When the owners of 2 Wanganui Avenue in Ponsonby, Auckland City, first laid eyes on the property 14 years ago, all they could see was potential.
“What stood out to us were the character features like the fireplaces, plaster ceilings, and wide hallways. Despite the 1970s addition out the back, the moody maroon walls inside, and the tall black fence out the front, we knew we could create something spectacular here,” says the owner.
While the site was a sun trap, the home was surprisingly dark. The couple enlisted Auckland architect Natasha Markham from MAUD who used her creativity and eye for detail to design a spectacular family home that harks back to its roots beautifully.
“We wanted the home to be warm, light, bright, and comfortable – everything it wasn’t when we first moved in. We didn’t want a vanilla addition though; we wanted to complement the existing villa in a new and modern way, without pretending it was something that it wasn’t.”
Start your property search
The result is a stunning mix of old and new that somehow looks like it has always belonged together.
2 Wanganui Ave, which sits on the border of Herne Bay and Ponsonby, is on the market for sale by a set date closing August 22.
Listing agent Robyn Ellson, of Ray White, says homes of this calibre, especially in the Herne Bay area, very rarely come to market.
“I have seen a lot of villas in my time, and this one is just exceptional. The intricate ceilings are just epic, and how they’ve melded the new with the old is really special,” she says.
The black and brass kitchen is the hero of the home. Photo / Supplied
The hero of the home is the black and brass kitchen which opens to the sunny courtyard and entertaining space outside, complete with pétanque court.
“We love entertaining, so we wanted to create a really social place outdoors. On a good summer’s day, it’s amazing being able to open up the doors from the kitchen and essentially double our living space. But equally on a rainy day, there’s plenty of room inside to entertain.”
Another stellar feature is the use of heritage brickwork on the home’s twin peaks and in the garden.
“We had to remove an old chimney stack when we put in the garage, but we discovered that the bricks were stamped with ‘Arch Hill’. It turns out there’d been a brickworks there at around the turn of the century, and that was a heritage feature we didn’t want to lose.”
Unfortunately, there weren’t enough bricks to clad the building and the garden walls. “We ended up searching all over Auckland and on Trade Me for more ‘Arch Hill’ bricks to make up the difference – worth the effort, we think!”
When the owners saw the property 14 years ago, they were drawn to the character features of the home like the fireplaces, plaster ceilings and wide hallways. Photo / Supplied
Another stellar feature of the house is the use of heritage brickwork on the home’s twin peaks and in the garden. Photo / Supplied
Agent Ellson says the three-car garaging is arguably the home’s most well-kept secret.
“You’d never know just by looking at the property from the front that tucked under the house is an enormous garage space that can comfortably house two or three cars. That’s the kind of space most families would die for.”
The beauty of the home isn’t just aesthetic, it’s also how it makes you feel.
“It might sound a bit hippy-ish but this home has a really good aura,” the owner says.
“It’s been such a comfortable home to live in and any time we’ve ever been away it always feels so good to come home. We only hope the next owners will love it here as much as we have.”
