Building a contemporary living space into a historic old home is never an easy task – it’s often a lot more work than a new-build. But architectural designer Kyle Ramsay could see the potential when his clients asked him to take on an 1860s weatherboard villa complete with double verandah in Ngāmotu New Plymouth.

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“One of the nice things about our clients,” says Ramsay, “is that when they purchased this house, there was a developer who was going to purchase it and tear it down. That would have been a great shame – it’s a prominent house on a prominent site.”

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The villa received a comprehensive overhaul. Original brick chimneys had to come down and the interior was stripped out. “We reinsulated the place, relined it, strengthened it up to current code,” says Ramsay. The result is light, airy and elegant – contemporary with a hint of the old world. A piece of history saved, and life breathed back into it.

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Dealing with a 160-year-old building came with a unique set of challenges, demanding a pragmatic, sensitive approach that focussed on the fundamentals of making the house fit for purpose. “You come in with these really lofty and grand ambitions,” says Ramsay. “They’re not profound – it can be the smallest of things. And sometimes you’ve just got to learn to let things go.”

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Eyes are the windows to the soul and windows are the eyes of a house. Here, they focus on a view of the neighbouring Pukekura Park, gazing over a bubbling stream and through beautiful native trees. APL Altherm Klima uPVC windows and doors proved the perfect solution to replace a patchwork of unoriginal frames. A cost-effective choice, the profile and proportions suit the house and mean there’s no need to maintain them every few years.

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From the outside, they read as new timber windows – and they’re detailed as such. “We had to do a lot of reframing of the reveals anyway, and everything on the outside, and we’ve kept that timber as well,” says Ramsay. The snowfall in Taranaki isn’t just pretty, it gets cold in these parts and the double-glazed Klima products perform well thermally. With the addition of central heating, the house now maintains 21st-century levels of comfort.

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Set atop the new garage, the contemporary deck extension tactfully complements the rest of the home with its simplicity. The pergola and fireplace are ideal for outdoor entertaining. This space is reached from the kitchen-dining area through a wide set of APL Architectural Series bifold doors from Altherm. “The old building is spectacular,” says Ramsay. “It was about making the new part feel like it’s meant to be here – and complementary to the building proportionally.”

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The result: a magnificent, historic family home now ready to be enjoyed by future generations.

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To see more of this project including video and podcast, click here.

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