Reno has a nod to the past
This versatile home with its light- filled spaces has style and sophistication, discovers Penny Lewis
This contemporary cedar- clad home renovated to a design by architect Daniel Marshall may look nothing like its previous Mad Men- era incarnation, but there are nods to the past. Kim and Royce Hargraves bought what was a brick- and- tile circa 1960 house in early 2011. The previous owners had lived here for 30 years and told the Hargraves that much of the house had thick, white shag- pile carpet when they bought it from the people who built it.
In homage to the original decor, Kim chose a modern riff on thick, white carpet for some of the bedrooms in the renovation.
Other flooring in the house includes original narrow- profile rimu floorboards, finished with a blond wash for a fresher look. Also retained are contemporary looking concrete walls that were part of the basement and show the rough grain of timber formwork. The concrete was hidden under timber panelling, much like the rimu flooring was concealed by carpet.
“Things like these revealed themselves during the build,” Kim says. “The timber floor was an amazing find.”
Kim, Royce and their son Ethan, now 16, lived in the basement for seven months while the bulk of the house was rebuilt.
“I had to get carted across the site a few times as it was so muddy,” Kim says.
The result today is a house with a succession of airy, light- filled spaces that show all the flair of an architecturally designed house. On the ground floor there’s a succession of living spaces — a soaring ceiling in a separate lounge and a more intimate scale in the dining area. Large sliders open out on to a north- facing deck where the family spends most of their time in summer.
The elegant kitchen has a combination of dark timber and white cabinetry, with a Caesarstone benchtop. The black standalone Smeg cooker is the centrepiece of the room — and Kim is particularly fond of it.
The kitchen looks out on to a glass- balustrade deck, with a view of the subtropical garden and heated swimming pool.
“Kids just love it out there with the diving board,” Kim says.
Ethan’s bedroom and a spare bedroom, which both feature the new take on white shag- pile carpet, are both doubles. They share a family bathroom, which is fully tiled and has Duravit and Paini fittings from Metrix.
“We have kept the bathrooms consistent throughout the house,” Kim says.
Overlooking the puriri trees on the street side of the ground floor is an impressive guest bedroom with an en suite and walk- in wardrobe.
“It’s so nice looking out to the trees. We see a few kereru flying by,” Kim says.
The top level is devoted to the master suite and also a mezzanine library/ reading space that overlooks the front entrance. The sunny master bedroom has impressive views. It has a feeling of a luxury resort, with an integrated bathroom that has a door leading to a deck with a standalone, outdoor bath.
The basement level, which the Hargraves call “the bunker”, is heaven for teenagers, with a kitchenette, full bathroom and space for a media room or a further double bedroom. There is also access out to the pool and garden.
Kim, Royce and Ethan, along with retrodoodle Quinn and cat Nico, have loved living in this house, but Kim says they have itchy feet for another project.
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