When a friend was selling a Herne Bay villa, a couple newly back in Auckland jumped at the chance.
It was a case of being in the right place at the right time when Joanne Nicol and Kelly Bennett found a villa in one of Herne Bay's sought-after avenues three years ago. The couple had just returned to New Zealand after seven years in Edinburgh and were looking for a family home in Auckland for themselves and their two children, Lucas, now 7, and Maia, now 4.
"I went to visit my friend Vicky, who lived across the road," says Nicol. "Her husband is a builder and I jokingly said, 'why can't he build me a house?' She pointed out the window and said, 'you can have that one'."
Vicky was pointing to a rundown house that was being used during filming of short-lived local television show Rude Awakenings. She and her husband had bought it as an investment with the intention of doing it up and selling it once filming finished. They had already drawn up plans for the renovation, but allowed Nicol and Bennett to have input into elements of the design and choose colours and finishes. "It was perfect," says Nicol. "We moved into a new house without the hassle of having to live through a renovation."
When the TV show was canned, work on renovating the 100-year-old villa began in earnest. The ramshackle kitchen lean-to was removed and replaced by a large, open-plan kitchen, dining and living area.
This space opens on two sides to a terraced subtropical garden, complete with an in-ground plunge pool. "I open the doors right back and I can stand in the kitchen and prepare food and keep an eye on the kids," she says.
"It feels like a little bit of Bali. The sun's streaming in and you can turn on the stereo and it's all right here. The first summer we had here we didn't go anywhere. We created a little Bali land in our backyard and it was just wonderful."
The former living room was turned into a spacious bathroom, leaving room for stairs up to a new master bedroom suite in what had been the attic.
"I like the design of the place, with four bedrooms and two living areas," Nicol says. "We were keen to create a family home that we could live in for a long time. When I was a child I moved around a lot so it was important for me to have a solid place, a community, for my children."
Style tips
Robust process: Hard-wearing furnishings and fittings provide peace of mind.
Low key: Nicol and Bennett kept the look simple and classic. "For me, colours come in your art and your kids' pictures on the walls - those are what bring a room alive," says Nicol.
Leanne Moore is the editor of Your Home & Garden. See the latest issue for the latest issue for the full story on this home and other ideas for your place.
