Herne Bay house loyal to original style

The old combines beautifully with the new to create this charming family haven with harbour views. By VICKI HOLDER.

Built in the Arts and Crafts style and boasting many original features, Karen and Stephen Pearson's 1920s weatherboard bungalow in Herne Bay was worth preserving properly.

Along with the panelled hallway and two-storey foyer, the size and scale of the rooms appealed, as did the north-facing views down the valley and across the harbour.

The Pearsons wanted architect Nicholas Stevens' new design to relate to the home's original features, so they decided to do their research before renovating. Miraculously, Karen managed to unearth the plans for the property in the Auckland Library archives. These provided a basis for the renovation.

Heavy-duty jobs such as repiling, reblocking, replumbing, rewiring, insulating and drainage were tackled before work was started on the stuff you could actually see, says Karen.

The kitchen was doubled in size after several walls were removed, and the designer of this area of the house, Matthew Bradbury, installed oversized french doors opening onto an expansive new deck.

An island bench with Zincalume top has an aged effect reminiscent of an old-fashioned lead bench top. Every effort has been made to keep the room uncluttered. Instead of an overhead extractor, a downdraft is incorporated next to the island hob. The two ovens provide exceptional cooking facilities while the Shaker-style cabinets with numerous drawers offer ample storage. The three vertical pantries keep everything accessible.

Artist Peta Tearle was enlisted to create a checkerboard effect with different paint washes on the kitchen floorboards and in the laundry next door.

Opening from the kitchen, the big family room soaks up the sun and enjoys views through bifold windows.

The formal room houses the original solid oak fire surround. New casement windows fill the room with light and modern glass pendant light fittings add an eclectic look.

Painters toiled for months stripping shellac and revarnishing the woodwork, including the ceiling beams in the formal room and the window surrounds and timber elsewhere.

The panelled woodwork in the entry foyer has been restored to its former glory - gold carpet rolls up the stairs, offsetting the dark stain of the timber.

Delighted with the grand proportions of an original bedroom upstairs, the Pearsons pushed out the eaves to site a new bathroom next door. Free-standing, Shaker-style cupboards maintain the integrity of the space, and an adjoining area marked as a box-room on the plans is now a walk-in dressing room.

The bathroom next door steers a line between classical and modern, featuring mosaic-tiled heated floors and Italian pedestal basins with designer tapware.

Cooled by ceiling fans in summer, the two children's rooms have been modernised with enlarged closets offering lots of storage space. Peg rails around the rooms recall the decorative yet practical Shaker style.

The sunroom - surrounded by bifold windows and accessed through french doors from one of the children's bedrooms - provides a perfect play area.

The house was dug out underneath to create substantial space for a guest apartment and 2500-bottle refrigerated wine cellar. Internal stairs lead to a large open-plan living room with a fully equipped kitchenette, and a fourth bedroom looks out to sea views.

Landscape architect Robin Schafer's low-maintenance Kiwi garden design looks as good from above as it does at ground level.

Hidden from the road by a fence and gate, existing terraces in front were cobbled and replanted. Mondo grass breaks up concrete pavers which meander past a garage, while a craggy pohutukawa throws dappled light on sweeps of native shrubs, grasses and palms.

Sympathetically brought up to date, the extra space, improved flow and comfort of this house and garden will make an inspired and comfortable home for generations to come.

Vital Statistics

Address: 22 Sentinel Road, Herne Bay.

Features: 1920s bungalow renovated by architect Nicholas Stevens and designer Matthew Bradbury; garden by landscape architect Robin Schafer; harbour views; four bedrooms; three bathrooms with under-floor heating plus guest toilet; separate guest wing downstairs includes living area, kitchen, bathroom/laundry and bedroom; wine cellar; garage and garden shed; irrigation system.

Size: Land area 885 sq m; floor area including decks and garage 478 sq m.

Auction: At 2 pm on Wednesday August 15 in Bayleys Maritime Square auction rooms.

Agent: Iain Rankine and Geoffrey McRae, Bayleys Head Office. Ph 309 6020 bus; Iain 375 8663 dir; 360 1711 ah; 021 935 778 mob; Geoffrey 375 8492 dir; 376 5886 ah; 021 946 610 mob.