SCHOOL ZONES:
Westmere School, Pasadena Intermediate, Western Springs College.
CONTACT:
Robyn Ellson, Ray White, 021 800 891 or 376 2186.
AUCTION:
Wednesday June 8, 6.30pm.
* Off-street parking for two cars.
Caroline Matson believes that if you are going to do a job, you should not only do it properly, but do it with plenty of pizazz.
That philosophy was at the forefront of her mind when she tackled the renovation of a 1920s bungalow she bought in Westmere two years ago. A perfectionist with a natural flair for design, it was important to her that the house -- which she now describes as a "boutique home" -- not only looked good, but was updated using the best possible fixtures, fittings and building materials.
"I've put a lot of money into top-quality products that look great but are also very functional and will last a long time. I've been dragged down in the past by having to do a lot of maintenance to houses, so now I like to invest in things that don't need that."
Caroline did not change the footprint of what had been a two-bedroom, one-bathroom house, but rearranged the layout to gain an extra bedroom and an en suite.
A large wash-house and a porch at the back of the house made way for a stunning new kitchen that is part of a light, sunny living area and opens up to a spacious deck and the flat landscaped garden.
The house needed a lot of work. The exterior had been well maintained, but inside there were problems like a burnt-out hot water cylinder and bronze-coloured tap water.
There was layer upon layer of wallpaper, and "modernisations" over the years had covered up many of the lovely period features, such as the decorative wooden fretwork in the hall, which had been gibbed over.
"Deconstructing the house was the hardest part," recalls Caroline. "It would have been easy to just go in with a hammer and knock everything down but we took it apart very carefully. It was a painstaking process but it meant we found features that were salvageable. "It was very exciting uncovering the wood in the hall - it was like finding a Matisse buried in your house."
Image 1 of 6: New life has been breathed into this 1920s home. Photos / Ted Baghurst
Once the deconstruction was done, work started on rebuilding the house to Caroline's exacting standards. She stayed there while the work was done, basically living in one bedroom and showering at the gym for a time when there wasn't a fully functioning bathroom. "It turned out to be useful being on site," says Caroline, a counsellor who works from home. "I would have a meeting with the builder every morning at 7am, often while I was still in my pyjamas, to talk through what would be happening that day. Being there meant I was able to make decisions on the spot, and halt anything if I wasn't happy with it."
The corroded aluminium windows were replaced with new wooden ones, while there are Velux skylights in the kitchen and bathrooms with sensors so they close automatically if it rains. The kitchen and bathrooms have underfloor heating, while a gas fire in the lounge heats the whole house.
The former lounge at the front of the house is now the master bedroom. An internal wall was moved, creating space for a wardrobe and an en suite. "This is my decadent room," says Caroline of her en suite. She chose porcelain tiles and a striking egg-shaped Alessi designer toilet (with an oval basin and mirror to match).
The en suite is a perfect example of the careful thought Caroline has put into the house. She got the builder to re-use one of the original doors as a cavity slider and left the side that is visible in the bathroom as it was when she bought the house -- covered in faded blue paint and roughly sanded.
"I wanted to keep things like that to pay homage to the house." She also wanted a slimline vanity unit and had one made from beautiful kauri.
One of the other bedrooms has a traditional corner window seat while the third one, which Caroline has previously used as an office, now has French doors out to the deck. The living room and kitchen area is Caroline's favourite place to be. She put in soaring cathedral ceilings -- "High ceilings always give you such a sense of wellbeing, I think" -- and the skylights and two sets of bifolding glass doors ensure that it is always light.
Caroline wouldn't be leaving if it wasn't for the fact that her youngest daughter Grace is now living in London, and Caroline wants a lock-and-leave property so it is easier to go over to visit her. "It is a beautiful house to live in. I have tried to be very respectful to it, and I think I have achieved that."
