First homes always hold a special place in their owners’ hearts, long after those owners have moved on, and Lucy and Clint’s beautifully rejuvenated New Lynn mid-century-style 1940s home will be no exception.
Their three-bedroom, one-bathroom home at 26 Gardner Avenue in New Lynn, Auckland is on the market to be sold at auction on July 23.
When they bought the home in 2015 for $770,000, it had been modernised to a degree and a previous owner had installed a heat pump and ventilation system, plus an exterior stone wall and electric gate, but there was still a lot to do, and the couple enthusiastically threw themselves into the project.
“The kitchen in particular was fairly poky and original, so it really needed an update. The cupboards were small and hard to access and there was practically no bench space,” says Lucy.
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Under the expert eye of Noor Keary from Nala Design, the judicious removal of some walls helped open up a spacious, sunny living zone with the elegant new kitchen at its heart and an adjacent, compact laundry.
Lucy says that she and Clint absolutely love the colour of the kitchen tiles – a dusky duck-egg blue, in an art-deco-inspired shape that sits perfectly within its character surroundings.
The owners of this 1940s home have kept its timber flooring and original frosted glass interior doors. Photo / Supplied
Soft greens characterise the period-style bathroom, with its brass fittings and embellishments and Lucy says this is a far cry from when they first arrived at Gardner Avenue and the toilet was situated by the back door, with a concrete floor.
“It was almost like an old-fashioned outhouse, so this is much nicer.”
As well as the utility areas, Lucy and Clint have applied talented decorating touches to the rest of their home – honouring its timber flooring, original frosted glass interior doors, and highlighting three spacious light-filled bedrooms.
An original small deck was removed in favour of a much larger one, reached via double doors – installed by an earlier owner.
“It was a bit strange because they essentially led nowhere and it was obviously a project which wasn’t completed but now that the deck is there, they’re perfect,” says Lucy.
A small studio in the garden adds extra space to the property – as a home office, or sleepout, and was designed to have a green roof. “We never got around to planting that out, but it would be lovely,” Lucy says.
There is a deck at the back for BBQs and entertaining and the small studio can either be a sleepout or home office. Photo / Supplied
The kitchen and open-plan living space have been updated, and the deck is accessed via the glass double doors. Photo / Supplied
Both she and Clint are rightly very proud of the warm, friendly family home they’re created, and say that it’s a great place for entertaining.
The pair now have two small children and despite their love for the Gardner Avenue neighbourhood and its easy access to friendly, local fruit, vegetable and fish shops – as well as to Lynn Mall and public transport, including New Lynn Train Station – they’re hearing the call of nearby Titirangi.
“We just feel that it would be a lovely place for our family to grow up.”
Kane Taylor of Ray White, Eden Terrace, who is marketing 26 Gardner Avenue, says that the home is a step up from others in the area which haven’t had quite this level of love and attention.
“People who see it are very impressed and we’re seeing interest from second-home buyers who’ve renovated their own places in New Lynn and Glen Eden and are now ready for something even better.”
