We knew it was ‘the one’
59 GARFIELD RD HELENSVILLE
Kylie Christiansen and Joel Baker had a pretty open brief when they moved from Wellington to Auckland five years ago. The flexible schedule of Joel’s work as a professor at the University of Auckland meant that he didn’t have to worry about commuting in peak times, so their brief ranged from Helensville to Waiheke.
“We didn’t know anything about Helensville, but Joel’s parents lived outside of the town,” says Kylie. “We just wanted to get a lovely house for our money.
“We saw this online and fell in love with it. We viewed it and had builder’s reports, and knew from the outset that was the one. We moved in with Charlotte aged only 7 months.”
The spreading bay villa on a corner section had been carved into two flats, and at one stage had been the vets’ offices (entry via the back porch) and had plenty of history.
Kylie reckons every tradie who turned up to work on their renovation knew the house and had a story to share. Luckily, the house still had enough original features under generations of additions and alterations: lovely high ceilings, huge sash windows in the square bays, the lace and balustrades on the wrap-around verandah.
Kylie and Joel were thrilled to have a good builder, who started by repiling the back corner of the house where it had sagged 10cm.
The couple were determined to be comfortable, too, insulating the house “to South Otago standards”. The woodburner in the hallway keeps the entire house toasty in winter (there is another burner and a
fireplace). The decorative dining room fireplace is more about ambience for dinner parties now.
The couple and builder were determined to take their time to get everything to the quality they felt the old house deserved.
Kylie was happy to build on the great taste of the previous owner, retaining the original cabinets in the open kitchen and dining room, and the just-updated light fixtures and tiled splashback with modern farmhouse style. The bathroom, with a clawfoot tub restored to bright pink, stayed too.
On the balcony, which has 180-degree views across the plains to glimpse the sea, only the balustrades needed replacing to make them child safe for Charlotte, now 5 and baby Ben, nearly 1.
Former offices had already been converted into four huge bedrooms, one with an annex nursery next door.
If they’d stayed, Joel and Kylie had plans to turn that into the master en suite, but instead have bought a patch of native bush further north and are going off-grid to grow their own food.
Under the house, the former garage is now storage, but could easily be lined and used as an office with stairs
Kylie was happy to build on the great taste of the previous owner, retaining original cabinets in the kitchen and dining room.
opening up to the huge hallway.
Kylie’s had lots of practice putting in an edible garden, mulching and irrigating the sloping back lawn for fruit trees and vegetables.
The brick paving that wraps around the front verandas was pulled up, proper drainage laid and then reset so that the old veranda could be dry and repiled.
“We took our time, we wanted to do it to the standard it needed,” says Kylie.
“We rewired, and re-plumbed, and it was amazing to find the old kauri boards and rimu floors under the old gib and scrim. We wanted to elevate and improve, not go backwards.”
The family has loved living in this country town, relishing kids being able to walk to school and the community spirit of the township.
With a renowned health centre and birthing services, new shops and cafes opening up in the charming old buildings, talk of the cinema being re-opened, the town is increasingly attracting people moving out from the city.
“We love it here, it’s paradise for kids. We’re heartbroken to leave the old house, but very excited to be starting our new place,” says Kylie.