The natural material a heritage sash window has earned
50mm basswood slats, warm against whitewashed stone — built for the deep-set sash windows that Jonkershoek's older, heritage-graded homesteads are full of, and for anywhere a roller would simply look wrong.
A timber venetian steers light rather than simply blocking it: tilt the slats up for glare-free daylight, down for privacy, or flat for a dark room — full adjustability at any blind height, which a roller can't offer.
Why timber, specifically, up this valley
Jonkershoek's rural conservation overlay covers the same ground as Idas Valley and Dwarsrivier, and any structure over 60 years old or heritage-graded needs approval before its exterior changes. A timber venetian, fitted inside the reveal, keeps the original sash window doing the visible work — the blind reads as a fitting, not a retrofit. That matters when a heritage approval is already part of the job.
Where it suits, and where it doesn't
- Deep-set sash windows in whitewashed H- or T-shaped Cape Dutch homesteads.
- Studies and living rooms where hour-by-hour light control matters more than blackout.
- Kept out of steamy en-suite bathrooms — an aluminium venetian handles that humidity better.
Honest limits
Timber is heavier than aluminium, so very wide sash windows may need splitting or ladder-tape support rather than one continuous span. And in the valley's newer, glass-forward wine-farm builds, a timber venetian can look like a costume rather than a fitting — those homes usually suit an external product or a sunscreen roller instead. We'll say which is which at the measure, not guess from a photograph.
Care in a reserve-edge valley
Quality lacquer handles normal Jonkershoek humidity without trouble, but timber venetians still want to stay out of direct, sustained steam. On homes closer to the CapeNature boundary, where mornings run damper and cooler on south-facing slopes, we'll flag it plainly if a room's ventilation makes timber the wrong call.
What a timber venetian costs
Timber is the dearer venetian and the reason is in the material and the finishing rather than the mechanism. Per square metre installed, a manual timber venetian runs R1,600 to R2,600, and a motorised one R3,000 to R4,500. Wider slats, stained finishes and tape ladders instead of cords all push a window towards the upper end of its band.
Small openings carry a minimum charge, since a deep-set homestead pane still needs its own headrail, brackets and fitting visit. Use the bands to plan a budget only — the figure per window is settled at the free measure and written down before the order goes in.