PART ONE
With council heritage restrictions in place in the historic neighbourhood, Anna and Fraser were faced with the challenge of preserving the villa’s frontage while reconfiguring the dated interior to suit their growing family. Second son Jude was born while the renovation was under way, in the late summer of 2015.
Fraser, a builder by trade, led the charge, with his company, Wallace Building, engaged to complete the first stage. The rooms at the front of the villa were reconfigured to include a new ensuite and bathroom, and a modern kitchen was installed at the back. The tired villa also required a new roof and an exterior paint job, plus internal re-plastering and painting throughout.
Fraser, Anna and Frankie stayed in the house during this first stage, which was mercifully short thanks to Fraser’s team, who completed the work in record time. The next stage was planned for 2016.
“It was actually good to live in it before it was fully renovated, as we changed our extension plans to better suit our needs as a family,” says Anna. “It became really important to us to have easy flow to the garden, and to have the kitchen on the same level as the main living and dining area. We also allowed for transitional spaces, a utility room for laundry and storage, and a flexible room, which is currently Jude’s bedroom.”