This freshly renovated and move-in ready turn-of-the-century Grey Lynn villa has had quite the transformation.
It wasn’t a case of doing up the worst house on the best street, though it was rather run-down when Dean Starnes and his mother Julie took on the project.
The pair share a passion for good design, architecture and renovating character villas. While the Grosvenor St villa was a prime candidate waiting to be modernised, it was its location in particular that drew the Starnes in.
“We wanted to make sure it was a location that could support a quality renovation,” says Dean.
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Together they’ve invested more than $1 million into the project over an 18-month period. There are changes that you can see and some you don’t and it’s the latter that are the heartbreaking ones he says because no one wants to pay for them.
This includes a stormwater upgrade which involved running a pipe 100m down the street.
“All of the neighbours were very understanding,” he says. “Even knowing we were renovating to sell, they were so nice and helpful which made the job so much easier despite us causing a racket on some days.”
Visible improvements include the complete restoration of the front of the villa which involved taking the whole balustrade apart, sanding it and putting it all back together.
They also changed the existing footprint – a living area with three bedrooms – into four bedrooms and added an extension to the back of the home with a new kitchen, scullery, and large living area with doors that open to a northeast-facing outdoor deck with room for outdoor furniture and BBQ, landscaping and grassed backyard.
The new kitchen is part of the new extension at the rear of the house with doors that open to a northeast-facing outdoor deck. Photo / Supplied
The villa has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, parking for one vehicle and multiple living spaces on a compact section. Photo / Supplied
Design elements include a central pillar/feature wall (with a gas fire) that matches the cladding of the home and divides the dining area and step-down living room. Photo / Supplied
“It still looks very much like it always has, except in better condition now, from the street,” says Dean.
“It’s not until you walk through the home and see the back that you realise the scope of the change. It’s a bit of a Tardis. You see a small villa from the front and then you step inside.”
They’ve made sure to add lots of storage into the home with generous-sized closets in each of the bedrooms to cater for modern family life. The original living area is now the master bedroom with an ensuite and large walk-in wardrobe.
Character elements they added to the home include ceiling roses and dado rails that were presumably destroyed in the home’s previous renovation, “to lean into the character and let that shine more”.
Design elements include a central pillar/feature wall (with a gas fire) that matches the cladding of the home and divides the dining area and step-down living room.
The owners say working with a quality builder is the key to a successful renovation. Photo / Supplied
The renovation cost more than $1m and covered the cost of upgrading infrastructure like the stormwater. Photo / Supplied
Natural colours and textures have been selected, and the height of the extension’s ceiling is in keeping with the villa’s original 3m stud. DVS, a heat pump, gas fireplace and new flooring add to the warmth and appeal. Throughout they worked with Russel Clark and Jordan Teina from Licensed Renovations.
“Working with a quality builder is key and Russell will not let anything be done that’s not perfect. We had to re-pile it where it needed re-piling and everything is fixed that we could fix. We’re really proud of it,” says Dean.
And it is now ready to be enjoyed.
“Homes that offer this level of renovation, sunshine and family functionality, while being just minutes from Ponsonby Road and Grey Lynn Village, are incredibly tightly held,” says Robyn Ellson of Ray White.
“It delivers everything people love about city fringe living.”
- 5 Grosvenor Street in Grey Lynn, Auckland, heads to auction on August 19
