Last week I was featured in Stuff.co.nz for a unique building project I completed on my own property.

The beautiful historic building had previously been student flats. A new owner gutted the interior and strengthened it to meet the building codes. The exterior of the building was beautifully restored in accordance with the integrity of its age. Being a reasonably low building, architect plans were drawn up and completed for a modern apartment on the roof prior to us purchasing the only available floor. The second floor was a blank canvas – just the concrete floor pad and some load bearing walls.  The 200 square meter interior had a 2.7m stud height and 20m of waterfront views from the windows at the front.

The high stud enabled us to raise the floor my 170mm thereby giving me the flexibility to redirect plumbing and other services. The kitchen plumbing originally faced east. We turned it around and added an island, so the sink now faces north to take advantage of the sea views – and the pipes are all hidden under the floor.

Being a historic building, the window heights could not be changed.  However, raising the floor solved that problem. We made the seating in the living and family rooms higher, providing better views whilst seated.

At the other end of the house, the master bedroom also profited from having a raised floor to maximise on the views from the bed. Plumbing at the back of the apartment was also able to be redirected providing extra bathrooms and a dedicated laundry area.

The elevator opens directly into the apartment, so it was not possible to raise the floor in the entry. Instead, the floor level steps up to the living area and bedrooms.

My aim was to provide my family of 5, including three teenagers, a comfortable and functional home but also have it looking elegant and contemporary.

Some of the design features included beautiful Osborne and Little wallpapers for the front entry foyer and the master bedroom. I added touches of interesting art and objects collected from my travels overseas.  White plantation shutters throughout as opposed to curtains which gave it a crisp contemporary look and gorgeous dappled light at different times of the day. These maintain privacy without sacrificing the view.

The apartment became too large for us once the children had left so we decided to downsize. It was sad saying goodbye to the beautiful space because it was a great project to complete, a labour of love.

To read the full article on Stuff, click here.

Are you looking to renovate your new or existing home? I’d love to help – get in touch with me today.