A landmark Wellington home gets a lavish new look from its designer owner.

An opulent makeover enlivens a grand villa built for one of Wellington’s most prominent families

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And again and again. That could well be the mantra of Kali and Myles Gazley, who finally bought this Wellington home the third time it came on the market. “We loved it but could never quite make up our minds,” says Kali of the stately villa that’s tucked into the Khandallah hills. “It was a case of third time lucky.”

That was in 2017 when the couple and their children Cleo, now 10, Daisy, eight, and fiveyear-old Rollo moved from a Kaiwharawhara cottage with killer views of Wellington Harbour to this two-storey home with a great back story. Named Tranby Homestead, it was built in 1904 for Herbert Kirkcaldie, son of the co-founder of former Wellington department store Kirkcaldie & Stains (now David Jones).

It’s ironic given that Kali, an interior designer and singer, met Myles 16 years ago while working at Kirkcaldie & Stains. Myles, who owns Gazley, one of the capital’s largest vehicle dealerships, came into the store to buy something and the couple have been together ever since.

What appealed about this 500sqm home was its grand proportions, 4m-high ceilings and that there was enough room for a growing family. And the fact that the previous owners had done the hard yards in terms of rewiring, replumbing and repiling.

What didn’t appeal so much was the slightly dated interior. “The walls were yellow and blue and the character was a bit lost.”

Fortunately Kali, who has owned interior design business Kali Gazley Space for the past eight years, has plenty of ideas in her arsenal. “I wanted to respect the heritage of the house but also bring it into the 21st century. Other people

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