Home of the Month: Often busy, always fun, a remodelled villa is perfect for a family of teenagers.

A reconfigured villa copes with the hustle and bustle of a family of teenage daughters

Life in a household with three teenage girls can get rather noisy at times. A bit frantic, a bit full, a lot of fun. For mum Justine Munro, this noisy chaos is something she loves, sharing her home with her friends, her girls’ friends, family and neighbours. Justine has remodelled her inner-city Auckland villa specifically to entertain. Whether for a houseful of guests or just the four of them together, the large open-plan kitchen and living space spills out to the east to the front verandah and to the west on to the rear patio.

When quiet times are called for, there are peaceful nooks to be found, ideal to hide away with a book. There’s a swing seat under a shaded pergola, a window seat near the dining table, and everyone has their own spacious bedroom. “I like a large open house, but people can withdraw to their spaces as they need to,” Justine says, who is co-founder and director of the non-profit 21C Skills Lab.

Justine may love plantation-style interiors but when the property was bought some years ago, she knew the Balinese look given to the front of the house in the 1980s had to go. Heritage architects Salmond Reed did some detective work and found the house was built in the early 20th century, so restored its character look.

The house is set on a hillside in St Marys Bay. Below, the motorway to and from the harbour bridge provides constant movement, beyond which the

THESE PAGES The living room centres around the gas fire that sits back-to-back with an outdoor fire on the patio; squishy cream sofas from Indie Home Collective contrast with vintage black cane occasional chairs; Justine draws her design inspiration from lifestyle blogger India Hicks, ex-fashion model and granddaughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma: “Her style is so gorgeous. When I can’t decide which piece to buy, I will ask myself, ‘Which one would India choose?’”

harbour and its boats are a serene contrast. Rangitoto Island sits proudly in the centre of the view.

The scene is best appreciated from the front verandah. Whether eating breakfast in the morning sun while dragon boat crews train in the calm water or watching the slow crawl of traffic on its evening commute, Justine says there’s always something going on.

What makes this house a joy is that glimpses of that activity can be seen from almost every room in the house. During the redesign, the interior was opened up to better use the spaces with a staircase that zig-zags through the levels. The front facade and rear are almost entirely in glass.

This glasshouse effect is amplified by Justine’s simple colour scheme. “I keep things very black and white and neutral because there’s just so much going on with the green in the garden and the blues of the view out the front.” It’s also a perfect backdrop for Justine’s collection of objects and curios from the family’s travels during the years.

Given its central location – Justine walks to work in Wynyard Quarter or up to yoga and the bars and restaurants in Ponsonby – the house is surprisingly quiet. Sixteen-year-old Maia has her bedroom on the ground floor at the front of the house, with French doors opening to the front courtyard and bubbling fountain. It’s a pretty space for her to sit in the sun and chat with friends.

The entry level also has a guest bedroom, a bathroom, a cosy media room (a great place to either contain the noise or hide away from it, says Justine), and a laundry of the kind domestic goddesses dream about.

The stairs lead from the front door to the sprawling kitchen and living areas. The master suite is also on this level and 14-year-old Maxie’s bedroom is tucked behind it, facing the rear. Maxie’s room opens to the patio and looks to the plunge pool secreted away in the corner of the garden. Her bathroom boasts an enormous claw-footed bath and, as a result, has to contend with invaders in her space, come to soak away their aches.

Grace, who’s 18 and in her last year at school, has her own space in the attic. It’s a teenager’s dream hide-out and Justine is unsure just how many friends can cram themselves into this loft space to talk and laugh and play music.

With Grace due to head to university next year, Justine was thinking of possibly converting it to a retreat for herself – somewhere to do yoga – or perhaps a larger office and creative space. However with Maia staking her claim on the room, Justine’s plans may have to be put on hold for a few more years.

But as her girls grow and fly the nest, Justine is confident they will always return to sprawl on the couches and bask in the comforts of home.

THIS PAGE In the Munro family home in Auckland’s St Marys Bay, daughter Maia hangs Citta heart and star ornaments on a black Christmas tree from Flower Systems; Tahi the sociable chocolate Burmese cat and his shyer grey sister Rua beautifully match the decor, although homeowner Justine Munro says this was just a happy coincidence.

THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left) The interior of the villa retains its character charm with features like high ceilings and window seats. From its dress circle position there are upfront views of the harbour and Auckland city. The kitchen may be modern but has oak cabinets with bevelled edges as a nod to the house’s heritage; it was designed by Robyn Labb Kitchens; two enormous Gervasoni Croco pendants hang above the white marble island bench.

THIS PAGE The panelled walls throughout are a particular passion for Justine and their vertical lines highlight the high ceilings as well as adding texture; the clean black lines of the light fixture above the dining table contrast with the intricate architraves.

THIS PAGE Each bedroom has its own character; the sloping ceilings and white paint give Grace’s loft bedroom a Hamptons beach house feel; the window has views to the harbour and skylights allow the sun to pour in.

THIS PAGE The patio behind the house is perfectly placed for evening entertaining; a large retractable shade imported from the US runs the length of the house; a charming swing seat made to landscape designer Trudy Crerar’s plans is an ideal spot to relax with a book and a glass of wine.

THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left) The front door and leadlight design were copied from a photograph in a book. The gardens, designed by Trudy Crerar, have a simple palette of green and white; ficus provides a fast-growing screen for privacy from the rear neighbours. “I love the house’s elegance and all the beautiful detailing,” says Justine of the look from the street. The tiny courtyard at the front has a black antique fountain and is screened from the road by a camellia hedge. OPPOSITE An enormous amount of work went into the restoration of the villa.