Blinds & shading for Rondebosch.

Mountain shade on one side, open sky on the other

Rondebosch splits fairly cleanly along the railway line. On the western, mountain-facing side near UCT and Belmont Road, Victorian and Edwardian family homes with deep verandahs get real afternoon shade from Devil's Peak but strong, low morning sun straight into east-facing rooms. Cross the line toward the M5 and the flatter, more open eastern side sees longer, harder direct sun through the whole day with less to break it.

That's two different specs in one suburb: sunscreen fabric on the north- and west-facing glass that catches the harder afternoon light, blockout for bedrooms wherever the morning sun comes in low and early — which on the western slope, most of the year, it does.

• Western, mountain-facing streets near UCT get afternoon shade from Devil's Peak but strong morning sun.
• The flatter eastern side, more open toward the M5, runs longer direct sun exposure through the day.
• Deep verandahs on the older Victorian and Edwardian homes are worth keeping — shading goes on the glass behind them, not over the verandah roofline.