KEY POINTS:
The owners of a grand home were determined to return it to its former glory.
81 Arney Road, Remuera.
When John and Linda Evans bought their gracious two-storey villa 17 years ago it had a rich history, but had been poorly treated over recent decades.
The kauri villa was one of the original homes on Arney Road, as photos in the wide hallway show. It was designed and built in 1885 for architect Edward Mahoney, whose work included many of Auckland's banks, hotels and churches in the boom time of the 1870s and early 1880s.
Mahoney died in 1895 and the home passed to his sons. It was later sold and passed through the hands of several owners before 1958 when the internal staircase was removed at the same time as the house was divided into three flats.
During their years at Arney Road, the Evans have heard many a tale about their home's past, including that it was once a house of ill-repute as well as being a venue for raucous rugby club parties in the 60s.
When the Evans moved in the home was showing the wear and tear of the previous decades. As Linda explains, "The people that had owned it in the 1970s had renovated the upstairs to a certain degree but the downstairs was pretty much in a 1940s time warp - and we had no hot water.
"My son wouldn't go downstairs because it was so derelict he thought there were ghosts down there."
The Evans were determined to restore the home to its former glory and update its grand spaces in a sympathetic fashion. That meant a lot of research on Linda's part and plenty of time scouring demolition yards.
The work was undertaken in 1990 and 1991, with one of the biggest jobs being reinstating the internal wooden staircase. A portion of the original was found under the floor and used as the basis for the replica.
The stairs now take you down to a large lower floor where Peter has a room for his pottery and Linda has a workroom where she designs evening wear.
Her showroom for her dresses is "the ballroom", a large airy space with four sets of French doors opening out to the gardens at the rear and side of the house.
The ballroom has a serving hatch connecting it with the garage so when the couple holds a function the food is served from the garage through the hatch and the dishes make the return journey.
The wide return verandah upstairs has also been the scene of many a social gathering. It runs around the northern and eastern sides of the house. The kitchen, dining room and family room open on to it.
"The verandah is a wonderful place for people to gather when you open up the house," says Linda.
At the front of the house, either side of hallway, are the drawing room and formal lounge, which both have ornate ceiling centrepieces and open fireplaces - there are five working fireplaces in the house.
Past the stairway, in what used to be a servants' area, are two bedrooms and a bathroom.
At the rear of the house is another bathroom - again upgraded sympathetically - and the master bedroom, which has a walk-in wardrobe and opens out to the rear deck.
The house, so lovingly restored, sits back from the road among formal grounds and is bathed in dappled light from the mature trees.
The couple never imagined selling their home until they took a holiday in northern India and so enjoyed staying at gracious colonial homes in the countryside that they are now looking to live somewhere rural, either south or west of the city.
The Evans will leave behind a lot of fond memories. Says John, "It's a grand old house; it's been lovely to live in - it has an understated elegance."
VITAL STATISTICS
BEDROOMS: 5
BATHROOMS: 3
GARAGES: 3+
SIZE: Land 1280sq m, house 426sq m.
PRICE INDICATION: CV $3.1 million. Tender closes February 14.
INSPECT: Sat/Sun 2-2.45pm
On the web: www.uprealty.co.nz #143026
SCHOOL ZONES: Victoria Avenue Primary, Remuera Intermediate, Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls Grammar.
CONTACT: Faye Flegg or Ian McHerron, Unlimited Potential, Faye 021 665 163, Ian 021 680 471.
FEATURES: Large, lovingly renovated two-storey kauri villa set back from the road in formal grounds and among mature trees. Five working fireplaces. Flexible living spaces or work rooms.
