SCHOOL ZONES:
Richmond Road School, Ponsonby Intermediate, Western Springs College.
CONTACT:
Ryan Harding, 021 621 580, Matt O’Brien, 021 687 866, and Matt O’Rourke, 021 375 909, Barfoot & Thompson.
AUCTION:
On site March 22 at 6pm.
When a decrepit Grey Lynn villa went on the market in late 2014 it attracted considerable media interest, thanks to its poor state and hot location.
When the house went to auction, TV news cameras recorded all the action and when it sold for $1.075 million, the property became known as "the million-dollar hovel", symbolising just how heated the Auckland property market had become.
The purchasers, the three directors of Evoke Developments, say they weren't too keen on the villa being called a hovel.
"We knew what we were getting ourselves in for and the house was ready to fall over, but it was still someone's home," says one of the trio, Simon Watson.
Simon and his business partners Thomas Rowe and Rhys Hancock set up Evoke in 2013. This is their second project, after renovating a bungalow in Westmere's West End Rd.
The guys have been friends for a long time. Simon and Thomas are both from Marton, and studied at Massey in Palmerston North together. Simon met Rhys on a snowboarding holiday in Canada 14 years ago.
All three are avid surfers and admit to taking a few early knock-offs in the beginning of this building project.
More lately though they've worked 12-hour days and credit their "understanding wives and girlfriends" for their support, as well as the neighbours for their good will. The trio and their team have certainly put the work in, transforming what was an unliveable 70sq m villa into a spacious four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom urban home centred around a courtyard.
Working to a design by their architect friend AJ Sutton of MA Studio, they picked up the old villa and moved it back 1.7m, to create two off-street parks behind a remote-controlled picket fence.
The Evoke crew worked with interior designer Kristen Crow from Spatial Studio. Simon, Thomas and Rhys say they work well together and agree with each other "98 per cent" of the time, but choosing fittings like pendant lights is another matter. Put them in a lighting shop and they're lost. They are grateful for Kristen's input. "The female influence is very important," Thomas says.
Image 1 of 7: A serious makeover has transformed this once-dilapidated Ponsonby villa into a des-res. Photos / Ted Baghurst
Inside the front door, an American oak-floored central hall leads to three double bedrooms, all with plenty of built-in storage. One of the front bedrooms has pull-down access to attic space. There's more storage in a good-sized laundry.
The main bathroom shows Thomas' handiwork. He's a former bathroom designer and has specified a standalone egg-shaped bath and floor-to-ceiling tiles.
Beyond the footprint of the original house, steps lead down to a honed concrete floor, which is fully insulated. There's an easy flow outside to the central courtyard with an outdoor fireplace. To the left is a cosy living and media room, which can be closed off with cavity sliders.
To the right of the courtyard is a bank of glazing with timber joinery. A flight of stairs has chunky, solid American oak treads that appear to hover over a powder-coated stringer. At the top, there's a mezzanine study area overlooking the dining room. The study leads into the master suite, which has a spacious dressing room, and en suite with a generous double shower.
Back downstairs, the centrepiece of the open-plan living and dining area is a Carrara marble kitchen, with a butler's pantry. Rear doors lead to an olive-tree lined outdoor living area with built-in seating, designed by the Evoke team's friend and surfing buddy, landscape architect Allen Nicholson.
Working with friends, and completing the project, has been satisfying for the team.
"We're proud of the whole building process. We haven't lowered our standards. We have made sure everything is just right," Rhys says.
The 'million-dollar hovel' now needs a new moniker.
