SCHOOL ZONES:
Grey Lynn Primary, Ponsonby Intermediate, Western Springs and Auckland Girls Grammar.
CONTACT:
Andrea Ritchie or Luke McCaw, Bayleys, Andrea 021 906 793 or Luke 021 950 145.
*Plus off-street
In the latest of its many makeovers, this Victorian bay villa has been given a glamour treatment from a man who knows his period homes and who appreciates the luxurious touches in his surroundings.
Born in Pakuranga, property developer Graeme Fan has lived in and been the development consultant for a variety of Victorian and Georgian-style home renovations in London and when he returned to New Zealand a little over a year ago he brought back a wealth of ideas for projects here.
In January last year, Graeme bought this 1902 villa. Work began in July and within five months he'd transformed it throughout from the landscaped grounds to the architecturally redesigned interior.
He retained the integrity of the villa style at the front of the house while extending its rear footprint to incorporate pavilion-style living opening to outdoor dining on one side and, on the other, a purpose-built lounging area with built-in seating beneath the pergola.
The connecting elements are the high stud, deep skirting boards and architraves that marry the front of the house with its bedrooms on either side of the hallway to the living area beyond double doors at the end of the hall.
For Graeme, three key words stayed at the forefront as he mapped out this renovation and worked with Jones Architects to ensure its well-proportioned form suited the site and fine-tuned his own choice of decor. "Texture, light and ease of living are the most important things to me," he explains.
His choice of blond oak flooring was as much for lifestyle as a tonal complement to the light interior colour palette. "It reflects the light and gives a lovely calm feel to the space." His textural elements include the plastered-look finish on the hallway walls, the concrete-look floor and wall tiles in the bathrooms and the concrete-style pendant lights above the grey-white granite in the kitchen benches.
Image 1 of 5: Victorian bay villa gets a modern makeover with luxurious spaces crafted with light, texture and relaxation in mind.
Both natural light and well-considered artificial light play a significant role. He installed full-height glass sliding doors for light-filled connection to the outdoor cooking area with a plumbed kitchen sink and barbecue built into a free-standing waterfall bench of honed concrete. Graeme believes this is where concrete belongs in a residential setting. "Concrete is a fantastic material but I feel that solid concrete floors are better suited to commercial spaces. I think they're too hard to have on floors inside a home."
Inside, two skylights above the lounge maximise natural light on the south side of the property. Throughout the entire house, the careful placement of artificial lighting adds that important mood element to suit the function of a room. In the main bathroom, uplights installed in the floor around the free-standing bath are a glamorous touch. In the main bedroom it is the chandelier in the ceiling rose, another villa element that is repeated in the hallway.
Graeme has packed in functionality with storage off the hallway, under the house in what was a disused garage and in the scullery with a wine fridge on one wall and the laundry on the other and a door out to the herb garden.
Every inch of space has a purpose here. "I knew right from the start how I wanted this home to look and it was about bringing it into the modern era."
During this renovation, Graeme has met some keen observers including previous owners, one of whom lived here during World War II as a young boy. "He showed me where the bomb shelter was," says Graeme pointing to the southeast corner of the back lawn where, 70 years on, it is the seamless view of central Auckland and the Sky Tower that gets everyone out of the house.
