SCHOOL ZONES:
Ellerslie Primary, One Tree Hill College.
CONTACT:
Chris Batchelor, Barfoot & Thompson, ph 021 217 7026.
FEATURES:
*Gated offstreet parking for 3
Not many 25-year-olds can say that they are on to their first property development, let alone their second. But Tom Jenkins, with his partner Jo, has just put the finishing touches to his second delightful villa renovation just off Ladies Mile. He finished his first in 2010.
This might be a young man to watch.
However, he admits it was all with help from his parents, part of a big plan the family developed for a very run-down old site on the corner of Morrin and Robert Sts.
The 1200sq m corner section had a rough old villa, pretty much in original condition, a mature tree or two and a lot of scoria rocks in the lumpy yard.
But, clearly, there was potential for more, as the rest of the street is lined with quality renovations and smart townhouses, with the charms of Ellerslie shopping village, the racecourse and, of course, Cornwall Park all a mere walk away.
So the family set to work as soon as they bought the land in 2009. "Tom knows the best way to work the plans," says Jo. "He did the sketches and then the architectural guys take it from there."
The first job was to subdivide into two plots, levelling the sections and putting all those scoria rocks to one side to build classic stone walls -- one of the few jobs Tom didn't do, calling in master rock craftsmen.
Craig Walker Building Removals moved a villa from the university in Grafton and Tom set to work on the first property, on Robert St. Once that villa was completed and sold, he and Jo moved into the chaos of the original villa and started work.
"Pretty much everything had to be done -- rewired, replumbed, insulated, gibbed," explains Tom. "I've done a bit of work with old villas and bungalows; I like the quality."
That eye means Tom would not compromise on quality -- helped by a few lucky scores. The two sets of French doors for the family room, with authentic-looking sash windows, came out of another house being renovated; he sourced further quality sash windows and had new floors milled from recycled kauri to match the originals.
But it is the smart new floor plan that really shows Tom's skills.
He reworked the typical bay villa layout (hallway up the middle, two rooms off either side, lean-to bathroom and kitchens off the back) to create a second wing -- a big bay window to match the original, joined by a long north-facing veranda.
Only when you examine the floors do you see where the original house stops and the new wing starts, as the detailing is seamless.
Tom removed an old, unsafe fireplace to open up between the original bay living room and the casual sitting/dining room, rebuilt the old lean-to into a swish new kitchen, with a welcoming island and installed those two sets of French doors to a generous deck right out to the western boundary.
He put in villa-style architraves, ceiling details and skirting boards. The space is warm, flooded with light and oriented for private outdoor living.
The corridor to the new wing was carved out of the old back bedroom, along with a good family bathroom and even a good-size office, tucked behind a sliding door.
The original front bedroom is now much improved by a sash window and built-in closets.
A second double bedroom and the master suite -- plus a generous laundry cupboard -- form the new wing.
