In 2020, interior designer Janice Kumar-Ward and husband Julian Ward, a craftsman cabinetmaker, moved an original villa onto the land they’ve lived on for 15 years – just in time for Covid-induced lockdowns. It’s a beautiful spot: almost a hectare of west-facing, sun-drenched land in the foothills of the Waitakere Ranges to the west of Tāmaki Makaurau, bordering onto Centennial Park.
Often, relocated villas don't know which way to look, and seem a little bewildered as a result. Here, the couple worked with landscape designer Andy Hamilton, to site the house properly; Hamilton went on to design the planting around the house as well. As a result, it feels properly sited. A meandering gravel driveway leads down to the house – now painted an elegant shade of charcoal with crisp white trim – to the original front door.
The Kumar-Ward's rework kept the classic villa feel. A generous verandah runs around three sides, onto which each bedroom and even the main bathroom open out. Rooms are pleasantly multi-functional, able to operate as bedrooms, offices or second living areas. A long hallway and out into an airy north-facing 1970s extension. “Not everyone would appreciate the 70s addition, but we consider it a valid part of the history of the house,” Kumar-Ward once told a magazine.
The original place had good bones, but little of the original interior survived the move. Kumar-Ward’s rework of the place relocated windows and added a series of tall French doors to the extension. Inside, she created an interior at once earthy and elegant – shades of green and terracotta, nods to the house’s heritage, a gentle melding of old and new. In the hall, she painted original sarking white; the floor is solid painted pine. In the main living room, the kitchen sits on one wall with a mirrored splashback reading to the ceiling; a generous scullery is reached through two doors and leads to a mudroom and laundry/bathroom area. It’s a practical format – and beautifully executed with cabinetry built by Ward.
As an added bonus, their original home – a one-bedroom (income earning) minor dwelling – sits a tasteful distance from the main house. In all, a hard-working, elegant family compound in a bucolic location. It's for sale now with Lynn Lacey-Hauck.
813 West Coast Road
Oratia
rwponsonby.co.nz
