Having renovated a home in Pt Chevalier, Jess Rishworth and husband Paul wanted a new challenge. They found it when they bought this 1930s character home in a bush setting in 2012.
"We wanted a lifestyle space and we wanted room for the dogs," says Jess. "We wanted a view and we wanted peace and quiet."
Before they began on the house they removed vegetation around it and thinned out lower branches on trees to let in more light.
"We cleared it all back to see what we had on our hands."
The home has been opened up a little more internally and, with the addition of more glazing such as the French doors in the main lounge, it is light, bright and warm.
That effect is heightened by the neutral colour scheme and the timber floors that have been repolished in a lighter finish.
Behind the scenes, the home has been rewired, repiled, insulated, regibbed and has CAT 5 cabling.
Outside, Jess put in drainage and gravel paths around the house.
The water tank has been repaired and the rainwater collected goes through UV treatment before it hits the taps.
Image 1 of 6: Striking period features enhance light, modern living spaces in this 1930s property, aptly named 'Dreamlands'.
She and Paul have cleared the vegetation from a balustraded wall at the rear of the property which frames the entry to the path down through bush to a lake.
The wall is one of the reminders of the grand vision of the Leman family, who named this property Dreamlands and developed it for themselves but also as a retreat for guests.
One of the most relaxing spaces inside the home is the large east-facing lounge, which has views of the city and harbour in the distance.
Lofty, coffered ceilings and leadlight windows make this an elegant space.
"It took me a long time to work out how to furnish this room because of the scale of the pieces you need to put in here."
Other remnants of the Leman family's occupation include pastel murals throughout the home depicting desert or seaside scenes.
But not on the walls of the office, which has black walls contrasting with the white, beamed ceilings.
Jess and Paul have turned one of the bedrooms at this end of the house into a dressing room adjoining the master bedroom.
At the centre of the home is an open-plan kitchen and family room with French doors out to a rebuilt north-facing deck that steps down to a swathe of lawn that disappears into the bush.
At the western end of the house there is another living room -- now Paul's drum room -- and more bedrooms.
On the level beneath this is a self-contained space that has a living room with kitchenette, a bedroom and a bathroom.
Also on the property are a garage and two sheds offering plenty of potential for tinkering and hobbies.
Jess, who had worked in marketing and branding, has always had an interest in interiors and she says working on this home "reconfirmed her interest in architecture".
She is now studying architecture at Unitec and she and Paul are looking to simplify their lives.
"Architecture has taken over my life so we need something similar but smaller."
