Mt Eden - Garden of Eden

What was an almost barren plot surrounding a villa has been turned into a little oasis.

101 Valley Road, Mt Eden.

The owners of this renovated villa cheerfully recognise that some of their sports-mad friends have eyes only for their front lawn, despite them transforming their backyard into a lush and private Garden of Eden.

Tricia Wilkinson and husband Don Graham are often complimented on the superb entertaining area they've created in their north-facing backyard with expansive decks, a pergola and gardens which flourish year-round. They've even installed a boardwalk flanked with striking panels of outdoor art along the side of the 1896 villa, leading to a tranquil hot tub.

Don says, ``However, friends looking for somewhere to park for the rugby are more impressed that we've got a front yard that's 800m from Eden Park and can fit nine cars.''

The sociable couple make the most of that proximity by often hosting post-game barbecues and letting the teenagers next door charge game-goers to park in spare spots on the lawn. Tricia recites with a grin, ``$5 a park for a normal game, $10 for a final and $15 for a test''.

The grounds were pretty barren when Tricia bought the property 14 years ago and the villa was a tired scrim-walled charmer with a layout oblivious to the sun pouring in the rear of the house. She bought the property as an investment to initially rent out, knowing its location and good bones would suit eventual renovation into a welcoming family home.

She moved into the villa a couple of years later, enlisting an architect to re-design the layout to exploit the sun, develop hospitable living areas and accommodate a modern kitchen and bathrooms. Around the time Tricia was considering erecting a trellis fence to screen her washing line, she started dating Don, who tackled the fencing task with gusto.

Her neighbour's observation ``when a man builds you a fence, he's serious'' proved true when they married.

Together they've completed the villa's restoration and replaced the austere plot's two trees and disintegrating rock wall with an enticing landscaped oasis where their two cats sprawl in the sun.

The home's character features include kauri floors with super-sized planks which visitors admire as soon as the front door swings open. All three bedrooms are spacious, with the master equipped with an en suite.

Its walk-through wardrobe has been elegantly re-incarnated from a tool shed and has a door out to the hot-tub positioned a few steps away.
The main bathroom's claw-foot bath was an unexpected find, revealed when the couple ripped off boards that used to encase the tub.

The dining table is below what Tricia affectionately terms ``the bouffy bit'' - a central vaulted ceiling with side window that lines up with an interior window to illuminate the hall.

Trisha and Don adore the property but say its transformation has inspired them to find another place to unleash their green fingers on. They're drafting an affable redundancy letter for their teenage neighbour who was 7 years old when he convinced them to hire him to take out their wheelie bin each week.

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 3

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGES: 1+

SIZE: Land 658sq m, house 111sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: Above $850,000. Sale by negotiation.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun/Wed 2-2.45pm.

ON THE WEB: www.anneduncan.co.nz #135799 and www.open2view.com #135799

CONTACT: Vincent Barnao, Anne Duncan Real Estate, ph 846 9470 bus, 021 275 8925 mob, 815 5025 a/h.

SCHOOL ZONES: Mt Eden Normal Primary, Kowhai Intermediate, AGS and EGGS.

FEATURES: Renovated 1896 square-front villa with polished kauri floors. Sunny rear living areas opening to north-facing established landscaped gardens with decks and private hot-tub. Generous kitchen, master bedroom with en suite and walk-in wardrobe.