Whoever said you can’t improve on perfection has never met James Wylie and Kieran Watt.
The couple bought their Grey Lynn villa four years ago because they liked the way previous owners had renovated it to create a home that blended classic heritage architecture with contemporary style. It had been made over to such an extent that they say it was virtually a new home.
Most people would have been happy to sit back and enjoy all the hard work that had been done. But James and Kieran just couldn’t help enhancing it further. Their changes range from minor tweaks, such as putting in new light fittings, through to rather more challenging jobs such as digging out under the house to add a bathroom and a storage room.
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“We loved what had been done but we could see a few more things we wanted to do towards creating resort-style luxury,” says James.
One of the first things they did was put in a ducted air conditioning system which means the house is always a comfortable temperature, without its clean lines being ruined with bulky heat pumps.
“It is so good having air conditioning in summer, and the house is also warm in winter,” says James. “It is fully insulated and there’s also a gas fire in the living room.”
Other changes including insetting the TV above the gas fire, and replacing a kitchen splashback that was striking, but not to their taste, with granite tiles. They put in a door at the bottom of the staircase to create greater separation between the two floors, installed steel shelving in the living room to display their pop art, and added plantation shutters throughout the house. James made the built-in desk in the office and has had underground fibre (internet) put in.
Outside, they widened the front paved area to make it more comfortable to park two cars, while the north-west facing, two-tier rear garden, with irrigation system, has had an extensive makeover thanks to green-fingered Kieran.
Subtropical planting was replaced with English country garden style gardenias, jasmine and hydrangeas, and James built a large day bed that is the perfect spot to relax in the sunshine.
Bifold doors from the living/dining/kitchen area open to a patio that is ideal for entertaining.
Putting in a new bathroom downstairs means the area is more self-contained and guests no longer have to come upstairs to use the bathroom.
The owners who did the previous renovation owned a bathroom company and did not stint on anything when it came to updating the family bathroom and en suite upstairs.
“They’re luxurious so we followed their lead, and made sure everything in the downstairs bathroom is the same high quality,” says James.
Also on the lower level is a second lounge that makes a great media room, or could be a fifth bedroom, and a spacious laundry with an external door.
“That means that if you have people staying down here, they can come and go without having to go upstairs.”
As well as the four double bedrooms, there’s a study and the kitchen has a roomy scullery.
It’s a wonderful home to live in, but there’s too much space for just James, Kieran and Lachie the Labraspoodle. They’ll try to stay in the area after they’ve sold.
“It’s a great location – so convenient for shops, cafes, bars, the supermarket, Grey Lynn park.”
