Wisteria and chestnut trees

‘This reminds us of our bush lodge on the Limpopo River. We light a huge fire in our open verandah room every night,’ remarks Shari. ‘We copied the idea in Johannesburg, and now we’ve done it again, in Cape Town. The gallery of photos was inspired by a friend and evokes pleasant memories of happy times.’ Big sofas provide plenty of seating and the fire, which is lit on all but the hottest days, takes the chill off, extending the use of the verandah room well into winter. But to emphasise the four-seasons nature of the room, although the windows were installed for rain protection, they concertina open on sunny days, allowing the breeze to cool the room.

Shari and Jonathan’s love of the bush and the pleasure they derive from sitting outside around a log fire, even in the coolness of a summer’s evening, inspired them to repeat this in their open-air garden room.

Jonathan found the upstairs master bedroom and bathroom claustrophobic, so three pokey windows were replaced with extra-large sash windows and French doors that lead onto a flat piece of rooftop with an existing concrete slab covered with decking. Mature trees screen this space from neighbours. Making the most of this complete privacy, they installed an outside bathroom with double bath and shower, both of which have a spectacular view of Table Mountain, something dear to all Capetonians. Says Jonathan, who particularly enjoys long soaks in the open air, ‘Many a weary muscle-ache has been eased while Egyptian Geese and Hadedas fly by. We view the mountain and absorb the ambience of this peaceful hidden place.’ Son Michael’s girlfriend, Sue Glennie, cools off under the shower.

When Shari and Jonathan Dickinson moved from Johannesburg to the Cape some years ago, they chose a home amidst the chestnut groves of Fernwood Estate in Newlands. Not only was it conveniently close to their sons’ school, but it had the added advantage of being in a quiet road, away from traffic.

The plan was to renovate and move on. ‘Jonathan works on the architecture and I concentrate on the palette – we make a fine team,’ says Shari. But the longer they lived in their Georgian-style house, the more they loved it and improved it. A convenient rooftop adjacent to the main bedroom has been transformed into an outdoor bathroom, and they’ve also replicated the big, open garden room they had in Johannesburg to help accommodate the swarm of family and friends of all ages and stages who move in and out of the household.

Wisteria creeper forms an elegant framework for the garden room. The falling flowers are rarely swept, allowing for a natural, carefree atmosphere and creating a sense of seamlessness between inside and out.

The small water feature is positioned directly behind the folding windows, acting as a screen. It also affords an attractive outlook onto the side of the garden room.

‘There is nothing more delightful than taking a hot bath on our deck and claiming the view of Table Mountain.’

JONATHAN DICKINSON