Meadowbank: A good wicket

A family renovated their 85 year old home to bring in the sun, and open up a cricket pitch.

60 Meadowbank Rd, Meadowbank.

Brothers Lars and Mattias Tolhurst are always up for a game of cricket or a somersault on the trampoline. And the boys, aged 11 and 9 respectively, have the ideal backyard for it, thanks to a carefully considered renovation that has made the most of their Meadowbank home.

The revamp included levelling off the garden to create a terrace, or rather the cricket pitch, and a nifty space for the trampoline.

"It's great for the boys, they are always out there playing around," says John Tolhurst.

The family spends a lot of time in the reconfigured kitchen-cum-family lounge, which opens directly to a large deck with built-in bench seats that looks down to the lawn.

"We've moved the kitchen to the front of the house so it gets the morning sun, and created a dining area and family room that opens to the deck and the garden, which gets the sun later on in the day," says John.

"We've redesigned this part of the house around the sun, really. We love the deck - it's great for entertaining."

John, his wife, Helle, and the boys moved into the 1920s weatherboard bungalow seven years ago, and set to work making it their own. The previous owners of the property had it in their family for 30 years.

A smart kitchen with original matai floorboards sits neatly in the corner of the comfy, welcoming family space. A row of cute light blue and frosted glass leadlight windows makes a nice feature above a set of bench seats in the corner opposite the cooking space.

The remodelled living area, which is painted a soft yellow, has become the place where people congregate.

"When we have friends around we're always in here and the children are always out there," says John.

As well as redecorating, they removed the big 1970s fireplace and replaced it with a gas wall heater in the kitchen.

"There's another one in the hallway, and between them that's all we've ever needed," says John.

The Tolhursts have made their mark in the other rooms downstairs, too. The boys bedrooms are painted a groovy rich green colour, while the formal lounge at the front of the house now opens through French doors to a small deck covered by a pergola and a dinky garden. They've also re-done the main bathroom.

The upstairs was done in the 80s, and is much how the Tolhursts found it. Comprising the master bedroom and en suite, as well as the study, the pitched timber ceilings give it a cosy cabin-like feel. The office, by the way, would make an excellent nursery.

There is room for two cars in the carport to the left of the house - which is where Ollie the dog likes to take his afternoon nap - and extra parking on the driveway.

The view from the back of the house looks across the valley dotted with houses and trees to the homes high on the ridge on Remuera's Lucerne Road.

Zoned for Meadowbank Primary School, the house is handy to Remuera Road and Meadowbank Shopping Centre in one direction and the train station in the other.

"The area around here is fantastic," says John, who says he and the family are shifting as they feel like a change of scene.

"We don't intend going far - this place has got a real community and family feel to it."

Vital Statistics

BEDROOMS: 3

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGE: 2+

SIZE: Land 579sq m, house 150sq m (approx).

PRICE INDICATION: Similar properties in the area are selling in the $600,000s and $700,000s. Auction October 26.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 2-2.45pm.

CONTACT: Cathy Roselli and Graeme Miller, Unlimited Potential, ph Cathy 021 750 454, Graeme 529 1478 or 021 588 112.

FEATURES: Welcoming, renovated family bungalow with three bedrooms plus study, upstairs master bedroom with en suite, open-plan kitchen, dining and family room opening to generous decks and garden.