GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND
Catherine Adams and her husband have had a long history with their home in Mount Eden.
Several years ago they lived in nearby Prospect Terrace, and whenever they walked past the double bay villa sitting high above the street they admired its classic good looks.
Life took them overseas and they didn’t think about the house again until, just about to come home to New Zealand, they discovered it was available for rent.
“I found this tiny little ‘property to rent’ ad on the internet, back in 2004 when hardly anyone was using the internet for that kind of thing,” Catherine says.
They secured the rental, came back to New Zealand and moved in.
“We were really lucky— we loved it,” Catherine says. “It was a bit run down, it had a kitchen the size of a hanky and an outdoor laundry, and it was painted khaki green.
“But it was very private and quiet at the end of a long, noexit street, it was just eight minutes’ drive to work in town, three minutes to the village, two minutes to the primary school and about a minute to the supermarket.”
The family rented the house for a year, and were then given the opportunity to buy it when the owners decided to stay on in Hastings.
They planned a renovation that would give them the space they needed, while retaining all the character elements of the house — ornate ceilings, bay windows and timber floors.
They said goodbye to the khaki paint and brightened the exterior up with a more subtle off-white, and built a deck, a carport, an extension to give them an additional bedroom, a larger living area and a kitchen somewhat bigger than a hanky.
“When it was all finished and we walked into the kitchen I couldn’t stop laughing,” Catherine recalls. “The kitchen bench was 4m long!”
Finished in bead-blasted stainless steel and matched to contemporary stainless steel appliances, the bench set the tone for the stylish open-plan living area which opens to an al fresco entertaining area. There’s a private, separate lounge adjacent to the living space, which has a gas fire in a traditional iron surround with ornate timber mantle, and an elegant chandelier.
The house now has four double bedrooms, the master located at the front of the house with a bay window, a walk-in wardrobe and en suite.
There’s an additional family bathroom with shower and a bath.
The gardens were also renovated. There’s now a secluded lawn adjacent to the deck, surrounded by a two tiered bespoke stone wall. The plantings are a combination of native, subtropical and exotic, with clipped, formal hedges and topiaries used to reference the classic style of the house.
The plantings are a combination of native, subtropical and exotic, with clipped, formal hedges and topiaries used to reference the classic style of the house.
“With our son at university in Australia and our daughter going as well, we need a smaller house now,” Catherine says. “But we’ll miss the great sense of community here, and the privacy. It’s an amazing little haven of green.”
Auction: March 10
Contact: Mike Robson, Ray White, 021 484 288