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Owners Marc Watson (left) and James Moffatt in front of their cottage. “Nieu-Bethesda is super-remote,” says Marc. “There’s nothing here apart from charming little homes.” -
Above the sweeping stoep, the elegant bell-cast roof creates a cool outdoor space typical of 19th-century buildings in the semi-desert Karoo, where families spent evenings outside after the heat of the day. -
The entrance hall was painted a dark chocolate shade, which is also expressed on the front door and shutters. The couple chose to leave the floors unrenovated. “We respect the building, and the floors tell its story.” -
Grass cloth was applied to the walls on one side of the lounge, where whimsical pieces such as Ghanaian fishing flags and a taxidermied ibis from Mandibles coexist with an inherited antique table and contemporary items. -
In the kitchen, an inherited glass-and-wood display cabinet stands under an antique mirror from Hunter Gatherer, which reflects light and magnifies the feeling of space. The poplar beam and Dover stove are historic features the couple chose to keep. The island, cabinets and shelves were all custom-made, with Marc and James sticking to a natural Ceasarstone countertop and raw wood to retain a “country” feel. The fixtures are by Victorian Bathrooms, and the brass pendant lights are from Orejen. -
Nieu-Bethesda Cottage -
A vintage chest of drawers in the office is home to a collection of playful pieces from second-hand stores as well as a vessel by Charmaine Haines. -
The office, which has been set up in an outside shed, gives the couple flexibility to work between the Karoo and their primary home in Joburg. -
The ball-and-claw bathtub in the bathroom was bought with the home, and the half-moon table is inherited. -
A traditional guest bedroom features antique furniture, overlooked by art by William Kentridge and Simon Attwood. -
Also in the office, a restored daybed overlooks the inviting back courtyard. -
The office and storeroom are housed in what was a crumbling shed, which had to be repatched and stabilised. -
The pool is reminiscent of the traditional stock tanks found on surrounding farms. -
The outside dining table by JetBlackRuby is a mirrored extension of the indoor kitchen table. -
The original owner, who was responsible for many landscaping projects in the town, had created a tiered structure with stone walls in the garden. -
James and Marc relax in the courtyard.
WORDS Lori Cohen PRODUCTION Sven Alberding PHOTOS Greg Cox/Bureaux
Named Mukti – a Sanskrit term for spiritual liberation – this heritage cottage in the Karoo is saturated with expressive furnishings, magpie finds and earthy hues.
Most famous for its legendary, reclusive, eccentric resident, artist Helen Martins, and her home, the Owl House, the town of Nieu-Bethesda is as far as you can get from South Africa’s big metropoles. From Joburg, it’ll take you just under nine hours to get to this remote dot nestled among the koppies of the semi-arid Great Karoo; it might be 15 minutes less from Cape Town. And that’s just one reason that made Joburg couple Marc Watson and James Moffatt’s decision to buy a house here a brave one. The other was that they bought it without seeing the interior.
Visiting here as tourists in 2018, they bought the cottage based purely on its charming iron friezes and traditional wooden shutters, only guessing at what was hidden behind the heritage façade. “But we had a good sense of what such a traditional home would hold,” says Marc.
The hunch paid off: inside, it was everything they had hoped it would be, with wooden floors, high ceilings and thick walls. The only challenge was light. Karoo homes are typically built with small windows and shutters for climate control, so Marc and James’s only departure was to adapt or enlarge windows and doors. Typical of a Karoo cottage, the structure has a flat roof, a street- facing façade and a central passage with rooms leading off it. “It’s a super-simple little space,” says Marc. “It has a humility about it, and doesn’t want to be designed in a certain way. It’s a place of feelings, so our approach to it was how we felt when we were there, and what we could do without damaging the heritage.” Retaining the cottage layout and many existing antique pieces, they added layers of rich hues and hand-picked treasures, and thoughtfully selected local art to imprint their energy and vision on the 142-year-old property.
“We wanted to fill this house with things we love; to create real experiences in each room without overdoing it,” says Marc. Art was an essential part of this; the couple invested in artists from the region, then looked for pieces that reflected the landscape, livestock and textures of the Karoo. They scoured auctions and vintage shops over the period of four months to fill the rooms.
Two defined relaxation spaces have been carved out of the house’s footprint: a small library off the passage, and a generous lounge at the end of it. Both feature a mix of leather chairs, ottomans and comfortable sofas. Walls are lined with art, and floors are swathed in Persian rugs and textured sisal matting. Antique pieces – some acquired with the purchase of the house, others hand-picked by Marc – provide a connection with the past, and form the dialogue of the stories the couple wanted to tell as part of the experience of the home, incorporating humour, character and surprises with a few contemporary pieces.
Leading off the lounge, the kitchen already featured a wood-fired stove, but few other details to make it the inviting, comfortable precinct Marc and James desired. “It’s quite a small room, although it doesn’t look like it now,” says Marc. “We had to think quite carefully about the size of the island and the cabinetry, so that we could still incorporate a table that’s large enough to entertain around.”A unique dining concept provided a smart solution to save space and connect the kitchen to the outside. “The kitchen table is mirrored outside, so we can comfortably seat many people inside and out. The weather in the Karoo can change in an instant, so having the duality to enjoy both spaces is important.”
Outside, the couple were free to make more of a splash, installing a raised circular pool reminiscent of the stock tanks found on the surrounding farms. Resting alongside a storage shed that has been converted into a home office, the heated pool and the laid-back setting is all about embracing the big Karoo skies – peppered with clouds during the day and intense stars at night.“There’s something about the stillness and the light in the Karoo,” says Marc. “It’s amazing.”
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