As can sometimes happen when couples go house shopping, Bonnie and Antonie Basson saw this midcentury home in the Higgovale neighborhood of Cape Town, South Africa, and had very different reactions. “I hated it,” says Bonnie, an attorney, smiling at the memory of that first viewing. Antonie, a business owner in the restaurant industry and firm believer in buying “the worst house on the best street,” saw potential. “I said to my husband, ‘You’re crazy to want to take this on. It’s a lost cause,’” says Bonnie.

Despite a prime location with incredible views across City Bowl and the harbor, including Lion’s Head and Signal Hill mountains, the home’s existing windows were small and its split-level plan was muddled, with two kitchens, an entry stair made of wakeboards, and small, dark bedrooms. “I wanted a house that’s very light—I like sunshine,” says Bonnie. “The house, as we saw it for the first time, was the opposite of that.”

Before: Rear Exterior

The couple worked with Jenine Bruce of interior design firm Lacuna and Werner Lotz of Hours Clear Architects on the remodel. They had met Lotz through Bonnie’s sister, and he joined them on their house tours in order to help with the decision. “The house was shocking to say the least,” remembers Lotz. “But what I really loved about it was that it followed the topography. Split up in these half levels, the entire house kind of cascades down. I wanted to keep that as much as possible, and then also open it up.”

That was important to the Bassons, as they needed their outdoor spaces to connect fluidly with the interior for a flow that facilitated cooking and entertaining. “We are an Afrikaans family, and in our culture, we love braaiing,” says Bonnie. “ It’s where we cook and entertain around a fire.”

Lotz added large stacking glass doors and windows across the rear facade, connecting interior rooms to new outdoor spaces, designed by Josephine Noyce. Now, a covered terrace with a braai—the grill area—is an extension of the living room, while in the primary suite, the shower enjoys incredible views via floor-to-ceiling glass that opens to the garden. “It’s like you are on Signal Hill having a shower,” says Bruce.

After: Rear Exterior

Before: Patio

After: Braai

Before: Rear Walkway

After: Primary Suite Exterior

The pool was reoriented to align with the interiors, creating a sight line indoors to out. “Previously, the pool was very much disconnected from the house, and having kids, you want to keep an eye on them, especially when they’re swimming,” says Lotz. “Now, there’s an axis that goes straight through the house all the way into the backyard. It’s like a spine that connects all the social spaces together.”

After: Backyard

Whether inside or out, Antonie wanted a plethora of “informal seating,” says Bonnie. “He likes that. When we have people over, they can just sit wherever, even if it’s outside on some terracing or steps.” The design team created a series of built-ins and nooks, from the extra-long bench in the dining room that occupies one wall, to the living room’s cozy sectional, and a bay window that has proved a popular spot with the couple’s three children.

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Bruce kept the material palette consistent throughout, using speckled white granite for the outdoor patios and the interiors. Walnut covers the ceiling and forms much of the storage, from the kitchen cabinetry, to the coat and shoe niche in the hall, and primary suite closet. Bruce also populated every room with custom pieces, like the powder room wallpaper by the couple’s favorite artist, James Sutherland. “Nothing was just bought off the shelf,” says Bruce. “It’s all extremely considered and a beautiful celebration of South African designers and artists.”

In deference to Bonnie’s love for natural light, Lotz added two skylights to she and Antonie’s primary suite. Now, not only do they get the sun that Bonnie wanted from the beginning, but the moon as well. “The most beautiful natural light comes through there,” says Bonnie. “Sometimes in the evenings, when it’s a full moon, it will shine through. I said to my husband the other day, ‘This is such a happy space for me now.’”

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