Hooked on a stylish makeover

Contemporary renovation with a crisp white palette has seamlessly married old and new , writes Deborah Telford

Natalie Davis was pregnant with her first child and studying for a master of business administration when she and partner Wayne McNee were searching for a house to buy in Auckland. “The last thing I needed to think about was a renovation. We just wanted to move into somewhere that didn’t need anything done to it,” says Natalie.

The couple had moved to Hamilton from Wellington in mid 2013 for Wayne’s job in dairy genetics and technology co- operative.

After six months in Hamilton, they decided they would rather live in Auckland. Since early 2014, Wayne has commuted to the Waikato for work. He spends weekends in Auckland with Natalie and their two daughters — three- month- old Hazel and Ella, who is nearly three.

They confined house- searching to Grey Lynn as Natalie had lived there for several years when she helped to set up and then run a pharmacy in Richmond Rd.

“House prices had really started to go up in the area when we started looking, so being in that market and going to auctions was pretty intimidating and this house was a bit of a stretch. But it was exactly what we wanted.”

The early 1900s transitional villa in Stanmore St, off Surrey Cres, appealed partly because its previous owner Paul Izzard had renovated it so stylishly.

Izzard’s architectural design company has done several interior fit- outs of Auckland shops and restaurants including Augustus Bistro, Ebisu and Woodpecker Hill.

His contemporary renovation of his Stanmore St property seamlessly marries the old and new with a crisp white palette, clean lines and several European fixtures including quirky pendant lights and high- quality bathroom and kitchen fittings.

“Everything has been nicely thought out and the home’s features are beautiful and unusual without shouting out at you,” says Natalie.

The elevated, three- bedroom house faces east to the street, with living and entertaining areas at the west- facing modern extension of the house.

The villa’s original high studs are carried through to this part of the house that has a large skylight and sliding glass doors with aluminum joinery.

These open from the kitchen and lounge to a hardwood deck and level back garden which includes an organic shaped, gas- heated pool.

The fully fenced, private back garden is bordered with raised beds planted with subtropicals.

“Having great indoor- outdoor flow was definitely a prerequisite for us and the open plan space here particularly appealed.

“What I love about this house is that we have made use of every single corner. It is super functional and has good storage.”

Natalie and Wayne’s only change in three years has been landscaping the front garden which already included a secure front fence and spacesaving gate that slides across the single driveway in front of the garage.

“The property is very secure and I’ve always felt

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36 STANMORE ST, GREY LYNN SIZE: PRICE GUIDE: INSPECT:

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AUCTION: SCHOOLS: CONTACT:

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ON THE WEB: customresidential. co. nz/ CR5756 safe here with the kids,” she says.

Natalie has also loved living close to good cafes and shops in West Lynn which she can walk to easily with her children. The Richmond Rd Countdown and Farro are also nearby.

Parking in Stanmore St is usually easy — and being five minutes’ drive from motorways leading south, into the city and to the airport is a bonus.

The couple love their neighbourhood so much they have decided to buy a larger house in the area.