Home of the Month: An exceptional Blenheim homestead that’s full of history and heart.

A homestead that has grown and evolved to perfectly suit each new generation

Rob Hammond had to give up fishing, according to family legend, to stave off his wife Lynne’s appetite for house renovation. The Blenheim couple finish each other’s sentences as they describe torn corners of wallpaper becoming full-blown plaster and paint jobs, or an edge of lifted carpet evolving into sanded floorboards throughout. Lynne laughs as she recounts multiple occasions when Rob would return from a weekend away fishing to find holes knocked in walls or major projects under way. “I don’t go fishing any more,” Rob says good naturedly.

“No, he can go now, we’re done,” his partner of almost 35 years says before remembering she is in the throes of redesigning their second living area.

But there is no doubting her husband’s pride as he compares his current abode with photos of the original home, which has housed four generations of his family. The land itself was bought by his greatgrandfather and dubbed Longfield in 1870. Rob’s father – All Black Ian Hammond – was born in what is now the living area.

Under Rob and Lynne’s watch, the five-bedroom farmhouse – now almost a century old – has evolved

into a far more grand edifice. A recycled timber staircase leads to the newer second storey, overlooking Italian-style gardens they developed together. Their most recent addition is an outdoor room, or orangery, built for summer entertaining, dinner parties and dancing.

Lynne was not initially enthusiastic about moving into the house. The Dunedin-born office worker was living in Sydney when she met the young sheep farmer at a party while visiting her sister in Blenheim. Following their 1985 wedding, the pair moved into a red brick cottage his parents had built when they married, directly across the road from the larger family home.

Lynne undertook her first renovation, choosing thoroughly modern shades of mid-80s pink and grey. Within months, her in-laws had relocated off the farm and the newlyweds found themselves shifting again.

“I was a little reluctant to cross the road,” Lynne says of the move into the larger, older home. In keeping with the times, Rob’s parents had previously made their own improvements by removing fireplaces, installing aluminium ranch sliders, lowering the kitchen ceiling, replacing the Aga coal range and covering wooden floorboards with carpet.

Lynne was quick to expose and sand the floors and, soon after, sympathise with her mother-in-law. “Now I spend a lot of time dusting, I can see why Rob’s mum Nancy would’ve wanted carpet.”

‘My favourite furnishings are from auctions. I’m an auction lover and also quite competitive’

And although they have since installed an Aga stove of their own, it’s gas-fired.

The couple’s three children – Josh, Tyler and EllaRose – were all at school by the time more serious renovations began. At the same time, sheep and cropping were giving way to blocks of grapevines on the surrounding property.

The Hammonds originally liked the idea of adding a couple of bedrooms to the home’s generous ceiling cavity and had plans drawn. “But it just looked like a house with a couple of bedrooms stuck on top,” Rob says. “A friend said, ‘Why not put a complete top storey on?’”

So they moved the family into their post-nuptial cottage for seven months and brought in a team of tradespeople. When the family moved back in, the project was nowhere near finished, with a temporary kitchen and bare walls.

“Our amazing builder Gordon Mitchell took it on as his lifelong project,” Lynne says. “He’d ring us on a Sunday and say, ‘There’s this house and you might like the design of the verandah,’ so we’d go and have a look. Or I’d ring him from a demolition yard and say, ‘I’ve found these doors, can you make them fit?’”

Lynn became a regular at auctions and fossicked through antiques store back rooms for bargains. With time and more travel, particularly to Europe, Lynne came to know and trust her own style.

“I started off quite English, with a farmhouse kitchen. The kitchen was the first thing we did and I do still love it but my taste has changed and, sadly for Rob, it’s got more and more expensive. We’re just recently back from France and the room we’re doing now is my Louis XV room.”

THIS PAGE The east side of Rob and Lynne Hammond’s open plan living area catches the morning sun; the standard lamps and black gilded chairs were bought from Blenheim store Cinnamon House Design. OPPOSITE Rob reads the paper at the antique dining room table with Louis the dog close by; this area opens into the formal lounge, which was originally the bedroom where Rob’s father was born.

THESE PAGES (from left) Rob and Lynne at the front door of their house where Rob grew up. This newly finished room has been built to provide access to the west garden; the room was inspired by French architecture and includes gilded panels, plastered cornices, French furnishings and a chandelier bought from Yvonne Sanders Antiques in Auckland.

THIS PAGE (clockwise from above) The kitchen kicked off renovations in 2003; the central work station is American oak with a marble inlay. A black leather couch in the living area was bought many years ago at auction; the tapestry was brought back by the couple after a trip to France. This area leads to the formal lounge. OPPOSITE “I grew up in Dunedin so I always liked that old architecture. I think I’ve always liked beautiful old things,” says Lynne; the fine china is an eclectic mix gathered over many years and the Dutch paintings were restored by family friend and art expert Andy Geros from Dunedin.

THESE PAGES The formal lounge at the front of the house is furnished with William Morris wallpaper and fabrics; the fireplace was rescued from a demolition yard in Christchurch and originally came from the homestead of the Ballins Cordial family.

THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left) Panels in the master bedroom, built by Mark Paynter, are finished in Tricia Guild wallpaper. The ensuite features tessellated tiles and a marble vanity top. The marble and oak guest bathroom, built by Dave McGill, was inspired by a historical English joiner’s catalogue. The family bathroom was designed for Josh and Tyler with a bench seat and large walk-in shower. OPPOSITE The guest bedroom overlooks the outdoor fireplace and is furnished with William Morris wallpaper and curtains; the brass bed was a wedding present from Rob’s parents.

THESE PAGES Rob grew up in the house and attended the local school across the road; the orangery to the left is a favourite entertaining room and was originally the site of an old garage.

THIS PAGE The corner of the verandah has views to the eastern parterre garden with its clipped bay trees, boxed hedging and lavender; the cast iron fretwork was found under an old house in Blenheim and restored to become part of the verandah. OPPOSITE (from top) The eastern side of the house features a large gabled entrance with French doors and double hung windows to allow light into the family room. This area of the garden has recently been developed to mirror the boxed parterre garden.