2026

The Stage and the Cave

Completed

Ponsonby | Villa Renovation

An award-winning villa renovation on the Ponsonby and Grey Lynn border — where a long, narrow site and a classic character villa became the starting point for something quietly triumphant. Rising to the challenge of the site, this Grey Lynn villa transitions beyond the original character rooms into a contemporary "stage" for living, where you barely know if you're in or out. Out front, we added carefully considered character details so the home looks as pretty as a picture from the street — the heritage and the new sitting comfortably side by side.

A cave, then a stage

Beyond the original hallway and bedrooms, the clients’ love of mid-century modern sets a sumptuous tone throughout. The renovation includes a gallery of cave-like spaces between the existing house and the new addition — a storage-packed scullery, laundry, and media room — giving the home a sense of depth, sequence, and discovery as you move through it.

A sun-drenched addition, built for entertaining

The new living, dining, and kitchen addition features a high timber acoustic ceiling and full glass walls that dissolve the boundary between inside and out, connecting immediately to the north-facing garden. Sheltered terraces with outdoor fireplaces and a lap pool running the full length of the addition turn the garden into a genuine outdoor room. Every corner of this site was planned with care — relaxing, sophisticated, and thoroughly liveable.

Recognised for the quality of the result

This villa renovation was awarded the 2019 NZIA Auckland Housing Award for Alterations and Additions, a Silver Pin at the 2018 BEST Awards, and two NZ House and Garden Interior of the Year Awards recognitions, alongside features in Houses magazine and Home New Zealand.

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