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A derelict Karoo home from the 1800s brought back to life

A creative couple took all of 12 years to sensitivel­y bring a derelict Nieu-Bethesda home from the 1800s back to life, while retaining its Karoo character.

- By Marian van Wyk • Photograph­s Greg Cox

When Elche Robinson throws open her beautiful old front door on a quiet dirt road in NieuBethes­da, it’s clear why the original owner named the house ‘Paradijs’ (paradise) back in 1876. You can see all the way through from the front door to the lovely veranda and into the vast garden with its damson plum orchard and the striking Karoo landscape beyond.

However, when the Robinsons bought the property in 2005, ‘paradise’ was the last word that would have come to mind.

“The ‘Paradijs 1876’ inscriptio­n above the front door was the only bit of the house that was still intact,” Elche recalls.

Derelict and vandalised, it had been stripped of its beautiful wooden floors, yellowwood ceilings, most windows and even some of the roof sheeting. The lovely garden views were obstructed by an enormous chicken shed built from mud and brick.

At the time, Elche and her husband John (he passed away in June 2017) were visiting Nieu-Bethesda with their daughter Simone; they lived in White River in Mpumalanga, where they managed a private game lodge. Having already lost their hearts to the charming Eastern Cape Karoo village, where time appears to stand still and stars shine incandesce­nt in the absence of streetlamp­s, they put in an offer on what resembled a ruin.

“Undaunted by the challenge, John and I decided that if this house was named Paradijs there must be something to it...” Adamant that they wanted to restore the original features, the couple started collecting second-hand sash windows, wooden doors, antique door handles and light fittings.

The exterior walls, which were built from mud bricks, had to be replastere­d. The original plaster was removed, and chicken mesh was attached inside and out to reinforce the walls before the replasteri­ng was done. This made them even thicker, which helps to keep the house cool on those scorching Karoo summer days. The couple also had to contend with the remnants of a large interior water tank... >>

I wanted the house to be very comfortabl­e with an abundance of light, while also retaining its original character. – Elche

?? ?? At dusk the house basks in the soft glow of sunset – Elche designed the lighting on the veranda to make the most of this magical time. Fishing baskets from KwaZulu-Natal were wired with fairy lights and repurposed as pendants. The only other source of light comes from paraffin lamps. “For me, it’s all about the stars; the night sky here is incredibly beautiful,” says Elche. Chicken sheds were demolished where the lush lawn is now located; the rubble was used to fill a gaping hole where the veranda was built.
At dusk the house basks in the soft glow of sunset – Elche designed the lighting on the veranda to make the most of this magical time. Fishing baskets from KwaZulu-Natal were wired with fairy lights and repurposed as pendants. The only other source of light comes from paraffin lamps. “For me, it’s all about the stars; the night sky here is incredibly beautiful,” says Elche. Chicken sheds were demolished where the lush lawn is now located; the rubble was used to fill a gaping hole where the veranda was built.
?? ?? WHO LIVES HERE? Elche Robinson and her rescue Whippet-Greyhound cross, California WHERE Nieu-Bethesda in the Eastern Cape Karoo SIZE About 255m2, veranda excluded
WHO LIVES HERE? Elche Robinson and her rescue Whippet-Greyhound cross, California WHERE Nieu-Bethesda in the Eastern Cape Karoo SIZE About 255m2, veranda excluded
?? ?? When the house was replastere­d, a pointing technique where joints are raked to a depth of 10–20mm and filled with richer mortar mixes was used to create the illusion of bigger bricks.
When the house was replastere­d, a pointing technique where joints are raked to a depth of 10–20mm and filled with richer mortar mixes was used to create the illusion of bigger bricks.
?? ?? Almost all that remains of the ruin that the Robinsons bought is the inscriptio­n ‘Paradijs 1876’ above the front door. It’s flanked by dog sculptures that remind Elche of a Weimaraner she used to have.
Almost all that remains of the ruin that the Robinsons bought is the inscriptio­n ‘Paradijs 1876’ above the front door. It’s flanked by dog sculptures that remind Elche of a Weimaraner she used to have.
?? ?? Elche and her artist sister Marjan Grootenboe­r painted the pair of dancers that hang above the sideboard in the dining room.
Elche and her artist sister Marjan Grootenboe­r painted the pair of dancers that hang above the sideboard in the dining room.
?? ?? Before
Before
?? ?? The interior walls are all finished with unpainted Cretestone, mostly unsealed as Elche wanted to retain a lighter matte shade. Tucked between the kitchen and the TV room, the dining area is cosy in winter and cool in summer. The fireplace is clad in stone that was sourced on site and the poplar floorboard­s were bought new in Bedford. The Oregon pine and yellowwood table was painted black when Elche bought it second-hand in Lydenburg. The sunny TV room is brightened up by curtains made from Kente cloth, a Ghanaian textile manufactur­ed from hand-woven strips of silk and cotton. St Tropez dining chairs from Coricraft; glass pendant lamp from Weylandts
The interior walls are all finished with unpainted Cretestone, mostly unsealed as Elche wanted to retain a lighter matte shade. Tucked between the kitchen and the TV room, the dining area is cosy in winter and cool in summer. The fireplace is clad in stone that was sourced on site and the poplar floorboard­s were bought new in Bedford. The Oregon pine and yellowwood table was painted black when Elche bought it second-hand in Lydenburg. The sunny TV room is brightened up by curtains made from Kente cloth, a Ghanaian textile manufactur­ed from hand-woven strips of silk and cotton. St Tropez dining chairs from Coricraft; glass pendant lamp from Weylandts
?? ?? A fabric panel with a digital print of a sable painted by the artist Harem complement­s the African lodge feel of the lounge. A low chandelier with tealights, wall lighting and a lamp provide the perfect ambience on starry Karoo nights. Chandelier from Hans van der Merwe & Son; digital print available from Hot Coffee Design Before
A fabric panel with a digital print of a sable painted by the artist Harem complement­s the African lodge feel of the lounge. A low chandelier with tealights, wall lighting and a lamp provide the perfect ambience on starry Karoo nights. Chandelier from Hans van der Merwe & Son; digital print available from Hot Coffee Design Before
?? ?? The latte ceiling is typical of Karoo houses from the late 1800s. Temperatur­es drop to below zero in winter, so Elche had a passage door installed to retain the heat from the wood-burning stove in the open-plan kitchen and living area. “The doors belonged to a Mr Serfontein in Graaff-Reinet, who kindly restored them and did the installati­on,” Elche says. The Asian cupboard was bought second-hand.
The latte ceiling is typical of Karoo houses from the late 1800s. Temperatur­es drop to below zero in winter, so Elche had a passage door installed to retain the heat from the wood-burning stove in the open-plan kitchen and living area. “The doors belonged to a Mr Serfontein in Graaff-Reinet, who kindly restored them and did the installati­on,” Elche says. The Asian cupboard was bought second-hand.

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