SCHOOL ZONES:
Grey Lynn School, Newton Central School, Kowhai Intermediate, Western Springs College, Auckland Girls’ Grammar.
CONTACT:
Martin Dobson, 021 376 952, or Caroline Daniel, 021 922 223, Kellands Real Estate.
AUCTION:
August 25, 1pm on site.
For Dianne Davies, buying a house in Grey Lynn was a case of returning to her roots.
She lived in Sussex St until she was six and although she only has vague memories of her time there, she's always had a hankering to move back to the old neighbourhood.
She and husband Mike have done up several villas in Freemans Bay and Herne Bay over the years, and when they spotted a 1905 transitional villa for sale in Grey Lynn two and a half years ago, they knew immediately that they had found their next project.
"Elgin St is only a couple of streets away from where I grew up, and it is a lovely heritage street," says Dianne. "Plus it is so close to Ponsonby and the city -- we were very happy to be moving here."
They were also pleased to be taking on a house that had all the period features they liked, but was ready for somebody to work a little magic on it. Dianne and Mike -- with their previous experience and huge appreciation for villas -- were more than prepared to do that, and have transformed just about every centimetre of the house.
They and their daughters Grace, Georgia and Bella lived there for a year before embarking on a renovation that was actually more of a rebuild.
"We wanted to keep the character, and we kept the things that were still in good condition, like some of the original doors and windows," says Dianne. "But we had to replace a lot of the rest of the house, so it is virtually a brand new home."
As well as re-gibbing, Dianne and Mike went to great lengths to replicate board and batten ceilings, ceiling roses, architraves, scotias and skirting and leadlight windows. Unfortunately the kauri floors could not be salvaged, so the floor is now oak.
Image 1 of 6: A couple looking for a villa project found the ideal candidate in a heritage street. Photos / Ted Baghurst
What had been the original lounge is now Mike and Dianne's bedroom, which has one of the outstanding features of the house -- the original pressed steel ceiling. They took great care to preserve this striking piece of craftsmanship, building a three-quarter height wall instead of a full-height one, behind which they tucked the walk-in wardrobe. There is also a generous fully-tiled en suite.
The girls' bedrooms are all generous with ample storage, and one has a bay window and fireplace. The family bathroom has a classic egg bath and separate shower, and there is also a powder room.
As well as insulating throughout, they added central heating and air conditioning so the house stays a constant, comfortable temperature.
But the biggest changes are at the rear of the house, where Dianne and Mike added on a TV lounge and large L-shaped open-plan living/dining and kitchen area. This part is completely new but the use of matching architraves and flooring makes it connect seamlessly to the original part of the house.
The kitchen has an eye-catching marble central island, a gas hob and automatic opening and closing drawers. As well as plenty of cupboards in the actual kitchen, there is a butler's pantry/laundry with additional space.
The TV lounge can be closed off thanks to clever cavity slider doors, or opened up to create one enormous living space. Meanwhile, three sets of sliding glass doors lead out from the living and dining rooms to the sunny north-west facing garden.
This also looks completely different from the way it was two years ago. Then, it sloped up towards the back fence; now it is flat with a lawn and swimming pool.
"We had it dug out, which was a huge job," says Dianne. "It felt like the digger was here for months."
There is also a loggia with a Louvretec roof allowing this outdoor space to be used in all weathers.
"We spent a lot of time out here in summer," says Dianne. "But the roof means you can still use it when it is raining."
The house has plenty of storage both underneath and in the attic, which is accessed by pull-down stairs.
"It's been such a comfortable, practical house to live in," says Dianne. "Everything we've done has been for us and the way we like to live, but hopefully somebody else will appreciate that."
