The unpretentious charm of a

This corner of the living room is home to an antique desk and a coal bucket that belonged to Suzette’s grandmother. The couch is covered with linen previously used as living room curtains by Suzette’s mom.

Ithink we should get out of this place as soon as possible,” said Piet du Plessis to his wife when they drove along the dirt road through Nieu-Bethesda for the first time. ‘

Suzette, on the other hand, was thinking to herself: I could live here. “As we came down the pass, I just knew. Don’t ask me how. I had stars in my eyes when we drove through the town.

Piet thought the place was too quiet, and he never wanted to take a drive here, even when we lived in Cradock at one stage.

But when we bought a four-wheel drive vehicle, I was able to persuade him.”

A year later, in 2007, the Pretoria couple bought a holiday home in this Karoo village nestled at the foot of the Sneeuberg mountains, the source of the Sundays River. For the next three years, they’d escape to Nieu-Bethesda whenever they got the chance and when Piet retired in 2010, it was he who suggested that they move there permanently. These days, they’re no longer considered newbies; they’re regarded as locals. “I think that after 10 years it’s safe to say you can start making your presence felt,” says Suzette with a chuckle.

The previous owner of the house had already made renovations, but the couple soon realised there wouldn’t be enough space for their growing family of three children with their spouses and three grandchildren. “Our kids and grandkids are more than happy to drive all the way here. Our oldest grandchild is already a teenager and we were wondering when he would start getting tired of visiting

Ouma and Oupa in this small town. But he still enjoys it and he loves riding his bike in the streets,” says Suzette.

It was time to renovate – but also stay true to the simplicity of the house and its surroundings. It was precisely the home’s lack of pretension that appealed to Suzette. >>

Irises thrive in NieuBethesda and local gardeners love to exchange the different colours with each other.

Amber glass vase from Mr Price Home

The dresser in the dining area displays a collection of blue-and-white Spode porcelain.

Local carpenter Attie Nel made huge windows for the back of the house, according to the couple’s specifications; they now enjoy a view of the garden. It’s a sunny space in winter and in summer the old Ficus tree provides welcome shade.

Flowers by Jacques Müller Design

A bedroom and bathroom were added for when their children spend the Christmas and Easter holidays in NieuBethesda. The embroidered fabric comes from Suzette’s large vintage collection.

More light and space

As you pull up outside the long white house with its old-world façade, you’re aware of lots of trees and the mountains. In winter, the pavements are green and horses graze here. It reminds her of the English countryside, says Suzette.

The house is so close to the street that people sometimes think it’s a restaurant, and peek in through the windows. “I tell them it isn’t, but they’re welcome to look inside.”

The front door opens onto a dark, hushed hallway with bedrooms on either side. The deeper you go, the lighter it gets until the hallway leads out into an open-plan area with large windows and sliding doors. It’s divided into a lounge, living room, study and kitchen. The scullery and pantry are in a separate room.

“We wanted to create as much space as possible, but without deviating from the local building style. The house had a large stoep when we bought it,” says Suzette.

“We enclosed a section of it and added another bedroom, bathroom and living room. A stoep was added to the back of the house and the original one on the side was retained.”

The end result is four bedrooms and four bathrooms and much more light streaming in through the huge windows and doors at the back.

Suzette and Piet spend most of their time in the east-facing back part of the house as it’s relatively sheltered from the wind and cold, and in summer the trees provide shade. The view from here – as was the plan with the large new windows – is of the lovely garden, the handiwork of Suzette and her gardener Romeo Jacobus. >>

“The climate here makes gardening a challenge – we have hot, dry summers and bitterly cold winters. The frost decimates the garden every year and when spring arrives, the plants have to sprout all over again. That’s why there’s such a huge contrast between the seasons.” But Suzette says that this increases your awareness of the cycle of life. “Experiencing it is therapeutic and healing.”

Suzette and Romeo take care of a 5 000m² space. “Gardening is hard work but so satisfying. Romeo is as diligent a gardener as I am; he plants, prunes, makes compost... We work well together.

“Someone once said that when you live in NieuBethesda, you have to like stones. I had quite a few stone paths built to divide the garden into ‘rooms’.”

Suzette realised she shouldn’t tamper with existing shrubs or trees that had proven their worth in these conditions. “There were many rose bushes that were thriving; I kept the white ‘Icebergs’. The hardy Liriope, irises and Hellebore were also doing well.”

Unfortunately, the monkeys steal fruit from the fruit trees, and the succulents and even the Agave get damaged by the frost. Suzette had more luck with Echeveria, which she gets from Obesa Nursery in Graaff-Reinet. “That place is a must-visit!

“Hardy Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, thyme, origanum and sage do well here and I use them abundantly for cooking. They are resilient.”

Just like Suzette and Piet who put down roots here and are thriving on what this part of the world has to offer.

Suzette made the bedspreads in the guest room from her mom’s old Sanderson curtains. The painting above the beds was done by a friend and the plates were bought at Memory Lane in Somerset West many years ago.

STOCKISTS AND CONTACTS

Colonial Antiques 041 484 2617 Frans Boekkooi 082 228 7228, facebook.com/fransboekkooisculpturestudio Gallery Michael Heyns michaelheyns.co.za Jacques Müller Design jox.dsgn@gmail.com, facebook/JacquesMullerDesign Lemon Tree Interior 041 581 0012, lemontreeonline.co.za Memory Lane 083 660 6535, facebook.com/NowandThenVintage Metelerkamps 044 382 0274, metelerkamps.co.za Morsø 011 516 0294, morsoe.com Mr Price Home 0800 212 535, mrphome.com Attie Nel 071 046 7242 Obesa Nursery 079 496 8067, obesanursery.com