This renovated villa now teams lots of sought-after modern traits with its character but that wasn’t always the case.
Fiona and Reuben Lamont bought here in 2014 when their 12-year-old daughter Harriet was little, before their son Teddy, now 9, was born.
Fiona says: “Both Reuben and I had grown up in modern houses and we absolutely fell in love with the character of this 1910 villa, with its fretwork and bay window.
“We lived in it for about a year because we wanted to feel how it worked with all the seasons and decided its layout just didn’t work for us. It had lots of distinct rooms with the living on the wrong side of the house for the sun so we changed the layout significantly, flipping part of it.”
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This included using former bedroom space to create open-plan living orientated for the sun. They created great indoor-outdoor flow to the new swimming pool and spa they added alongside entertainment patios.
Extending above the interior-access rear double garage created a split level, five stairs up, containing two bedrooms.
“We started the renovation just after I’d given birth to Teddy, who’s now 9, which was a bit crazy. But we moved into my parents’ place in Howick for the duration. I’m pleased we did it back then because I think if we did all that now the cost could easily be double.”
They enjoy walking to local cafes and easy motorway access.
Doing a Nanette Cameron interior design course and having worked in a kitchen company equipped one of the homeowners to design the kitchen with scullery. Photo / Supplied
Front hedging delivers privacy to the fully fenced property with magnolia trees flanking the front path. Photo / Supplied
Front hedging delivers privacy to the fully fenced property with magnolia trees flanking the front path. There’s a manicured formal garden on one side and lawn on the other, which has been sizeable enough to accommodate bouncy castles for birthdays.
Previous owners had Tony Murrell do the landscaping design.
The villa still exudes character charm with its front porch with fretwork, high stud and flooring they believe to be kauri. Its vented underfloor heating runs on gas.
The bay window master bedroom now has a walk-in wardrobe and smart ensuite, with a second bedroom sitting behind it. Across the hallway is the sunny open-plan expanse of dining-living-kitchen, which melds with a family room towards the rear of the home.
Doing a Nanette Cameron interior design course and having worked in a kitchen company equipped Fiona to design the kitchen with scullery.
“It works really well. When the kids were little I loved it that I could be in the kitchen while keeping an eye on them in the pool and spa.”
The sunny open-plan expanse of dining-living-kitchen melds with a family room towards the rear of the home. Photo / Supplied
The villa exudes character charm with its front porch of fretwork, high stud and flooring believed to be kauri. Photo / Supplied
Fiona collaborated with a joiner to design large French doors topped by casement windows delivering all-important indoor-outdoor flow.
The upper windows can be left open all summer for natural ventilation. There’s a family bathroom towards the rear of the home. The rear double garage integrates a laundry with pink flamingo wallpaper, neighbouring an office.
A deck and seating area around the pool and spa sit alongside entertaining patios and an inground trampoline.
“We have lots of fun in the pool and the kids are really competent swimmers. I love sitting in the spa in the dark, chatting to Reuben and looking up at all the satellites.”
The house works well for day-to-day family life, birthday parties, general entertaining or large functions. Its transformation earnt it an article in Your Home and Garden magazine.
The couple are selling as they’d like to do some renovation again.
Bayleys agent Steve Koerber says: “For young families wanting fabulous indoor-outdoor flow to a north-facing yard with pool in Remuera, it’s all here.”
- 6 Rotomahana Terrace in Remuera, Auckland, is for sale by auction on March 26
