After six months of searching, property developers Daniel and Kate found exactly what they were looking for; a 1900’s Villa with good bones on a flat section in a great location in Sandringham.
The Villa was looking it’s age yet was in a family friendly street that had instant appeal to the parents of 5 year old Kourtney and 18 month Justin.
“It’s in a safe, quiet street. There are lots of kids about and it has a lovely old Kiwi feel where everyone is relaxed and friendly. The neighbourhood is also home to several good restaurants and bars so we don’t have to go far for the occasional night out!” says Daniel.
From modest beginnings
The initial plan was to simply add a 4 metre lean-to extension to the rear of the house but that soon changed. Daniel and Kate did a major on it. Half of the existing house was removed and what remained was completely gutted.
They ended up keeping what they liked; the high ceilings and the central hallway, and redesigning the rest so that it fitted with the needs of modern family living.
“We’ve ended up with a spacious 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom Villa with open plan kitchen/dining/living at the rear of the house. From the street it’s still a Villa, but inside it’s very much a 21st century home.”
To accommodate the extra space Daniel and Kate built a massive 7 metre x 9 metre extension to the rear of the house. And rather than having a traditional flat lean-to roof they opted to fabricate new trusses which enabled them to retain an A frame style roof and generous 3.1metre height ceilings.
Tradition with a twist
One of the downsides to owning a Villa can be the lack of interior light. So we made sure that we maximised natural light and added energy efficient LED lighting where possible.
To enhance the light and freshness of the interior, Dulux Te Apiti paint was used on all walls apart from the children’s rooms.
Dulux Waimanga Valley was used in Kourtney’s room. Coupled with a pink chandelier and striped wallpaper, this is truly a space fit for a princess.
And Dulux Hari Hari for Justin’s room – it’s calm and soothing which is just what you need for a 2-year old sometimes!
The master bedroom is stylishly decorated in light tones, and being the room at the front of the house, it has a beautiful bay window which drenches the space in light.
The bathroom is tiled in a light grey marble with a gorgeous freestanding bath that sits under the traditional sash window.
All the rooms are meticulously finished and the styling is modern yet respects all the traditional features of the home. Perhaps you’d call it modern classic!
In keeping with tradition Daniel and Kate chose a dark grey and white exterior colour scheme with Dulux Maraetai for the weatherboards and Dulux Classic Vivid White for the frames and trim.
Colorsteel® Grey Friars roofing and matching Marley Typhoon® spouting and RP80® downpipes completed the picture stylishly.
We went with Marley because of their wide range of styles and colours. We particularly liked the fact that Marley Typhoon® gives you the option of internal brackets. They not only look great but also suit the character of the Villa.
Daniel and Kate are also early adopters of the innovative new rain harvesting product, Marley Twist®. It’s a compact rainwater diverter that turns your downpipe into a free source of water for watering the garden, topping up the pool, general cleaning or emergency use.
Twist® can be easily installed on existing or new PVC downpipes and can quick connect to a collection tank via any standard garden hose fitting. A simple “twist” on-off control lets you access rainwater from your downpipe as and when you need it. Twist is designed to connect a single downpipe to a small collection tank of up to 1,000 litres however Daniel and Kate have opted for a handy 300L tank.
Good things take time
Daniel and Kate resisted the temptation to plant an instant garden. Instead they have gone for a range of plantings that while taking time to grow will really suit their location and compliment a 1900’s Villa.
They used Buxus for border hedging and Lily Pillys to add privacy to the backyard where you’ll find the children’s playground and large deck and BBQ area.
Family comes first
Even though Daniel and Kate have laboured for 8 months to build a wonderfully luxurious and almost completely new family home, they’re certainly not precious about it.
The kids are free to use the long hallway as a racetrack on their bikes and roller skates and just be kids.
As Kate says: “It’s a family home and it’s to be lived in. Floors can be sanded, walls can be repainted. Good memories in a loving and warm home will last a lifetime.”
