Restoring Legacy

With ancestry that can be traced back to the early 1800s, it was only fitting for Sedgwick House to be given a new lease of life via a sympathetic renovation by the sixth generation of the Sedgwick family.

WORDS Steve Smith PHOTOS Lionel Henshaw

If you live in Cape Town, you’ve probably driven past this building many times. On your right as you head down Loop Street, on the corner with Bloem, it is an odd piece of architecture – aesthetically hard to pin down beyond the fact that it’s clearly been around for a while. Pre-restoration, it was a heady mix of Cape Dutch-meets-Victorian-meets-Georgian, with a nod to Elizabethan thrown in. Its occupants, since it was built in the late 1800s, have been equally wide-ranging. Records show it was built by the Martienssen Brewery before South African Breweries bought the company – and the building – in 1899, turning it into the Alabama Hotel. The hotel operated until 1969 before becoming a business premises that, since 1981, has been owned by the Sedgwick family, original producers of Sedgwick’s Old Brown Sherry.

Sedgwick House, as it’s now called, serves as the family headquarters, with the current owner a sixth-generation descendant of Captain James Sedgwick, who sailed over from the UK. The Captain settled in Cape Town in 1839, and in 1859 he founded the fi rm of J Sedgwick & Company, “purveyor of quality liquor, tobacco and cigars”.

Recently, the family commissioned the building’s restoration by hospitality and office space specialists Conduit Interior, with the brief of preserving its timeless influence and maritime connection, and ensuring it continued to honour the family legacy. Given that the building had been unsympathetically extended over the decades through its many iterations, and that it was a very old heritage structure, this was clearly not an easy assignment.

Starting with the exterior, Conduit Interior’s director Grant Johnson and his team revived the facade by including Victorian-era details – gable ends, corner quoins, plaster bands – with contrasting finishes enhancing the building’s character. Window shutters were also added to complete the exterior.

They worked on the interior architecture too, gutting the cellar and refitting it as a private dining space, which also houses the family’s wine collection. As far as the interiors themselves go, Conduit Interior drew inspiration from the client’s Scottish business history. Wall panelling and marble flooring mimic traditional fabric patterns, while tartan-patterned carpets and brass rod details on the central staircase provide a finishing touch, reinforcing the theme with texture and warmth. Conduit also commissioned local artisans and sign writers to craft authentic signage, including the entrance door crest and the “Captain’s Room” mirror for the drinks cabinet – an item of deep sentimental and historical value to the family.

The overall effect is a blend of history, refinement and modern functionality – a kaleidoscope of rich warm tones, layers of fabric and texture, custom wallpaper, brass elements, classic detailing, and bespoke joinery that includes heirloom furnishings and ancestral artefacts. Sedgwick House may have navigated some choppy seas in its journey to 2025 – but we’re pretty sure that the Captain would be delighted with the safe harbour his descendants have afforded this valuable heritage building. | conduitinterior.co.za

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.