Tom Duffy and Racheal Monks are not ones for letting the dust settle under their feet. They bought this house-in-two-flats on a Friday in September 2012, knocked out enough walls to create one functional dwelling that same day and moved in with their three young children over the weekend.
Thecredit goes largely to Tom. He was the one who installed himself inside the place on settlement day and set about the lightning speed conversion. He knocked out the kitchen, laundry and hallway of the north side flat to open it up to the south side flat, about where the new living/dining/kitchen area is located.
It worked well enough for the two or so years Tom and Racheal and their now school-aged children Oscar (10), Dailey (8) and Erin (4) lived here. It also gave them time to refine their perspectives on this, their third major house revamp, following the renovation and subsequent new-build on their previous property in Hillsborough.
For this couple, their visions for this former single-level home differed. "Tom always wanted a three-storey home, building up and down," says Racheal. "I wanted a one or two-storey home really. This was our biggest project and what we've achieved has been great. "
A key prop in all of this has been Tom's trusty ladder which has accompanied him on all of his house projects and which confirmed the potential of this northern slopes Herne Bay site.
Of supreme significance to this family is that they have wrung all the potential out of this spot and still retained their prime outdoor roof-top viewing spot for the annual fireworks display at the Sky Tower.
Image 1 of 5: The revamping of two flats into a functional family home began on day one. Photos / supplied
When Tom scrambled up his ladder to check out the roof-top views from the existing single-storey house, his sweep of the city beyond the Waitemata Harbour included the Sky Tower. Part of that viewpoint has since become the upper level master bedroom and open en suite where Mum can pivot the wall-mounted bedroom TV so the kids can watch TV from the bath. Now, this family's fireworks viewing spot is up the ladder on to the roof directly above their kitchen.
This kitchen is the only part of the original footprint of this property that was extended during the 10-month rebuild completed in May last year.
In creating their integrated entry-level living area, they installed large aluminium doors that stack back into an exterior cavity for the best possible connection to the outdoors. Their aluminium joinery specialist wondered why they would bother with big doors they'd probably only fully open once a year, but Tom and Racheal are pleased they stuck with their vision.
"Right throughout summer these doors are never closed," says Racheal.
They are also a key part of the beachy, relaxed vibe she envisaged for her home. Working with designer Hayley Dryland, she chose engineered stone for the benches in her kitchen and adjacent scullery/laundry and carrara marble for her kitchen splashback. Light American oak flooring throughout the living areas complements the lush carpet used elsewhere. In the bathrooms, Racheal kept to a palette of black and white and added interest with the selective use of patterned tiles in one bathroom floor, hexagonal tiles in another and variations of texture in the black and white glossy brick tiles on the walls.
Throughout, it is a cohesive look that has given her the confidence to do this in the double-bay villa they have bought in Herne Bay -- with the larger backyard they need for their children.
