127 Mountain Road: First class upgrade

127 Mountain Road, 

An historic home of grand proportions has come in for some much needed lightening and brightening. 

Epsom. When airline pilots Sally and Andrew McGuire returned to New Zealand with their children a year ago, they wanted a family home to replace the apartment they had been used to in Hong Kong. 

But when they bought 127 Mountain Road in Epsom, it was more like a museum than a home, says Sally. 

"That's how I would best describe it," she says. "It had been done up a few years before we took it over, but it felt very dark and heavy. 

"There were nets and dark drapes at the windows, and the walls were covered with heavily embossed wallpaper. It had been done tastefully, but it was a showpiece rather than a home." 

The carpets were either dark blue or a deep red, she says. "The house was still a grand old lady, but she needed brightening up." 

Next door to Government House, the historic home was built in the 1880s. 

Originally owned by a merchant, it was moved to its present site from the Princes Street area in the city in 1903. It later became a boarding house for the nuns nursing at nearby Mercy Hospital. 

Now it's been the turn of the McGuires to enjoy the dwelling's magnificence. "After our apartment we wanted something big and solid, which is what we got," says Sally. 

In fact, everything about this house is big. The wide, tiled, voluminous hallway leads to room after room of splendid proportions, including a library-cum-children's games room, study, dining room and sitting room, which in turn leads to a media room. 

The McGuires lifted those dark-coloured carpets to reveal the heart kauri floorboards beneath. These have been stained darker to complement the crispness of the newly painted white doors and woodwork. The walls and new carpets are all neutral tones. 

Some of these rooms boast their original, ornate pressed steel ceilings, and they all have chandeliers for that final touch of grandeur. 

The good-sized kitchen and the media room both connect to a garden room with its original floor tiles. This area can be completely opened up to the outdoor entertaining space, lawn and pool terrace. 

Sally and Andrew have installed a fireplace here, bringing the home's total number of fireplaces to nine, three of which are gas. 

Upstairs, there are five bedrooms and three bathrooms, two of which are en suites. 

The front of the section has also had some attention. The lawn was put down for 12-year-old Samantha and her younger brothers, William and Max, to play cricket on. 

The family's move has been prompted by Sally and Andrew's desire to take on a new project. But they'll all be sad to leave. 

"After we had done the renovations it was almost as if the house let out a sigh of relief," says Sally. "We'll be very sorry to go; we love this house."