How Clever Design Makes This Small Sea Point Apartment Feel Larger

Zooming around Sea Point on his Vespa, Jason van Wyk looked up at the art deco building tucked into a quiet cul-de-sac, Lion’s Head peeking out behind it and the scent of jasmine hanging in the air.

He spotted the expansive picture windows overlooking the Atlantic and knew immediately: this was the place. He called his partner, Bryce Henderson — architect and director of Studio BHD — to seal the deal, and together the pair transformed the compact top-floor apartment into a retreat that ebbs and flows with the movement of the sun. “Jason and I had just sold our home in the Southern Suburbs and wanted to test out the Atlantic Seaboard before committing to a larger space,” Bryce explains. With “a passion for restoring and injecting new life into heritage-graded properties”, he set to work on the 78sqm apartment. “We enjoyed the contrast of the project and were excited by the challenge of making the most of a compact footprint through clever storage solutions,” he adds. “We also loved the sense of height, perched above the rooftops with incredible sunsets unfolding in front of us.”

The building still retained many of its original art deco details — curved balconies, parquet flooring and terrazzo tiles in the lobby — all of which Bryce and Jason were eager to incorporate into the redesign. The renovation, which took six months to complete, began with a dramatic structural intervention. “Seeing the maze of walls come down to create an open-plan space with expanded views was incredibly exciting,” Bryce recalls.

The original two-bedroom apartment was reimagined as a one-bedroom home with a study, walk-in wardrobe and larger living area. Walnut joinery and ribbed glass details reference the building’s heritage while maintaining a distinctly contemporary edge.

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Caption: The kitchen features Arte wallpaper and Sapienstone counters by Studio Masson

Maximising the views came with a delicate challenge: the balconies had to remain enclosed to preserve the building’s uniform façade. Bryce responded by creating the feeling of a balcony through subtle shifts in materiality. Warm timber flooring gives way to terrazzo, while a frameless corner stacking-glass system dissolves the boundary between indoors and out when fully opened. Above, a vaulted arched ceiling draws the eye outward towards the ocean.

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Caption: A custom curved cabinet provides discreet kitchen storage

That same spatial ingenuity continues in the bathroom, which accommodates a full bath, shower and double vanity without ever feeling compressed. Functions and planes deliberately overlap so that each element borrows space from the next rather than competing for it. Heated floors and towel rails complete a room that feels quietly luxurious.

Every space in the apartment was designed with intention. The study is separated from the living area by ribbed glass partition doors, transforming what could easily have become a dark, leftover corner into a light-filled and practical workspace. “It’s a beautiful space with incredible sunlight,” says Jason. The couple’s miniature schnauzer, Finn, seems to agree, regularly snoozing in a warm patch of afternoon sun.

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Caption: Houtlander chairs, a Paradise lamp from Arrange Studio and a Bofred mirror in the sunny office

Soft curves — something of a Bryce Henderson signature — appear throughout the joinery and detailing, subtly referencing the building’s deco architecture. The material palette is restrained yet richly textural, creating warmth while allowing moments of contrast to emerge naturally.

A polished metallic wall piece sits against soft velvets, while a spiky cactus offsets the rounded lines of a custom cabinet concealing the practicalities of the kitchen. A marble splashback introduces movement and pattern, while repeated terracotta tones woven through the curved rugs carry colour gently throughout the apartment.

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Caption: The bathroom features tiles and Sapienstone counters and cladding by Studio Masson, with Plantation Shutters filtering the light

In the bedroom, flashes of silver, soft linens, woven textures and supple leather coexist effortlessly. Art also plays a defining role within the home. A moody work by Cape Town artist Nelia Annandale — gifted as a housewarming present — anchors the living area and informs much of the apartment’s colour palette. A longtime collector of local art, Bryce notes that “large-scale art makes a strong statement in a small space.” Here, it does exactly that.

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Caption: A moody work by Cape Town artist Nelia Annandale — gifted as a housewarming present — anchors the living area

For Bryce, a home should feel like a deep breath — calm, restorative and deeply personal. Beyond the considered lines and layered interiors, this apartment represents something more intimate: the first complete project the couple has undertaken together from start to finish.

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Caption: Rodane Kane’s metallic artwork shines above a Gregor Jenkins half-moon Turned table

“It was an incredible process for us to understand each other more deeply,” Bryce reflects. “Jason brings a strong sense of practicality to my design flair.” The result, Jason says, “might be compact, but it lives large and lives well.”

Credits

Text: Christine van Deemter 

Photographs: Paris Brummer

Maximising the views came with a delicate challenge: the balconies had to remain enclosed to preserve the building’s uniform façade. Bryce responded by creating the feeling of a balcony through subtle shifts in materiality. Warm timber flooring gives way to terrazzo, while a frameless corner stacking-glass system dissolves the boundary between indoors and out when fully opened. Above, a vaulted arched ceiling draws the eye outward towards the ocean.

That same spatial ingenuity continues in the bathroom, which accommodates a full bath, shower and double vanity without ever feeling compressed. Functions and planes deliberately overlap so that each element borrows space from the next rather than competing for it. Heated floors and towel rails complete a room that feels quietly luxurious.

Every space in the apartment was designed with intention. The study is separated from the living area by ribbed glass partition doors, transforming what could easily have become a dark, leftover corner into a light-filled and practical workspace. “It’s a beautiful space with incredible sunlight,” says Jason. The couple’s miniature schnauzer, Finn, seems to agree, regularly snoozing in a warm patch of afternoon sun.

Soft curves — something of a Bryce Henderson signature — appear throughout the joinery and detailing, subtly referencing the building’s deco architecture. The material palette is restrained yet richly textural, creating warmth while allowing moments of contrast to emerge naturally.

A polished metallic wall piece sits against soft velvets, while a spiky cactus offsets the rounded lines of a custom cabinet concealing the practicalities of the kitchen. A marble splashback introduces movement and pattern, while repeated terracotta tones woven through the curved rugs carry colour gently throughout the apartment.

In the bedroom, flashes of silver, soft linens, woven textures and supple leather coexist effortlessly. Art also plays a defining role within the home. A moody work by Cape Town artist Nelia Annandale — gifted as a housewarming present — anchors the living area and informs much of the apartment’s colour palette. A longtime collector of local art, Bryce notes that “large-scale art makes a strong statement in a small space.” Here, it does exactly that.

For Bryce, a home should feel like a deep breath — calm, restorative and deeply personal. Beyond the considered lines and layered interiors, this apartment represents something more intimate: the first complete project the couple has undertaken together from start to finish.

“It was an incredible process for us to understand each other more deeply,” Bryce reflects. “Jason brings a strong sense of practicality to my design flair.” The result, Jason says, “might be compact, but it lives large and lives well.”

Credits

Text: Christine van Deemter 

Photographs: Paris Brummer