Architecture

Montagu Guesthouse

  • In keeping with the vernacular, a new plunge pool painted a terracotta shade resembles a leiwater dam.
    In keeping with the vernacular, a new plunge pool painted a terracotta shade resembles a leiwater dam.|
  • The walled garden, which is newly planted, features mainly citrus trees and myrtle growing in terracotta pots.
    The walled garden, which is newly planted, features mainly citrus trees and myrtle growing in terracotta pots.|
  • The cerulean shop walls are tted with plate racks to display hand-made citrus-themed tableware.
    The cerulean shop walls are tted with plate racks to display hand-made citrus-themed tableware.|
  • The front gable of the house collapsed in the devastating 1981 flood and was crudely rebuilt. With the help of JG Kemp Architects and Jacques’s father as the contractor, the exterior of the house was restored to its original form.
    The front gable of the house collapsed in the devastating 1981 flood and was crudely rebuilt. With the help of JG Kemp Architects and Jacques’s father as the contractor, the exterior of the house was restored to its original form.|
  • Floor-to-ceiling white tiles make the kitchen appear larger than it is, and klompie-brick flooring and French-oak cabinets by Pierre Cronje add the feel of an old Karoo kitchen.
    Floor-to-ceiling white tiles make the kitchen appear larger than it is, and klompie-brick flooring and French-oak cabinets by Pierre Cronje add the feel of an old Karoo kitchen.|
  • An English plate rack is lled with hand-painted Boerendel and Bone Collection plates from Jacques’s homeware range by Ella-Lou O’Meara and Noleen Read.
    An English plate rack is lled with hand-painted Boerendel and Bone Collection plates from Jacques’s homeware range by Ella-Lou O’Meara and Noleen Read.|
  • A steel-and-brass shelf in the shop holds an array of jams and preserves made from produce grown in the garden. The table is a bespoke design by Jacques’s interiors studio.
    A steel-and-brass shelf in the shop holds an array of jams and preserves made from produce grown in the garden. The table is a bespoke design by Jacques’s interiors studio.|
  • The dining room is perfumed by bunches of wild and garden herbs, and a 17th-century Spanish still life watches over the room.
    The dining room is perfumed by bunches of wild and garden herbs, and a 17th-century Spanish still life watches over the room.|
  • In the lounge, the aged-brick colour of the walls was discovered when panelling was removed, and relatively new oor tiles were replaced by old wooden floor planks.
    In the lounge, the aged-brick colour of the walls was discovered when panelling was removed, and relatively new oor tiles were replaced by old wooden floor planks. |
  • The bedrooms with their high ceilings feature four-poster beds, quality bedlinen and cashmere throws.
    The bedrooms with their high ceilings feature four-poster beds, quality bedlinen and cashmere throws.|
  • The granite floor, which is cool in summer and warm in winter; the open shower in front of an arched marble slab; and the bespoke cast-iron bath made by Jacques’s interiors studio take this bathroom to the next level.
    The granite floor, which is cool in summer and warm in winter; the open shower in front of an arched marble slab; and the bespoke cast-iron bath made by Jacques’s interiors studio take this bathroom to the next level.|

WORDS Jacques Erasmus PHOTOS Micky Hoyle

Built in 1856, a renovated Cape Dutch house in Montagu is now a guest-house annexe and garden-produce shop.

Sometimes, a house chooses you. It’s what happened to Jacques Erasmus of Hemelhuijs fame and Hein Liebenberg, who used to work in the corporate world, while they were knee-deep in restoring their Jonkmanshof guesthouse in Montagu. They naturally assumed that a quick viewing of a Cape Dutch house for sale down the street would be merely for interest’s sake…

A heady fragrance of citrus blossoms and a wild dove flying down from an olive tree to perch on Jacques’s shoulder were auspices that the couple were destined to renovate a second property in Montagu.

Jonkmanshof
Jonkmanshof

Their vision for the house? Additional rooms to accommodate guests when Jonkmanshof is fully booked, and a garden-produce shop to share the bounty of their land.

And the result? A sensitive reimagining of a slice of Platteland history.

For more information, visit jonkmanshof.com.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look this Jacques Erasmus‘ Montagu country-style home.

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