When their home turned 100 years old, Chris Faithfull and Ann Maree Rowe decided it deserved a makeover.
"It was like a centenary rebirth of the place," says Chris of the renovation and extension of the circa 1912 villa.
"It was a very plain house so we tried to dress it up a little and add some elements from the era without it getting too pretty. It doesn't look renovated because all the pieces are period specific."
At the front of the house, they added fretwork and restored the veranda and leadlight windows but also added practical things such as an electric gate.
They lived in their villa then rented it out for a long time before moving back following the renovation.
With firm plans for what they wanted, they employed an architectural draughtsman to get their ideas down on paper.
"Chris is really good at design," says Ann Maree. "He's always been designing things and making things." And, he says, working as a flooring contractor meant he saw a lot of homes and gathered ideas along the way.
11 Ethel St, Sandringham. Photo / Ted Baghurst
Ann Maree adds, "We wanted a mix of form and function; it's designed to be lived in and enjoyed. It's not a show home."
A pressed-metal ceiling is a feature of the master bedroom, walk-in wardrobe and en suite at the front of the house.
To display and preserve the ceiling, the walk-in wardrobe and en suite have walls that aren't full-height.
What could be a fourth bedroom further down the hall has been turned into a cosy media room with a sofa custom-made to fit.
Opposite, the bathroom has a standalone bath and suspended vanity with clean lines.
11 Ethel St, Sandringham. Photo / Ted Baghurst
In the open-plan lounge/kitchen/dining area, design is to the fore with a mix of colours and textures - recycled timber, dark and light surfaces, exposed concrete block and sleek looks. Negative detailing emphasises the sharp detailing and provides symmetry.
"We don't like handles on doors and drawers; we wanted clean lines," says Ann Maree of the kitchen cabinetry, some of which is opened with electric motors.
"I'm a foodie so the kitchen was important to me - things like the double oven, lots of storage, walk-in pantry and induction cooktop."
Everything from exposing the end grain on timber features to hidden uplighting in the ceiling has been thought through by the couple in a space that is intriguing and welcoming.
11 Ethel St, Sandringham. Photo / Ted Baghurst
To the north, stacking sliders provide access to the deck, which has a LouvreTec roof and is afforded privacy by the mature trees.
An internal staircase takes you from the living area down to the garage and workshop. There is also a self-contained apartment with kitchenette and bathroom, and towards the front of the house about 100sq m of under-house storage.
Chris used some of the rock dug up while creating the garage to make rock walls in the garden.
The next phase for Chris and Ann Maree is living at Piha, but they can leave here confident they have set this villa up for the next 100 years.
