Full charcoal louvre with a white top in Somerset West.

The brief

A Somerset West home wanted a smart, low-maintenance cover over the patio, something with a dark frame to anchor it against the house, but a bright underside to keep the space light, and adjustable for the Helderberg's swings between sun and rain.

The build

An aluminium louvre roof with a charcoal powder-coated frame and a crisp white louvre top, wall-attached and carried on charcoal posts over the patio. The two-tone finish gives a defined, modern frame with a light, airy underside; the rotating blades open for sun or angle and close to shed rain. Built in marine-grade aluminium, so it never rusts or needs repainting.

The result

A patio cover that frames the house in charcoal and stays bright underneath. Open, the white blades bounce light into the space; closed, they keep the patio dry. No steel, no timber, nothing to maintain. Just a cover that works through the seasons.

Why the white top suits Somerset West

The two-tone spec came down to how the patio feels from underneath. A full charcoal roof reads sharp from the garden but can sit dark overhead; here the white louvre top keeps the underside bright, so even with the blades closed on a wet Helderberg afternoon the patio doesn't turn gloomy. The charcoal frame and posts still give the structure its edge against the house.

Somerset West weather swings, sun one hour and a squall off the mountains the next, and the rotating blades track along with it. Open for light, angled for glare, closed for rain, all without the owners thinking much about it after the first week. Marine-grade aluminium throughout means the white top stays white without repainting.