Five beautiful stoeps – with top tips from the experts!

Photographs Greg Cox, Adam Houghton, Karl Rogers and Henrique Wilding l Production Marian van Wyk and Amanda van Wyngaardt

We featured Henau and Sharon's stoep (main image), with the stretch tent they had covering it at the time, in the May 2019 issue of Home. At the time, Sharon said she wasn't a fan of latte or fibreglass; the couple were still considering which permanent solution would ultimately work best to provide shade and shelter from the elements.

Before

Klompie bricks make a striking feature around the braai. Klompies from Lanes Ceramic Works

An old bar counter is now a sideboard - it's a great conversation piece.

Country cool

When Sharon and Henau tackled their renovation the first time around, they opted for a roofless stoep, but they didn't account for the harsh summer sun in Riebeek-Kasteel. "The house got too hot, so we had to move fast and initially erected a Bedouin tent," says Sharon.

"It was the most affordable option at the time. Later, we fitted a proper roof with white IBR sheets and an IsoBoard ceiling. We opted for a smooth ceiling, instead of tongue-and-groove, as we didn't want to create a cottage look."While the stoep remains open in the front, the roof is deep enough to protect the space from rain. "We love to sit outside and watch the rain fall," says Sharon.

The unpretentious cement floor boasts a brick inlay in a square format as detail, all sealed with a polyurethane sealant.

"Since we had the space, we built a rather big 2m-wide braai. Going smaller would have looked silly. With Henau being on the tall side, we also built the braai 1m high and it works perfectly."The 1.2m pizza oven is also bigger than your standard 900mm oven and it's the main attraction on this stoep. "Every Friday is pizza night at our house," says Sharon with a laugh. "Our German neighbours joke that we are Riebeek-Kasteel's best kept secret."

Let's Shop!

Pizza ovens are becoming increasingly popular for outdoor entertainment areas. Choose one for your stoep!

Ooni Karu portable stainless steel wood- and charcoal-fired pizza oven (73 x 40 x 75cm) R7599, Yuppiechef

Roma pizza oven (810mm) including 1.2m flue and cowl R17 000 (with optional base R2 790), Peppino

DIY kit including a precast floor, dome and smoke outlet, 1m flue, insulation materials, pizza spade, brick arch and sill: R11 017 (750mm), R12 765 (900mm) or R15 065 (1 100mm), Italoven

Farm style in the city

Award-winning architect Johann Slee has always had a penchant for old farmhouse architecture, so when he got the chance to design his own house for the first time in 2015, this style was the logical choice - although he doesn't like to be limited by a specific aesthetic. The Slees' home consists of four ‘barns' finished off with a combination of corrugated iron and ‘kraal-type' stone walls. This stone is the same as that used for the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town.

"I really love a stoep - at the front and at the back of a house," says Johann. "You really feel part of nature on our back stoep."The spacious veranda looks out over the beautiful Stellenbosch mountains and is everything the family has always wanted in a stoep.

This is where they eat breakfast, relax, braai, entertain and hang out near the pool - they truly ‘live' here.

The stoep creates the illusion that it's ‘floating' in the garden, as it's open in front. The home's second storey forms a wide overhang of almost 4m without any pillars obstructing the view, providing a seamless aesthetic. Rectangular sandstone floor tiles enhance the natural look and contrast well with the darker stone of the walls.

Johann and Ren describe the d cor as a typical "mish-mash of styles" as they have something of everything: "old and new, beautiful, ugly and nostalgic"!

Since the floor of the stoep has an overhang, it appears to float above the pool and garden.

The 5 x 9m pool was built flush against the wall so that the reflection of the stone on the water adds extra detail and texture.

The large fireplace, finished off with a wide lintel, is also used as a braai. The pizza oven, a generous 900mm in size, is used for cooking all kinds of delicious meals.

Expert advice

"Ideally, a stoep should never be narrower than 3.5m, otherwise it can't be used comfortably," advises Johann Slee of Slee & Co. Architects. Here are his top tips:

• When planning a stoep, make sure it forms a unit with the indoor living area.

• Build your stoep on the north-facing side of the house, otherwise it will be too cold and no one will want to sit there.

• If your house has a view, it's a good idea to position the stoep about half a metre lower than the house so as not to obstruct the view from inside.

CONTACT:slee.co.za

Two looks for one stoep

As big fans of the outdoors, Jako and Anneke utilise their stoep to the fullest. If it were up to them, their house wouldn't even have walls or windows - which, of course, is out of the question in Cape Town!

For this spacious veranda, the couple decided on two different types of roof coverings to make the most of the sunlight. The major portion consists of a pergola over which an ornamental grape is growing, providing dense shade in summer. In winter, the vine loses its leaves so the stoep and house get lovely sun. They specifically chose an ornamental grape that doesn't bear fruit so that it doesn't attract birds that will make a mess.

About a quarter of the stoep - the section alongside the braai - is covered by a glass roof with aluminium rafters underneath. This ensures that this area is sheltered throughout the year and remains dry.

