Expansive family home
The Wembridge family are just the second owners in 60 years of a Khandallah home. When they bought in 2012 there was not a lot about the home that fitted their family needs, but they loved the position and most critically the flat back lawn. visited.
ANNA Wembridge grew up on a big farm near Wairoa, where the family had to make do, find a way and solve a problem without driving down the road to a hardware store or the supermarket. That childhood gave Anna a pragmatic approach to life that’s made house buying, renovating, having a family and teaching a manageable mix.
Even in the choosing of a house she knew the critical factor was to have a bit of flat lawn for her three kids to play, and beyond that she and husband Neil would make things work. The renovation of the original 1950s home has been a half-million-dollar project, transforming the much-loved home into a house for five.
‘‘We’ve really changed a lot, the basement level was all one room, we’ve divided that up, created a guest bedroom, bathroom and big laundry plus internal staircase.’’
In fact, that laundry is so big that in the winter it will double as a play space for the kids with room for table tennis. Upstairs, at ground level is the living area, kids’ bedrooms and extra play room or, if ever required, second guest bedroom.
‘‘ The kids’ bedrooms on that side of the house get warm in the afternoon sun so they’re nice for them at bed time. There was a conservatory alongside the bedrooms which we removed and made part of the house, a family TV area that extends through to the dining and kitchen.’’
The view from the kitchen remains as in the original, stretching over Wellington Harbour. A scullery off the kitchen adds an extra food preparation and storage area, much appreciated by keen cook Anna.
‘‘The kitchen was designed and supplied by Palazzo, we did approach someone else but they wanted to put the laundry in the kitchen and we definitely didn’t want that, they just wouldn’t listen, it seemed so silly with the amount of space we do have.’’
It’s a stylish and functional kitchen, with adjoining dining where primary school teacher Anna encourages and helps her young children with homework and reading while preparing the evening meal. A combination of overhead and hanging lights ensures good lighting for cooking and kids’ activities. The stainless steel benchtop stretches round two sides of the kitchen providing ample work space.-
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