SCHOOL ZONES:
Royal Oak School, Auckland Normal Intermediate, Onehunga High School.
CONTACT:
Tanya Kwasza, Ray White, 021 593 939.
AUCTION:
May 13.
The entire Philippsen family like property; they like homes built of wood, too. In their various moves from Wellington to Tolaga Bay, then Gisborne and Auckland, they've lived in established wooden homes, one of which they renovated.
They also lived in a three-level contemporary home but found themselves drawn backto the more traditional styles of home, which led them to this villa with its mature gardens and trees.
When Liz and Wolf Philippsen mentioned to their daughters Nathalie and Germaine that they were thinking of moving house, it was Germaine, then living in Sydney, who found this villa for sale.
When she told them about it, they realised they'd already seen through the house because they remembered its villa detail and heritage form. The two entry doors off the bull-nose veranda, the two indoor fireplaces and the batten ceilings throughout brought them back to their comfort zone.
The width of the house and its comparatively short central hallway made for an easier connection from the front to the new kitchen/dining area overlooking the rear garden.
But it still took Germaine to suggest to her parents that they see it again and it was that second walk-through that firmed up their decision to buy it in early 2011. "It had everything we wanted," says Liz. "It was a standalone house with a nice road frontage. It was solid, it had grass and you could walk right around it."
Aged in her late 20s, Germaine is aware of the appeal of renovated villas among her contemporaries.
"If you ask anyone our age what their dream home is they'd say a renovated villa. Everyone who lives in Auckland loves villas. It's such an Auckland thing. This house has so many original features and I could see that in the photos. I could see exactly what they could do to it to make it even better."
Image 1 of 9: The carefully refurbished features of this historic villa only add to its appeal
The story of the two unmarried women whose father built them this house in 1911 raised a smile among the couple's daughters.
"I wondered if we were never going to get married because we'd lived here," says Germaine.
Nathalie, who held her post-wedding picnic in this garden in March, wondered if they were going to be the next set of spinsters.
The rear outdoor courtyard fireplace is one of many shared family focal points here. The renovated kitchen looks west down into the back garden as well as to the north with plantation shutters to moderate the natural light. Elsewhere, similar half-height shutters deliver privacy without shutting out the canopy of mature trees and the natural light beyond.
As part of their wider refurbishment here, Liz and Wolf incorporated a walk-in shower and the original claw-foot bath in a bespoke tiled bathroom. They have carpeted the bedrooms and the lounge for comfort and a more welcoming aesthetic.
"It just didn't feel homely enough with just the wooden floors," says Liz.
Wolf's building skills include installing new mouldings where necessary. Liz's touches include the matching chandeliers and wall sconces in the hallway.
Pointing to the highly embellished central archway, Liz, who is a primary school teacher, says: "This is all art and whatever you do you must enhance and complement what you have when you have a home like this."
Job done, Liz and Wolf are looking around for a home better suited to just the two of them -- with help from their daughters and their eye for an opportunity built in wood that they can put their own touch on.
