velvaglo and the walls throughout a uniform soft
grey, Plascon’s Plaster. She chose curtains in mock linen
which give privacy but let in the light and clean-looking
plantation shutters for the window treatments. “I love a
combination of white tones and textures so this was my
starting point. The view of the ocean is breathtaking and
so I focussed on keeping the interiors calm so that they
don’t detract from it,” she explains.
“Living in London taught me a lot about creating the
illusion of space,” Jess adds, explaining her use of mirrors
and choice of a pale colour scheme. The kitchen is a
good example. “I didn’t want wall-mounted cabinets as
they tend to be overpowering in a small space,” she says.
Instead she’s used open shelving and hanging racks for
kitchen utensils with the added benefit of saving on the
cost of extra cabinets. 
JESS’S TIPS FOR
decorating on
A BUDGET
1
Rework what you already have or have
been given by updating pieces with new
upholstery or finishes. It’s often the most costeffective solution and adds a personal touch.
Always be on the lookout for affordable key pieces and quirky
finds at markets, second-hand shops and even chain stores.
“Adding bargain buys is often all that’s required to add character.
One of my best finds was my ceramic kettle from Game which
looks beautiful in my kitchen.”
2
The living room is anchored by a
black rug from Country Road. “It adds a modern touch which is often
needed when using traditional furniture,” Jess explains. The sofa was
made to her specifications by a Durban upholsterer. “This proved to be
far more reasonable than buying a new one.” The inherited armchairs
were slip-covered in inexpensive white bull denim for a fraction of the
price of new ones. The ottoman was taken out of storage, recovered
and now doubles up as extra seating or a coffee table. The Morso
fireplace from McDonald and Sons was Jess’s solution to the wet, cold
Cape winters. The oak reading chair belonged to her grandfather; Jess
updated it with a coat of white paint and new upholstery. “It’s the
perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee and a magazine,” she says.
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The slick all-white kitchen
was made up to Jess’s
design by Kitch Inc.
Jess’s natural flair for upcycling came to the fore when
choosing her furniture. “I like to rework traditional
furnishings and give them a more contemporary edge
rather than buying new things,” she explains. Most of her
furnishings are second-hand buys or hand-me-downs from
friends and family which she upholstered in new fabrics or
painted. The magnificent four-poster bed, given to her by
a friend, for example, was refreshed with a coat of white
paint and now forms the centrepiece of the main bedroom.
“Often older pieces of furniture have more character than
new ones and reinventing them is a great way to stretch a
tight budget,” says Jess. 
This PAGE, clockwise from top left: As Jess works
from home managing properties and her guesthouse, a
practical office area was a priority. The narrow desk made up
by Kitch Inc fits snugly against the wall and doesn’t take up too
much space. “I love the atmosphere bookshelves create but as
this apartment didn’t have room for any, I had to make a plan,”
says Jess on her choice of wallpaper. Open shelves, butcher’s
hooks and hanging buckets provide practical storage for
utensils and crockery in the compact kitchen, helping to keep
the countertops clutter free. As there was no space for a table,
Jess installed a black floating shelf in the hallway to provide a
spot to put down her keys and cell phone.
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JULY 2013 | gardenandhome.co.za
roofed deck
bathroom
bedroom 2
bedroom 1
lounge
roofed
deck
open
deck
kitchen
dining
room
gardenandhome.co.za | JULY 2013
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Above left: The four-poster bed in the main bedroom was given to Jess by a friend. She painted it
the same colour as the walls and combined it with tall bedside lamps from Cécile and Boyd’s. The rug is
from Gonsenhausers Fine Rugs. Above right: To increase the amount of storage space in the
guest bedroom, Jess designed the bed, made by Kitch Inc, with useful compartments underneath.
The wall-mounted cut-out bird light from Quirky Me is a clever alternative to a traditional lamp as it
frees up space on the bedside table. The cushions are from Cécile and Boyd’s.
Decor inspirations
What works best for Jess is her dining area
“I like that the space has an intimate feel and that the table
and chairs act as a focal point drawing the eye out towards
the sea view, something I can never get enough of. I can
admire it for hours,” says Jess.
Make it work for you
Create a stylish dining space by mixing a contemporary
white table and chairs with a rustic pendant light. Add
a hide rug and rattan baskets for texture, and splashes
of colour for interest.
SOURCES Amatuli amatuli.co.za Bloc Outdoor blocoutdoor.co.za Cape View Clifton capeviewclifton.co.za Cécile and Boyd’s
cecileandboyds.co.za Country Road woolworths.co.za Game game.co.za Gonsenhausers Fine Rugs finerugs.co.za Isle XXxxxxx xxx xxx
xxxx Jess Latimer [email protected] Kitch Inc kitchinc.co.za MacDonald and Sons macd.co.za Pax pax3d.co.za Quirky Me
quirkyme.com Supreme Upholstery 021 887 2756 Woodheads 021 461 7185
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JULY 2013 | gardenandhome.co.za