No Elephant in this Room

The elephant Cottage was not always a beautiful bright proud little home. It has literally been standing empty, unoccupied and unloved for years.

When Warwick and Catherine Pate got the opportunity to turn it into one of the quaintest self-catering cottages in Porterville, they certainly did it without cutting any corners.

Everyone who has ever restored a house knows that it requires a lot more than just money, it also needs heaps of passion, love and time, something more akin to a calling than a mere financial investment and as a calling is exactly how Catherine describes the moment when she and Warwick decided to put in an offer on the cottage that afternoon in 2013.

"Our journey with Elephant Cottage started in 2013 when one afternoon whilst walking past the house I was “called” to put in an offer on the old place." Catherine tells me.

Much attention went into the details. They drove all over the Cape sourcing the right fixtures. The search for a copper shower head was one of the many challenges. "After scouring second hand and antique stores, the internet and even the stalls at the Milnerton flea market we resorted to buying an old (pitted) chrome shower head and painstakingly removed the chrome to get down to the copper. It looks beautiful and matches the exposed copper plumbing that we opted for in the house."

Nearly all the materials used were reclaimed. They carefully sourced everything second hand that was in keeping with the age of the house- from replacement sash windows to internal shutters, door handles, old Bakelite light switches, burglar guards etc. Even the shelves in the lounge were made out of reclaimed lumber – wood that had once been old desk tops that was found dumped behind a building. The kitchen cupboards came out of an old house in Durbanville that was being redone. It suited Elephant Cottage perfectly!

Hard to believe that this is the same room!

Catherine, Warwick and their 3 kids has been living in Porterville for 12 years.

They have 6 dogs, 6 cats, a pig and chickens. And no, they do not stay on a farm! Catherine is a publicist, copywriter and PR while Warwick owns a company called Waste Pro. He has a team who collects waste oil from farms all around the Swartland and West Coast for recycling.

After spending some time here, I dream about going back. You only realise the treat after a couple of days.

Contact Catherine to book your night or three in Elephant Cottage here