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ehind the quaint façade of a minute semi-detached house on the slopes of Cape Town’s Signal Hill lies a four-storey home with ample space and a sense of breeziness that belies its proportions. It’s the kind of residence one would expect to find sitting snugly along Amsterdam’s canals — and this is why the one-bedroomed fixer-upper did not deter Sandra Leyck, who hails from the Netherlands. “I’m used to living in small apartments. We were nervous about how tiny the house was when we bought it. It felt like a garage, but the incredible views won us over and we knew we could do something special with it.”

Sandra and her husband, Boris, sought the help of architect Antony Abate of Team Architects to reimagine the space to maximise the living area, views and light. “We both wanted a light house, but we knew this was going to be a big challenge because we are tucked in between neighbours. We also like a soft industrial look and open spaces,” says Sandra. They were also adamant that the cooking and dining area should be the heart of their home. “We wanted it to be a place where we could relax as well as entertain comfortably. We spend more time around the dining room table than we do on the couch.”

Sandra says the kitchen, which is on the first floor, lived up to their high expectations, and also serves up dramatic views of the City Bowl. “We spend most of our time here, but we’ve also been surprised by how much we love the small street-facing balcony.” This was added to the plans to ensure natural light could flow from one side of the house to the other. Fortuitously, it has also connected Sandra and Boris to the tight-knit community. “We sit here in the evenings and our neighbours pass by and stop for a chat. It’s very social.”

This current of horizontal light means that although the room is only just over 3m wide, it never feels pokey. But it’s the use of vertical light across all four levels that proved to be the most rewarding design decision. “Natural light flows from our rooftop sitting area down to all three floors below because of the glass inserts we placed in the floors. A light well on the opposite side of the house also runs through all the levels,” says Boris. The frosted glass on the light well diffuses a soft glow, but also conceals all the plumbing and other utilities that it cleverly houses. A peek through the glass floor on the stair’s mezzanine reveals the entrance to the home below.

The original house was 125 years old and its flooring remains on the entrance level. The original roof beams now have pride of place — reimagined as seating on the rooftop. Other nods to the past include a vault door (donated by their builder who had used it to secure sites for two decades) which is now a dominant feature as you enter the home. “It was originally painted pink, but three weeks of hard work revealed the amazing steel door beneath,” says Sandra.

Throughout the house concrete and industrial finishes take the space firmly into the present. When it comes to furnishings, they have stuck to simple lines with touches of texture coming through in the leathercovered dining chairs and the raw wood flooring in the kitchen and living area.

“I lost all my furniture when I came to South Africa from Germany in 2011. The container washed off the ship in a storm!” says Boris with a laugh. “Fortunately, this meant we could start from scratch and search for the right pieces for the house or have them specifically made for it.”

The couple waited for months until the right type of wood (irregular Panga Panga beams) was found for the floor because they didn’t want it to “look perfect”. Boris hunted his homeland for the ceramic fireplace to add a pop of colour and warmth. The security gate for the kitchen balcony was created with organic shapes cut out to let light through when closed. It’s this search for perfection and attention to detail that sets this home apart. And it is proof that dynamite comes in small packages.

The lounge area boasts city and mountain views. The couch and swivel chair are from Comfort Creations; the ottoman and standing lamp are from LIM, and Sandra posted the wooden stool home from Zimbabwe. The painting is by Sandra’s aunt. The rooftop “stoep” is on the second floor. The furniture and pagoda were made using the roof beams from the original house. The kitchen and dining area is part of the open-plan living space on the first floor. The stairs were designed by architect Antony Abate and hang off a supporting steel beam.

The garden is off the guest suite. “When we bought the house it was a raw concrete stoep, so we weren’t expecting much, but now it is a wonderful lush space to relax in,” says Sandra.