A massaranduba wooden deck forms the floor, a choice that Jako and Anneke love. "The deck creates a vacation vibe - and what could be more enjoyable than a holiday?" asks Jako. "Wooden decks are also easy to clean: you simply sweep the dust and sand into the slits!"

Although they don't plan to enclose the stoep, roller blinds provide protection from wind and rain when needed."We enjoy the wonderful sunlight, our view and entertaining friends out here," says Jako. "The best tip I can offer is to plan well and appoint a good project team. Then the rest will fall into place."

The space beneath the braai was originally intended for storing wood but these days it serves as a ‘daybed' for the dogs, Annie and Matilda. The doors slide open. Furniture from Weylandts

All connected

When Rynhardt and Rolandi enlarged their kitchen, it was the ideal opportunity to make the extension an integral part of their outdoor entertainment area. "We wanted all the windows and doors to open out to this space so that we could create a holistic entertainment experience with the kitchen, braai, swimming pool and play area all connected to each other," explains Rynhardt. "The lounge, dining room and kitchen are all connected visually, and now we can also see the outside area from indoors, which has made it feel like one convenient open-plan space. The kitchen window folds completely open so that we can serve lunch or snacks at the countertop when people are swimming."

This counter also works well for serving food when the family has a braai, and it allows everyone to hang out together, whether they're in the kitchen or outside.

For many South Africans, a built-in braai and outdoor pizza oven is a popular combination. Rynhardt says they cook plenty of meals in the pizza oven that can't be cooked over the coals. "The pizza oven offers the functionality of an oven, but with a wood-fired element."The floor consists of a combination of patterned tiles and artificial grass. The retro-look tiles complement the style of the house, while the grey-and-cream palette is subtle yet striking. The artificial grass is ideal for kids as it's always green, doesn't get muddy and requires little maintenance.

Retro Patchwork Matt Glazed EcoTec porcelain tiles from Italtile; cement counter from Concrete Industries; chairs from Esque; black tap from Leroy Merlin

[Undercover considerations]

Saligna timber was chosen for the pergola as it's more water-resistant than other types of wood such as pine, Rynhardt explains. Together with their builder, Henk Pienaar, they played with the design for the pergola by alternating the direction of the rafters. The steel structure was built at a slight incline so that in the future they can add polycarbonate or glass sheets on top to provide shelter from the rain.

"Currently, the main purpose of the pergola is to provide protection from the sun, as well as to create visual appeal," says Rynhardt. The rafters were coated with a mahogany stain to complement the wooden window frames in front of the house. The combination of steel, wood, cement and bricks suits the family's earthy style.

A stacking window that folds open completely connects the new kitchen with the outdoor entertainment area, allowing the indoor cooks to be part of the action outside. Cabinets wrapped in PG Bison's Melawood in the colour Petrol Blue; chairs from Cielo

From the inside out

From inception, Sam and AJ's house was all about the relationship between the site and its locality. "Sitting on a rocky promontory wedged into the natural forest with a magnificent 360° view, the outdoor areas are critical to the experience of nature and all the views expressed by the house," explains AJ, an architect. "Our outdoor areas provide viewing platforms, relaxation spaces and an interface with the natural environment that encompasses this home."

The pool is on the same level as the living areas and is accessed directly with no level variation. On the north side of the pool, the deck steps up to the same level as the kitchen and dining areas, providing a platform for movement and entertaining. The dining room, in turn, opens onto the garden and its doors slide away, creating a free flow of space between the pool and garden areas with ponds stepping up and away from the dining area.

The decking is durable balau, left untreated. "We recently applied a sealant to maintain its appearance," explains AJ. "This hardwood copes in undercover areas, shady areas and exposed areas very well with little to no movement differential between the various exposures. It weathers to a lovely grey patina, which complements the structure of the house."

The d cor is simple and relaxed with robust furniture to stand up to the weather. Loungers and umbrella from Pilgrimage Spaces

The half-length, deck-level training pool is 12.5m long and 3.5m wide. It has a waterfall edge that runs down to a catch pool on the level below. To take advantage of the view, it has a shallow end on both sides and a deep centre. Carved crocodile from Amatuli

Expert advice

"Decks need to be designed as part of the house, as an extension of the internal spaces, forming specific opportunities that open the residence up and allow light and ventilation to flow into the home throughout the day," says AJ Corbett of TCN Architects.

• All rooms need a relationship with the outside; even a tiny 0.5m-wide Juliet balcony will change the atmosphere of a room and allow the outdoors - a breeze, birdsong, light - to flow into the space and become an integral part of the experience.

• Create functional outdoor spaces that can be utilised according to the weather and intended use of the area, such as braaiing, dining or relaxing. Small relaxation alcoves or outdoor verandas can be as important as vast open areas of level decking and with careful planning, a small deck can add valuable space and flow to a home.

• Levels are critical to the spatial experience of a deck and changes should only be introduced to emphasise existing features or create interest. Even if a deck must be at a lower level, there should be a level transition zone to ensure a seamless flow between the interior and outdoors.

• Balustrades should be kept to a minimum and introduced either as see-through elements or screening elements to provide privacy where necessary. Plantings or planter boxes can also be used to this effect.

CONTACT:tcnarch.co.za