3 Tui St, Devonport, Auckland. Photo / Ted Baghurst
Paul and Joanne Blair spent a whole year searching for the ideal home for themselves and their three sons, Alex, 14, Jamie, 13, and Matthew, 11, after returning from Australia, where they'd lived for 13 years.
"This one had been on the market for a long time and I think it was something to do with the internal layout. In that way, it was one of the strangest places we'd ever seen but, despite this, we felt it had lots of promise so we bought it," says Joanne.
These days the villa looks completely different; the Blairs have cleverly reconfigured the interior and opened up the living spaces.
The footprint is exactly the same but they've made big changes within it, taking down some walls and reinstating others.
"There were lots of funny things, like the master bedroom being right next door to the kitchen," she says. "Now, that's the boys' playroom, which makes much more sense, and we sleep upstairs."
With the house so much lighter and brighter than before, it's a magnet to family and friends.
The ultra-sleek kitchen segues into the dining space, which opens on to extensive decking, while the living room is a clever mix of modern and traditional styles with board-and-batten ceilings and an original ornate fireplace as a focal point.
The hallway, which once ended in a blank wall, now has views right through to the garden beyond.
Three generous double bedrooms and a family bathroom, guest powder room and cleverly contained laundry are on this floor.
The master suite upstairs has an en suite and an adjacent room, which could be used as a nursery or home office.
"We painted everything white throughout and I think somehow that makes it feel bigger," says Joanne.
She and Paul also reinstated some period features, such as stained glass windows, which previous owners had removed, and introduced big, bold light fittings, which suit the historic house perfectly.
When they moved in, the deck outside was covered by a huge pergola that cut out all the light so Paul and Joanne had it removed and now their outdoor living space is a suntrap.
The boys love playing in and around the well-established trees, and a sweet little self-contained garden studio with a workshop at the rear has been popular on Airbnb.
Devonport Village and the ferry are within easy walking distance of Tui St, and when it comes to beaches the family is spoilt for choice with Cheltenham 300m in one direction and Torpedo Bay 300m in the other.
"We're all keen on boating and water sports so it's been a really great spot for us," says Joanne.
She adds that because the street is small, everybody knows each other.
"I feel as if the boys have had a 1950s style childhood here, biking around the neighbourhood with their friends, and we all look out for each other's children and pets. Many of our neighbours have lived here for a long time."
Having completed their renovation to this high standard, the couple and their brood are moving on to a new project nearby.
Joanne says they have loved being part of the villa's rich history and have happy memories of gatherings of as many as 70 people, during which the house never felt crowded.
Now she's just looking forward to picking up tools again and seeing what can be achieved next time.
"I find it all a lot of fun," she says.