If walls could talk, this Warkworth house would have some riveting tales to tell.
It would start by relating how the villa, named Whakahara, was built in 1908 in Herbert Rd, Mt Eden, Auckland for widow Harriet Clark and her seven children, following the tragic death of her husband George, who was kicked in the stomach by a horse.
It would tell of further tragedy that befell the family – two of Harriet’s sons died in World War One. Several of her daughters remained spinsters due to the deaths of their beaus in the war, although one received a proposal from a “gentleman lodger” who moved into the house in 1918. The young lady said no – the man was fond of a tipple and she didn’t approve – but her would-be suitor ended up living in the home until it was sold in 1971.
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The Clark daughters were smart and well-respected – one received at CBE for her charity work. Meanwhile another, Gertrude, did get married and have a family, and they would walk from their home in Remuera to join in sing-alongs around the piano on Sunday evenings. One of her sons was future mountaineering legend Sir Edmund Hillary.
Several decades after Ed became the first person to reach the summit of Mt Everest, the house was visited by Vanessa Beddoe-Sandstrom, whose uncle’s friend owned it. Although only a child, Vanessa was immediately charmed by the period home, and never forgot it. So when she heard nearly six years ago that it was being sold by a property developer who wanted it moved off the site, she and husband Claes immediately drove down from Warkworth to see it.
“We fell in love with it,” says Vanessa, adding that when they bought it, they had nowhere to put it. Fortunately, they were able to sell their home – the night before the contract on Whakahara was due to expire – and buy almost an acre in Wilson Rd.
The sale was not without drama – some people thought the house shouldn’t be moved and there were protests. But it was safely shifted north in two pieces and once it was skillfully put back together, Vanessa and Claes set about giving it a stunning makeover.
“It had never been butchered by previous owners, but it had last been renovated in the 1980s and was dated,” says Vanessa.
While the couple, who have three children, wanted to update the villa, it was important to retain its character. “We didn’t want to make it whizz-bang and modern, we wanted to respect the integrity of the building.”
They re-used and recycled as many materials as they could, and trawled demolition yards for authentic items. Original features like the stunning pressed tin ceilings, stained glass windows, wooden floors and ornate fireplaces were carefully preserved. They did put on a new roof, and added ducted central heating, which means it is toasty warm in winter.
A new kitchen was installed, but the cabinetry, tiles, tapware, light fittings and Silestone benchtop were chosen to compliment the era of the home.
The lounge was painted a striking Oxford Blue from the Karen Walker Resene range. “I wanted it to feel like a gentleman’s club,” says Vanessa.
There is another living/dining room adjoining the kitchen and a room Vanessa currently uses as an office could also make a rumpus room, play room, yoga studio or extra bedroom.
One of Vanessa’s favourite parts of the house is the deck, in particular the part that is covered by a canopy of grape and wisteria vines. “We live out there in the summer.”
The house now feels like it was destined to be on the Wilson Rd site. The garden is well established and Vanessa and Claes planted two pohutukawas in memory of the sons Harriet lost in the war.
Harriet’s nephew got in touch when the couple bought the house, and said he thought his aunt would have been excited that her home had been on an expedition of its own.
Putting Whakahara up for sale has been a difficult decision but the family have the opportunity to enjoy a new adventure in Central Otago, so are bidding it a sad farewell.
Agent Anthony Shaw from Bayleys says it’s not only a beautiful home on a great site, but it has the advantage of being close to town. “It’s got peace and privacy but you can be in town in a couple of minutes – it is a wonderful location.”
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