Uncovering History, One Stone at a Time

An Italian(-ish) villa tucked into the Shongweni Valley is slowly being brought back to life by Bettina Schneider and her husband, Gerbrant. They are a young couple documenting their restoration journey as both a lived experience and a digital record of discovery.

Set in one of the valley’s pockets of historic stone architecture, the home is believed to date back to the period when Italian engineers were involved in constructing the Shongweni Dam in the 1920s. Because definitive documentation has yet to surface, it exists, in many ways, between recorded history and oral memory. It is part of a small cluster of stone buildings in the area, alongside landmarks such as Stonehaven Castle, that together hint at a layered and still partly undocumented local history.

When Bettina and her husband first began looking for a home last year, they were not even planning to stay in South Africa. They had been exploring opportunities abroad and at the ‘last minute’ opened Property24 one Saturday evening. The first listing they viewed would become the one they eventually bought.

“On Monday morning, we viewed it. We were here for three hours,” Bettina recalls. “We got in the car and looked at each other and thought, ‘Should we put in an offer right now?’”

Although other higher offers came in, the couple were chosen by the sellers because they aligned with the long-term vision for the property. That vision is now unfolding publicly as well as privately, not only through renovation but through their Instagram account, which has become a behind-the-scenes log of sweat equity, salvage finds and second-hand sourcing.

“Everything pictured has been sourced and bought second-hand,” one post notes. “We try our hardest to only buy second-hand. It’s not only sustainable and has saved us thousands, but it's worth it for a multitude of reasons … we are never going back.” It is a mindset that has shaped the renovation as much as the architecture itself.

Inside the home, layers of alteration and time are being carefully peeled back rather than erased. Over the years, the house has been modified repeatedly, with original features covered, reshaped or forgotten entirely.

One of the earliest discoveries came almost by instinct. Before moving in, Bettina suspected that stonework had been hidden beneath cemented living room pillars. Despite being told by previous owners that nothing lay beneath, she arrived armed with a small chisel. Her instinct was right. Since then, uncovering hidden structure has become almost routine. “We constantly play this game of ‘Is there stone behind this?’ because it’s usually a 50/50 chance,” she says.

Their Instagram account reflects the same curiosity: images of demolition, exposed stone, salvaged pieces and half-finished spaces that sit somewhere between ruin and restoration. One caption describes it as “Old is Gold”, a phrase that captures the tone of the entire project: equal parts humour, grit and affection for imperfection.

The property also sits within a broader landscape of similarly built stone structures, reinforcing the sense that this is part of a once-cohesive architectural moment in the valley. For the couple, however, the historical intrigue is only part of the appeal. They were drawn just as much to the refusal of new-build perfection. “We couldn’t envision ourselves living in a cookie-cutter, copy-paste estate,” Bettina laughs. Instead, they chose a home defined by texture, unpredictability and the possibility of discovery.

Today, renovation is a full-time undertaking layered with learning. The couple have taken on most of the work themselves, from plumbing and electrical repairs to stonework restoration and interior design decisions. The house, they estimate, is currently about 30 to 40 per cent complete. Alongside the main residence, they are also restoring a cottage on the property while gradually developing a more self-sufficient, homestead-style way of living.

Their Instagram community has become an unexpected extension of the project. Fellow renovators, historians and enthusiasts regularly contribute advice, material identification and encouragement, even helping trace the origins of specific finishes or objects found in the home.

One particularly striking discovery even led them to a multi-generational family business responsible for manufacturing some of the property’s original tiles decades ago. “It’s been a crazy experience,” Bettina says.

What emerges most strongly, both online and in person, is that this is not simply a renovation project. It is an act of preservation through participation, a way of engaging with a home that is still actively revealing itself.

Seven months into the process, there is still plenty left hidden beneath layers of plaster, cement and time. And in a house like this, discovery is not an event; it is a pattern.

For Bettina and Gerbrant, that is precisely the point.

Instagram: sanchez.gets.dirty