There’s quite a back story to Chloe and Shaun Lincoln’s house in Riverhead, from its beginnings in Mount Eden in the 1910s to its arrival on site at Riverhead in 2016.
Newly married and back in New Zealand from the UK, the couple had decided it was time to look for their first home together.
Shaun already owned land in Riverhead and he and Chloe both liked the idea of relocating a character villa to the site. When a single bay villa became available for relocation from Mount Eden, they were smitten.
It was right in the centre of Mount Eden village beside a prominent historical corner building, and Chloe’s research indicated it was probably built in the 1910s.
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She found an historic photo of the house taken in May 1913, and an earlier photo dated November 1905 which showed no villa on the site.
Buying a first home house can be a stressful business, and is even more so when it has to be relocated.
“It was exciting but incredibly nerve wracking,” Chloe says. “We followed it for most of the journey back home through the middle of the night.”
Their fears that at any moment the villa would fall off the truck and land in the middle of the road were not realised, and it arrived safely at 48 Princes Street to the delight of the friends and neighbours who had gathered to watch the final stages of the move.
“We then became the focal point for neighbours on their daily walks to observe the restoration progress,” Chloe says.
“We became well known in the community as ‘the couple with the villa on Princes Street’.”
The renovation took 18 months and was anything but a quick fix. Over many years the house had been stripped of most of its detailing inside, and Chloe and Shaun wanted to reintroduce some of those period features.
On the plus side, they had a fairly clean slate to work with. The restoration work included re-painting, re-roofing, re-wiring, and re-plumbing, as well as an interior re-design which has skillfully merged stylish, contemporary living with period charm.
The open plan living area has polished American oak floors and comprises a sleek kitchen with an island bench, modern stainless steel appliances a tiled splashback and an extravagant amount of cupboard space, plus a sitting area and dining space.
Off the living area is an alfresco entertaining balcony. There are three bedrooms and a luxury bathroom with bath and walk-in shower, as well as additional, self-contained accommodation in a renovated three bay garage.
Shaun and Chloe have created a modern living environment in their villa while preserving as much of the exterior character as possible.
“We love the ‘wow’ factor when first time visitors admire the typical villa design on the outside, and then walk through the front door to a house that feels like new.”
48 Princes Street in Riverhead, Auckland will be sold at auction on August 19.
