VINTAGE MEETS MODERN
Elegant contemporary decor and functional design are hallmarks of this bespoke renovation, writes LEIGH BRAMWELL
When Rebecca Dryden’s young son is all grown up, he’s going to buy back the house his parents are selling in Remuera. He was very sad to hear they were planning to move, and Rebecca also admits to mixed feelings about the home they’ll take to auction on March 11.
She and her husband Warren bought the house 14 years ago, it’s grown with their family, and they’ve loved it.
It had been renovated just before they bought it, so there was little to do back then other than paint the exterior.
They loved that the house was elevated, that it was positioned in a quiet cul-de-sac, and that it was only a short stroll to Little Rangitoto Reserve, where Rebecca took the children to play.
Rebecca also discovered it was only a short stroll to the Benson Rd Deli which, she admits, was probably the first outing for two of the children after they moved in.
It wasn’t until a couple of years ago the couple decided a renovation was in order and they left no stone unturned in modernising the house from the ground up. It was rewired and insulated and they added thermal glazing, heat pumps, outdoor heating in the loggia, two new indoor fireplaces and one outdoors. verandahs. The Cronin designer kitchen and adjoining dining and family room is the space where Rebecca spends most of her time.
“It’s my hub — the place I run the house from,” she says. “It gets wonderful light, there are bi-folds with a view to the garden, and it opens out to the loggia where we have our barbecues. The kids do their homework at the island, even though they have their own workspaces in their rooms.”
There are also two other living rooms downstairs, as well as a fourth bedroom, the bathroom, laundry and storage areas. These areas have been refloored in oak from Artedomus.
While these additions gave them a warm, airy, comfortable home, it was the interior design that added the wow factor. Rebecca has always enjoyed the challenge of marrying contemporary decor with classic style and with the help of interior designer Maggie Bryson, she mixed modern finishes with a vintage vibe that now works perfectly for busy family life.
At 255sq m there is ample room for a selection of living areas that open out to decks and
On the upper level is the master suite with en suite and walk-in wardrobe, two more bedrooms, a study and a family bathroom.
The garden has also had a lot of work. When Rebecca and Warren first moved in there was an impressive vegetable garden, but family commitments made it too hard to keep up. However they have planted a formal garden which is reasonably low maintenance, and the neat hedges, elegant trees, topiaries and lawns perfectly suit the style of this classic Remuera home. Sale: Auction March 11
Contact: Lisa MacQueen, Barfoot and Thompson, 021
2218622; Verena Ryan, 027
5220773