Epsom and Remuera are awash with magnificent houses from the turn of last century. But few could boast the pedigree of Kathy and Andrew McElroy's Arts and Crafts home on Domett Ave.
It was designed by architects Noel Bamford and Hector Pierce in 1910. Bamford's claim to fame was that, until 1907, he had worked for the revered English architect Edwin Luytens. The Bamford/Pierce partnership's public work can still be seen in the Tea Kiosk in the Domain, which they designed in 1914 for the Auckland Exhibition. They were responsible for the Coolangatta, which was later demolished, as well as Parnell's Kinder House and Neligan House.
This house, too, has quite a history -- it was subdivided off hospital land for magistrate Robert Barstow in 1875, carved up again in 1906, then bought by land agent Arthur Frater and his wife Mary Hesketh.
Bamford's revolutionary design, known as the butterfly, used typical Luytens' handwriting: low sweeping roof, shingled gables, slim chimneys and divided-pane sash windows, with Arts and Crafts details that were a great contrast to the then typical New Zealand central-hall-bay-window villas. Good records held by Heritage (formerly Historic Places) on the building and the architects, show there have been remarkably few major alterations to the house, so many original details are still there.
When the McElroys bought 22 years ago, they had one baby, and another arrived the next year.
"We have done three renovations over the years," explains Kathy. "But the best thing about this house is its versatility. Nearly every room has had several incarnations as the boys have grown."
Those boys, now 21 and 24, have long left home, so their parents are downsizing the nest before it takes on another incarnation. When they first arrived, the house still had original scrim walls and the kitchen/service wing was cut off from the sun. So the initial project was to do the basics of gibbing and opening up that wing into a modern family room with a new kitchen and a deck on the northern side to the garden. One of the fireplaces was threatening to burn the house down so the family endured a mammoth rebuild with a lot of dust. The house still has three working fireplaces.
Later, the family moved an old garage to the front of the property and made room for a pool, creating a generous back deck and a proper laundry. The back of the house enjoys an off-street car park (the remnants of a subdivision some time in the 1960s, Kathy thinks) and a studio/pool house converted from the estate's tennis pavilion.
The most recent alteration was a modern revamp of the kitchen. Kathy has nothing but praise for Anthony of Young Design Cabinetmakers -- his attention to detail matched her own. The couple were also thrilled to rectify something they'd hated from their earlier reno: french doors were reshaped to add the multi-paned upper windows to match Bamford's original formation throughout the rest of the house.
It is clear that the McElroys are hugely sensitive to the heritage of the house. Kathy has enjoyed shaping and reworking the traditional garden around classical arched hedges. Now that they spend more time at their beach house, she has simplified cottage planting to vigorous self-seeders that look after themselves, framed with sharply clipped standards and hedges. Visitors have the delight of walking under the huge camphor laurel, through an arch in the hedge to arrive at the columned front porch.
Because of the butterfly shape, the entrance hall is exceedingly generous, a circulation area that has helped the family host parties of 120 or more with ease. Off it is the bedroom wing in one direction, formal living and dining, a sweet booklined study/media room and the kitchen wing.
Image 1 of 6: This lovingly restored abode was a revolutionary design when it was built
For each room, Kathy can reel off its various uses over the years -- a huge corner bedroom has been a playroom, boys' rumpus room, party space; the pool house was nanny's quarters, a renter, a much-fought-for teen bedroom; the study was for the kids, but is now a treasured winter retreat for the parents with its fireplace and last of the afternoon sun.
There is terrific wall space for the family's art, beautifully framed views of greenery from every room, nicely detailed closets (all original) and light-filled bathrooms. Earlier renovations that enclosed verandas mean many of the rooms have snug dropped ceilings at the windows, interesting nooks that flood even the south-facing rooms with light.
"I love to look out the kitchen windows first thing in the morning and see the sun catch the laurel's leaves. It attracts the tuis. I've spent a lot of time in the garden," she says.
But with weekends at the beach and boys gone, Kathy and Andrew realise it is time to hand this important piece of Auckland's architecture over to the next family to treasure.
