Something old, something new
Renovation stays true to former State home’s era, writes Robyn Welsh
Greer Stephens’ faithful revitalisation of this 1945 former State house has been about the biggest and the smallest of repurposed items. The largest is the 40sq m former apartment display suite that is now an open plan living area at the back of the original house.
The smallest are the bakelite door handles and metal window latches Greer retrieved from neighbouring identical homes as they were being demolished, along with the ceramic tiles he retrieved and used to replace the broken matching originals in his fire surround.
Even the stepped- down transition area built where the old sunroom once stood has a repurposed tale to tell. Greer salvaged the dark native timber flooring that matches that in the original house and now butts up nicely to the lighter American Oak flooring in the new wing.
“The modesty of the State house and its integrity was important to me right from the beginning,” says Greer, who is a residential property developer.
“People don’t realise how significant these homes were in New Zealand’s residential history. I love the fact that there is no fence in front of this house, that the house is set back from the street and that the house itself has a simple architectural form.
“We wanted to keep that integrity of the house as it looks from the street. And the nice thing is that when you open the front door you get a bit of a surprise.”
Built in 1945, this former State house was one of a number bought by the New Zealand Transport Agency for the Waterview motorway connection project and its related neighbourhood amenities. Later deemed surplus to requirements, it was put up for sale and Greer bought it in January 2014, smitten with its original condition and its standalone charm flanked by two near- identical duplexes.
Greer renovated the original part of the house, converting the former kitchen, dining area and laundry into the master bedroom, dressing room and en suite. In doing so he retained original ceilings and some of the vertical panelling from the original porch that is behind the vanity. In their second lounge/ TV room/ home office, he installed a new wall- to- wall desk near the fireplace. “This is where we hunker down in winter.” The biggest drama occurred overnight on December 5, 2014 when the display suite from Greer’s apartment project “The Dylan” in Grey Lynn was hoisted off the truck and into place using a 120- tonne crane. Clad in black, shiplap cedar, this “black box” is the big surprise from the front door, with big views across the Oakley Inlet and the night lights of the Northwestern Motorway.
Greer deliberately sited the full- length deck off to the side.
“We didn’t want to ruin our view with a deck at the front. We have set the house up for how we wanted it and there is lots of flexibility.”
Deck access for the bunk bedroom required a clever re- design of the original mullioned window. Greer had the middle panes removed and replaced with bespoke matching slim- line French doors.
The kitchen detail here includes a nod to the mid- century era, with duck egg- blue cabinetry beneath the engineered stone bench and industrial steel and brass as the accent above. The integrated fridge and pantry are behind closed doors in the freestanding unit that has two large round, repurposed coat- hooks as handles. Through the scullery, the original back door leads out to the garden shed and the clothes line.
“It has a lot of gear for a little house,” says Emma Dodds, Greer’s partner.
Emma is an interior designer, and she and Greer are looking for another home and a personal renovation project that they can tackle together.
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