SCHOOL ZONES:
Bayswater School, Belmont Intermediate, Takapuna Grammar
CONTACT:
Victoria Bidwell, 021 947 080, Bayleys.
AUCTION:
March 3
*Single carport
House doctor is not a term you hear much in New Zealand, but, as Nadia Sakey explains, it's a vocation that combines interior design, property development and real estate expertise.
British-born Nadia is a house doctor who trained in the UK, where the role is more widely known.
Essentially, a house doctor will help clients get the flow and feel of their property right and if it's being prepared for sale, they will advise on the most cost-effective way to make the most impact. It goes a lot further than home-staging. Nadia, whose business is aptly called The House Doctor, doesn't just redesign homes that are for sale.
Her handiwork and bold eye for colour can be seen in her own home, called Lavender Cottage, which she and her husband Dave bought six years ago. Nadia and Dave, who's from the North Shore, had originally pinned their hopes on Devonport, but when it proved too expensive they set their sights further afield. They were negotiating to buy another house when they happened to drive past Lavender Cottage and saw its for sale sign.
As soon as Nadia walked into the bungalow she knew it was the right house for them, despite being cramped with two bedrooms and a tiny kitchen and bathroom. "It didn't meet our brief, but I just fell in love with it. It just felt right," she says. "It had light, space and a beautiful flow."
Soon after they moved in, the Sakeys welcomed second daughter Molly, a sister for Hope who is now nearly 10. With spaniel Ralph part of the family too, Nadia set about planning how to make the most of Lavender Cottage to accommodate them comfortably. The cottage was extended front and back, but the result is so seamless you would never know what is new and what is original. The house is so picturesque it's been featured in three Your Home & Garden magazines.
Image 1 of 6: This elegant, vibrant cottage has been seamlessly extended and decorated. Photos / Michelle Hislop
A porch at the front was filled in to create a second living area or fourth bedroom, with French doors opening on to the veranda. The master bedroom's walls are painted in near-black Resene Bokara Grey, which looks elegant. "People can be scared of black, but it doesn't have to be gloomy. It's the best colour to promote sleep," Nadia says.
The girls' bedrooms feature pretty Florence Broadhurst print wallpaper. Along the hall is a feature wall of antique book wallpaper designed by Nadia's friend from interior design school, Deborah Bowness. Nadia's expertise as a wallcoverings designer is evident with her own design, the "Metropolis" feature wall of city lights in the living area. This sort of wallcovering can be removed and placed elsewhere multiple times.
The character kitchen, with a generous Smeg cooker and double butler's sink, works well for keen cook Nadia and accomplished baker, Dave. It looks out to a wisteria-framed deck, which Nadia says was top of Dave's wishlist. Wide steps lead down from the deck to a large back garden, where the Sakeys have had many parties, including a Mexican fiesta. There are a couple of hammocks swinging from the established trees in the garden, but Hope and Molly like to spend time in an incredible two-storey playhouse Nadia designed.
But there will be plenty of space for the girls to play at their new home. The Sakeys have bought some land at Matakana and look forward to building an eco-house there. "We will miss Bayswater though," says Nadia. "It really is a hidden gem."
