Katie says a colleague used to tell people she lived in "the pink nipple on the hill".
"Painting it pink was another one of David's things and that wasn't the done thing in those days," she laughs.
While that exterior colour scheme has been replaced by a sandy yellow, Howell's sympathetic extension of the home is still evident.
Two bedrooms were added upstairs, one accessed by a neat spiral staircase from what was the garage at the front of the house. This was built in to create a playroom/TV room for the family's four children. The other new upstairs bedroom, added to the western side, was designed to complement the look of the house, which sits at the end of a cul de sac.
"It's a lovely old house with great lines and David was clever because he made this room small and put the wrap-around balcony in between the room and the chimney so you could see all the different levels from the street," says Katie.
Wrapping around northern, western and southern sides of the house, the balcony has stunning harbour views, as do the neighbouring bedrooms, including the master bedroom with en suite.
The upstairs bathroom has a mirror inset made up of remnants from other windows removed during the renovation. This is another of Howell's Art Deco touches. Others include the black, yellow and blue tiles in the entrance, kitchen and conservatory; a marble and stainless steel hearth around an open fire; and a frosted glass front door with a bird of paradise motif.
Both the kitchen and glass-roofed conservatory, which is off the lounge, open to the north-facing upper deck. The dining room between the kitchen and lounge has a large window with a harbour view. Decks are curved and step down to a sheltered, private lawn below. The large downstairs laundry opens out to this lawn and is ripe for redevelopment.
Daughter Mary Richardson, who is married to former-NZ-cricketer-tuned-TV-commentator Mark Richardson, says as children they would weave through the backyards of neighbouring homes on their way to school. While that is no longer possible, there is a right of way outside the home's front gate that gives easy access to Madill's Farm reserve and the beach.
