David says he and Sue weren't looking for a Spanish-style design, "but there was something about this house that spoke of the spirit of Spain," he recalls.
Seeking to retain the home's character in their renovation, the Templemans resisted removing the archways and swirled plasterwork, but did soften some of the plaster's ridges and painted it a fresh white.
At the centre of the U-shaped layout is a conservatory, which David says was designed by landscape architect Ted Smyth around the time the house was built. The couple removed some of the existing brickwork and added further glazing to the conservatory to improve the sightline of the pool from the home's arched front entrance.
"The relationship to the pool was most important."
Keeping the integrity of the design intact, they simplified the space by removing plants and adding a concrete floor.
Outside, a focal point across the pool is a stainless steel sculpture designed by Smyth.
It looks custom-designed for the space but, in fact, was acquired from a clifftop home nearby. David and Sue redid all the landscaping, bringing in a mini-bulldozer. They put in access from the kitchen to the poolside via a subtropical garden and boardwalk over the lawn, past David's shed, to connect with decking around the distinctively shaped pool.
The house's western wing, with a stained-glass clerestory window along its length, contains the three bedrooms, with the master bedroom and new en suite at the end. There is a new, family bathroom and separate toilet at the beginning of the wing.
Split-level living and dining is across the pool, in the eastern wing.
David uses the secondary living space as his office. From there, steps lead up to a lookout tower with sea views.
Though the house has heat pumps and ceiling insulation, a focal point of the living room is a woodburner. A charming 1970s feature in the wall between the dining area and the decade-old granite kitchen has been retained by the Templemans - a terracotta-pipe wine rack.
All the spaces in the house feel just right.
"That's a feature of this house which struck us when we first saw it," David recalls.
"All the spaces and their relationship to each other appeared to work well. And they have."
