By VICKI HOLDER
In the public arena, Elaine Haines takes a bit of a backseat role to her talented musical family. Husband Kevin and sons Nathan and Joel have all made a name for themselves among New Zealand's foremost musicians.
Yet at home, Elaine quietly steals the limelight with creative flair that infuses every room in the house with her passion for beautiful objects and colour. She is not contented unless she has some renovation project on the go. With an eye for detail, she knows just what is needed to make things look and function better. Whether that involves a simple paint job or a total room or garden makeover, handyman Kevin is alongside to make it happen.
Elaine started her latest endeavour several years ago and has gradually transformed the once-tired Mt Eden bungalow.
"It was very boring. And everything was white," she says. However, on the bright side, "it was lovely, sunny and very quiet". While the address is on a busy road, the house sits to the back of a long drive, encompassed by a neat garden brimming with mature trees.
"It was a bungalow with loads of character - the bedrooms have beautiful old leadlights," says Elaine. "And it was in a comfortable position close to Mt Eden's wonderful cafes and to good schools. To top it off, it was just one stage on the bus into Queen St. Kevin and I just knew we could add our touches and it would end up being a lovely home."
A previous owner had knocked out a wall between the living area and the kitchen, but Elaine felt uncomfortable with the way guests walked into the room and were confronted by kitchen clutter. To remedy the situation, she designed an island to sit in front of the kitchen bench that adds storage, bench space and houses the microwave. Glass shelving with halogen lighting inset in a recess in the island makes a sparkling focal point to the living room, where a colourful collection of glass is displayed.
Replacing the dull grey bench with a charcoal coloured laminate top, Elaine continued to modernise the area with a shiny black tiled splashback and teamed stainless-steel door handles with a brushed stainless kickboard. She also installed instant hot water, a gas hob and an electric Simpson underbench oven. Wooden blinds across the windows in the kitchen and throughout the house maintain the interior's simple lines and give privacy without detracting from the appeal of the joinery.
The deck outside the kitchen, which links back through french doors to the study, was already there. Kevin gave it a lick of steel blue paint so it blended with the rest of the exterior, which is painted white with a duck-egg blue and charcoal trim around the windows. Now the section has been cleared of undergrowth, the deck is a lovely spot to sit and enjoy the afternoon sun coming through the trees.
Living room walls, painted the palest green, set off the timber floors and the white fire surround and storage cupboards. Elaine based her colour scheme on the pale blue in the entry and hallway. She chose a canvas colour for the study. With ornate cornices and stunning leadlight windows, restrained grey mauve walls set an elegant tone in one bedroom, while mustard walls teamed with strong red and black Deco tiles around an original fireplace suggest an eastern theme in the other.
Nothing could be salvaged in the bathroom. Starting from scratch, Kevin replaced the ugly corner vanity and original rippled windows. He laid timeless black and white tiles around the walls and recreated a spacious tiled shower cubicle. As you pass by the bathroom, a tiled display recess makes an alluring sight.
Stretching Elaine's imagination beyond the dull and discordant, the couple has added a dash of contemporary daring to update the best of classic bungalow character.
Vital statistics:
Address: 22A Valley Rd, Mt Eden.
Features: Tastefully renovated bungalow close to Mt Eden village; two bedrooms and a study; new bathroom; original character details, including timber floors and leadlight windows; instant gas hot water; single garage.
Size: Land area 800 sq m.
Auction: Wednesday, February 28, on site.
Agent: Denise Champion, Unlimited Potential. Ph 529 0282 bus; 630 3013 ah; 025 275 1030 mob.
A symphony of style
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