A landmark Taupō home gets a grand new look.

A landmark Taupō home now has a radiant new look to match

THIS PAGE Marcel and Rebecca Manders decided to retain the wall alcoves in their living room as a nod to the Taupō home’s origins; the chairs can swivel to face the curved window seat and a view of the lake, and are covered in Mokum’s Maple Leaf fabric from James Dunlop Textiles; the walls are painted in Resene Inside Back and the artwork is Mountain Glow by Greer Clayton. OPPOSITE Opening up the kitchen to the dining and living area was life changing, says Rebecca; an office alcove was added to the far end; the lights are from Italy.

Owning a rental property more impressive than the house she lived in was never going to fly for Rebecca Manders. Her husband Marcel’s quest to find a Taupō rental property netted mainly houses with lake views. Their home at the time was close to the lake, but minus the vista.

When Marcel found this stately 1980s build, Rebecca went to view the property and “the next thing you know, we are in here,” she says. Their former home is now the rental.

The new home is quite an iconic abode, familiar to many locals. The original owners were inspired by a grand English home called Cricket Court, once owned by a confidant of Winston Churchill’s. “For its time it was quite different for Taupō, and a big house too, spanning 520sqm and built over two house sites,” says Rebecca.

Grand beginnings, yes, but the interiors were far from magnificent when Rebecca, a lawyer, and Marcel, a chief executive officer, moved in four years ago with their now teenaged sons, Kees and Izaak.

“It was a beautiful house and the quality of build was obvious, but it was dated and a lot of work had to be done. The carpets were threadbare and riddled