SCHOOL ZONES:
Westlake Boys' and Westlake Girls',
Takapuna Intermediate, Milford Primary
CONTACT:
Gail and Ken Pianta, ph 021 686 516
With the sprawl of the modern North Shore that began in the late 1950s, and took off during the Sixties and Seventies, it is easy to forget there are pockets of suburbs that are nearly as old as Ponsonby or Parnell.
Devonport and Birkenhead Point are obvious spots, but others too have old colonial houses.
One of the few remaining is Lisa and Joe Gill's square-fronted villa in Prospect Terrace, above the Wairau Creek in Milford. But even they hadn't realised the house's history.
Lisa discovered the story of No5 and its neighbour No3 a few years ago when broadcaster Hilary Barry recognised memorabilia discovered at No3. The houses had been built by her great grandmother, Dorothy Hall and husband Jack who lived there for more than 50 years. Dorothy kept much-prized chickens and sold her eggs and veges to buy a piece of land by Milford beach.
The chickens would join the family for summer holidays at the bach.
"I lived just around the corner, and funnily enough had seen the house for sale but we were not really looking," laughs Lisa. "We are constant renovators, we'd done everything we could to our last place.
"The house didn't go at the auction, so when they called and said make an offer, we did. Twenty-four hours later it was ours."
The couple liked that the cute cottage front of the house belied its size. At some time in the 1980s its single floor had been extended to three with a ground floor flat and garaging below, a master suite above.
At the time they bought the house the family had four teens, later joined by a fifth, so needed a space with plenty of functionality.
Three living rooms gave plenty of options as the kids grew: the formal front room with its pretty bay looking into the old-fashioned front porch easily converted to the sixth bedroom for their new daughter, the downstairs flat became the kids' media lounge and older kids' bedrooms.
But although the bones of the house were fine, the couple saw enough potential to keep their renovating urges happy.
Up went fresh white paint and vintage-style wallpapers. The family bathroom was re-done. Out went some of the carpets to expose wood floors. Lisa discovered these narrower rimu planks were added over the original kauri. She was also delighted to find that the handsome butcher's block kitchen bench was made from that old kauri. Original architraves and mouldings, and high ceilings, blend with the family's collection of mid-century and vintage furniture.
The main living floor layout suits the family beautifully: an open-plan living room with wood burner, connects to the conservatory-like dining room with views across Milford to that loved icon, Rangitoto.
Downstairs they re-landscaped the back yard, paving and formalizing it into a second outdoor eating space surrounded by greenery. Upstairs, the master bedroom simply needed a smart coat of white paint, but then, somehow, they kept going. The bathroom was updated, and, best of all, they added a fabulous outdoor bath on their upper deck. Sheltered from the neighbours, romantically lit by lanterns and candles, it is overlooks the glittering lights of the suburb.
Needless to say, this is a favourite spot for a night-time soak with a glass of wine. She insists it is even better with a storm raging, tucked in her bubble of warmth.
Lisa and Joe would still be improving but the family has a yen to do the country thing - perhaps even chickens in the style of the original owner - so this historic cottage is on the market.
