When Hannah and Simon Porter bought their bungalow, the original brick fireplace -- a huge, double fireplace which divides two living spaces -- was painted purple to match the curtains.
That colour had to go, and the curtains.
The couple thought removing the paint would be an easy job, but a couple of days later a worker was still there in clouds of dust.
Now, however, you are hard-pressed to find a trace of purple and Hannah loves the original brickwork, which is a solid and tactile structure built to last.
The wall dividing the two living spaces was removed by previous owners but, along with restoring the fireplace, Hannah and Simon also took up the carpet to reveal matai floors, which they have had sanded and polished.
At the front of the lounge there is a wall of windows framing Mt Victoria and there's a peek of the sea and North Head.
Hannah likes to sit on the window seat with a book. The location is perfect for Simon because there's a golf course nearby.
"We moved in when we had one child, got another one since then, so it's been great for them," says Hannah. "It's a great family home, lots of play areas.
"My husband and I were looking down in Devonport. I grew up on the Shore and dragged him from Hawke's Bay up here as I really wanted to get into Devonport.
"From here it's nice, easy access to the beach and Simon's slightly obsessed with golf which is just around the corner which makes it handy.
"But, yeah, really it's the access to the Devonport beaches and golf course; both the kids are sporty."
Image 1 of 6: Hearth is the heart of 1920s family bungalow close to beaches and golf course. Photo / Fiona Goodall, Getty Images
Another feature Hannah loves is the outdoor room/back deck.
Hannah is a rugby player, a former two-time Women's World Cup winner who is now campaign manager for the Black Ferns, and Simon is in sports management.
This means the outdoor room has had a lot of use.
It's covered and, in Hannah's words, Simon has turned this area into his "man area".
"There's a TV and Sky and it's covered so it kind of acts as another room for us; we spend a lot of time outside in summer.
"He's got his outdoor TV. Yeah, we sit and watch the rugby and he sits and watches cricket and the kids play and it's nice and sunny."
The property is also fully fenced so it is safe for children or dogs, and the outside room has a chimenea, which, Hannah says, looks lovely lit up.
She also likes the high ceilings, the history of the house -- and that indoor fireplace.
"I always would have loved to come back to a place like this and to be honest the thing for me was the chimney. It takes up a lot of space and we've talked numerous times about getting rid of the chimney but I love it.
"It adds so much character. This place was built in the 1920s by a man that went to war and built it for his wife to stay at home in."
There are two bedrooms at the front of the house, including the master bedroom featuring a stained glass window, and a third down the hallway by another bathroom.
Simon travels by scooter to the Devonport ferry to go to work and at weekends the family is often at one of the nearby beaches.
