Historic villa vision

This stunning heritage-listed villa in Herne Bay, Auckland, has undergone a remarkable transformation to optimise flow and functionality while preserving the 280m² home’s old-world elegance. 

Matt Linn and the team from Rhombus Construction, specialists in heritage renovations, were tasked with carefully renovating the five bedroom, three bathroom, four living room home. “With a series of haphazard additions over the years and a compartmentalised downstairs area, our focus was to create a modern living extension and enhance the indoor-outdoor flow,” he explains. 

Preserving the home’s original features was a priority throughout the project. Stained glass windows, stairwell bannisters, ornate ceiling decorations, and original kauri flooring were meticulously restored. In contrast, the sleek black kitchen, with bespoke pressed powder-coated steel cabinetry, matching open shelving, and the oversized aluminium joinery and skylights in the living extension, offer a striking modern touch. 

“One of the most challenging aspects was balancing aesthetics with structural elements in the heritage framework, particularly when removing walls to create the open-plan living area,” says Matt. “Accessing the original 3.6-metre-high walls to install the steel beams required precise planning, load calculations, and temporary reinforcement to ensure proper support for the upstairs load.” 

The outdoor space was also transformed with extensive earthworks to level the lawn and add a swimming pool. The kwila decking and horizontal fencing were designed together with the neighbours to ensure privacy and cohesion. 

The homeowner says, “Matt and his team communicated well, managed challenges, and ensured we were involved in every decision. Rhombus was naturally our first choice for renovating our next home.” 

Location: Herne Bay | Auckland

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