There’s something magical about this majestic two-storey home in Saint Heliers that also comes with a home and income opportunity.
Homeowner Gavin Houston remembers the moment he first stepped through the gates in 2014. The two-storey house was hidden from the street by a large fence overgrown with greenery.
Built in 1933 it had wonderful bones, a magnificent floral plaster ceiling in the master bedroom and delightful stain glass windows peppered throughout bringing light and colour into the interior. And an expansive backyard with vignette views out to Rangitoto and the Hauraki Gulf and established trees.
“It wasn’t until you went through those gates that you went ‘wow’,” says Gavin. “It was like being in Alice in Wonderland. It was just beautiful. I only saw it a couple of days before the auction and as soon as I saw it, I knew that I was buying it.”
Start your property search
Renovating the home became a passion project for the semi-retired network consultant who worked alongside the builders. The interior was stripped and rebuilt, rewired and fitted with modern technology, while preserving the home’s original exterior and character.
Non-negotiables were the restoration of the magnificent floral plaster ceiling in the master bedroom and retaining the 40 stained glass panes throughout the home.
“We rebuilt every window. Each frame stripped, sanded and redone,” says Gavin. “The windows are timeless with specks of colour. Whoever designed this was just brilliant. It’s very subtle but so well done.”
Gavin chose black maire hard timber for the floors. The rimu doors were lightly sandblasted to raise the grain and stained with Japanese black varnish. Plaster and pelmets ceilings recreated, fireplace and storage added and house reroofed.
The renovation also included a new self-contained apartment above the garage which has a balcony and independent entrance, as well as adding a studio guest suite to the front of the house. Gavin and his wife Sharlene love cooking so they ensured the apartment had a proper firewall and kitchen “because we couldn’t expect someone to just cook on a bench,” says Sharlene.
The Spanish Lizzo wallpaper panels of vines makes for a stunning feature wall in the lounge. Photo / Supplied
The backyard is great for entertaining with a BBQ area and outdoor bar leaner. Photo / Supplied
A lot of the journey has been the landscaping, adds Gavin, and in particular the fern garden in the front of the house and hedging to create privacy without closing the house off from the street.
Sharlene “the green whisperer” has also tended the Japanese ginkgo tree back to full health. The couple also built the deck around the magnolia tree which has beautiful blooms in spring, offers shade in summer and lets the light through in winter.
“We feel really grounded in this house with trees and it’s so private,” says Sharlene.
The fully fenced property is also a haven for their Irish setter Jake who loves the backyard which is also great for entertaining with a BBQ area and outdoor bar leaner. Bi-fold doors in the lounge, dining room and kitchen all open to the outdoor deck and dining area.
The couple have brought the outside in, too, with a stunning feature wall in the lounge of Spanish Lizzo wallpaper panels of vines. And Sharlene had a great idea when they enclosed the chimney coming up through the master ensuite to wrap it in glass with an extended photograph of yaka flowers.
The property also enjoys morning and evening sun, which helps highlight the home’s decorative ceilings and textures, while two hallway mirrored doors add to the sense of light and space. They have also subdivided the original 1119sqm property. The rear section is bigger than where the existing house is sitting offering the opportunity to build another home or a pool.
Barfoot & Thompson agent Aaron Foss says: “It’s a beautiful home to live in, with the flexibility and upside to evolve over time.” Photo / Supplied
The owners subdivided the original 1119sqm property. The rear section is bigger than where the existing house is sitting offering the opportunity to build another home or a pool. Photo / Supplied
With Gavin about to retire, the couple – who love touring the country with their caravan – are ready for a new adventure.
“We’ve finished the project and it’s time for something new for us,” says Sharlene.
While the existing bedrooms have sea views, one thing they admit they haven’t explored is moving up into the roof space for elevated views above the roofline which could be done without losing the character of the home.
“We’d love to see a family come in and enjoy it. There are so many amazing aspects to it from the apartment you can tenant, studio you can Air BnB as well as the home’s amazing indoor-outdoor flow,” says Gavin.
“Our idea is to sell the lot so that it gives somebody the full potential, especially if they have a large family and want to extend.”
It’s rare to find a Saint Heliers property with genuine 1930s character, real provenance, and a dual-title landholding of 1119sqm, says Aaron Foss, of Barfoot & Thompson. “It’s a beautiful home to live in, with the flexibility and upside to evolve over time.”
- 12 and 12A Springcombe Road in Saint Heliers, Auckland, go to auction on February 25
