THE BEGINNING

For Anna Reinstein and Fraser Wallace, returning home from an extended OE in the UK and finding themselves in Auckland’s central suburb of Herne Bay was like walking into a dream. Tucked behind the bustling strip of Jervois Road, in a quiet, treelined street of classic bay villas, the couple felt like they had well and truly landed.

“The location was definitely a drawcard for us,” says Anna. “Ponsonby seemed like something out of a movie set. Villas just have so much character, and the area is so pretty and full of families.”

When the couple visited their future home with their son Frankie in tow, they had a vision for its future: although in serious need of a renovation, the home was close to local schools and parks, and its good bones and history were there to be built upon.

“The house needed a bit of work. It had been a family home for years and you could see the memories that had been created inside it,” says Anna. “Scribbled on the inside of a door frame was a height chart of all the kids that had grown up here. That was difficult to paint over! We had to take a photo of it and send it to the previous owner before we did.”

BEFORE Weatherboards in Resene ‘Half Surrender’ tie in the new, singlelevel extension – which houses the kitchen, living and dining area – with the rest of the old bay villa. A simple, trowel-finished concrete floor is softened by full-length white...