This one-time tired old villa in Onehunga has been brought back to its former glory, thanks to some careful restoration and sympathetic improvements. By VICKI HOLDER.
What do you do with a whole stack of antique furniture? Buy a grand, old Victorian villa in the burbs, of course! Auckland couple Andrew Nash and Deirdre Christmas-Nash thought they might as well display their bounty in the style it deserved. When they invested in their handsome, but dilapidated, return veranda villa in Onehunga, they suddenly had more than enough room not just for their furniture but for aging relatives and kids, as well.
Built for a crown prosecutor in 1875, the home was part of Brookfield Estate, as it was once known, which ran all the way to Mt Smart Rd. The property has shrunk substantially over the years, but it's still one of the area's larger land holdings on a huge level garden.
Before Andrew and Deirdre moved in the home was in flats. Some rooms were beautifully preserved in period style. Others had weathered less graciously and some of the ceilings were in an unbelievable state of disrepair. But the restoration task didn't phase Andrew and Deirdre. For the home's abundant living spaces and large bedrooms helped resolve their dilemma of how to care for several elderly relatives while giving them room to escape to be on their own with their young children.
Now, everyone lives together happily in the home dubbed The White House, with its distinctly presidential air. Well, at least they all live alongside one another. The White House isn't the only home on the property. For in recent years, a not-so-grand, but perfectly liveable self-contained studio was built behind the garden wall. It has proved ideal for those relatives who remain fairly independent.
Comfortable in the knowledge everyone had some place to stay, Andrew and Deirdre proceeded with improvements that have brought the home up to scratch. They added practical features like the triple-car garaging. It sits across from the large, raised pond and fountain that forms a circular turning point at the end of the sweeping driveway. Andrew believes this feature was created in the 1980s, for the grand formal entry porch is actually at the side of the house.
Big white gates now close off the back garden, adding all-important security and keeping kids and dogs contained.
A new kitchen in the family living area is anything but traditional with its modern white cabinetry and long, thin aluminium handles. But it's certainly functional and great for entertaining with its robust, speckled granite benchtop and acres of storage. Handy to the kitchen, a new tiled laundry was added next door and this doubles as the downstairs bathroom.
As part of a lean-to area, the family living space originally had sloping sarked ceilings. They were in such bad condition, Andrew and Deirdre decided to replace them. Instead of replicating the original design, they opted for a touch of glamour in an icing smooth, white plastered ceiling, trimmed with ornate cornices.
They did the same in the large entry foyer, where they lowered the old ceiling. "It was too disgusting and needed to be hidden," says Andrew. In the centre, they added a recessed crown from which they suspended a crystal chandelier. To the walls they added a dado of timber panelling and flooring was replaced with ceramic tiles.
The original kauri staircase remains, winding its way up to the three upstairs bedrooms (there's a fourth downstairs) linked to the veranda and the family bathroom. On the generous landing, an ornate arched niche complements the plaster cornices, giving space to display ornaments.
Nearly every room features a traditional fireplace. There are seven of them and all are in working order, though the Nashs haven't bothered with them. believing open fires are too messy. Twin lounges downstairs are both large with particularly tall ceilings. They're decorated in traditional style with floral wallpaper and timber dado lines.
Andrew and Deirdre have loved being part of a chapter in the old home's life. They've especially enjoyed the bird life that comes to visit the trees in front, protected due to their enormous size. However, their arrangements have changed so they're moving on. Now it's time for someone else to step into Onehunga's past.
Vital Statistics
ADDRESS: 424 Onehunga Mall, Onehunga.
FEATURES: Grand Victorian villa restored and decorated in period style; flow from lounges and bedrooms to wrap-around veranda; two lounges; family area; four bedrooms; three bathrooms, including en suite off master bedroom; separate self-contained studio; triple-car garaging; fully fenced; manicured lawns in large grounds.
SIZE: Land area 1950sq m.
AUCTION: October 16.
AGENT: Pauline Lancaster, Bayleys, Newmarket. Ph 631 1888 bus; 027 458 7245 mob.
<i>Onehunga:</i> Period piece
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.