Photography by: Babiche Martens.
It’s hard to believe looking at it now, but Jono Taylor and Sophie Henderson’s beautiful villa in Grafton, Auckland, was nowhere near the polished property it is today when they first viewed it. In its former life, the four-bedroom house was a long-term rental – mainly to students – so it was unloved and rundown when the couple first saw it.
“There was so much to like about it, even in that state,” says Sophie. “We fell in love with the ornate details, high ceilings, sash windows, fireplaces and the kauri timber flooring.”
The top level of the home is a century-old traditional villa, built in 1910. A lower level was completed in 1996, which added two bedrooms and a bathroom. As Sophie tells it, when they moved in at the
end of 2021, every room – and the garden – needed renovation to turn it from student flat to family home. But the couple was up to the task, despite never having renovated before.
“We had absolutely zero experience with renos, so we learnt a lot of lessons with this house,” she says. “It’s been an enjoyable rollercoaster ride.”
Jono and Sophie had a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve. Their mission was to revitalise the villa, retaining its traditional heritage features and original character while modernising certain elements. Fortunately, no significant building work or extensions were needed. Instead, it was more of a birthday glow-up for the 115-year-old dame, with every room getting some form of attention.
When it came to the décor and styling the interiors, Sophie was thoughtful in her approach. The couple chose Resene Full White Pointer for the master bedroom, hallway and son Atticus’ room. All of the ceilings and skirting boards were freshened up with Resene Black White.
“Our bedroom is influenced by Japanese design and aesthetics, with minimalist décor, clean lines and natural light,” tells Sophie. “While Atticus’ nursery is inspired by the beach and nature, with calming neutral tones and animal-themed books.”
They also converted two of the bedrooms into spaces they’d get more use from.
“We turned one bedroom into a library/study and another bedroom into a home gym, both of which we love and use regularly,” explains Sophie. “Instead of empty bedrooms, it made more sense to turn them into rooms that met our needs and interests.”
The couple did a lot of the reno work themselves, with the help of family members who kindly signed up for painting and landscaping working bees. But they knew their DIY limits and hired contractors for some of the more challenging tasks, including tiling and plumbing for the bathroom renovations.
The library – with its bold Resene Blue Night walls – is one room that deviates from the brief, however.
“We’re both book lovers with academic backgrounds, so we always dreamt of a designated cosy space to relax and read,” tells Sophie. “We wanted to create a traditional, moody home library with ornate French features. With help from family and friends, we designed and built the 3m-tall bookshelves, which was quite a challenge, but they make the room and perfectly house all our books.”
Now that the majority of the renovation is done, the busy parents can enjoy the home they’ve created for their family.
“At the moment, we spend a lot of time playing and reading in Atticus’ nursery, which has become a new favourite room and a calming, fun space,” says Sophie. “But we also love the reading nook in between the dining area and living room – it’s positioned next to a window overlooking the garden and is a great spot for a wine.”
Many summer days were enjoyed on the sun-drenched deck at the back of the house, cooking barbecues, relaxing and playing together as a family. The couple has transformed the garden, painstakingly removing a huge concrete slab and replacing it with lawn and plants.
Sophie enthuses, “It was quite a big undertaking but absolutely worth it for our dog Luna, who loves the space. We landscaped the garden ourselves – one area is inspired by a Mediterranean garden and another is New Zealand natives.
“We find the upkeep of this quite difficult, particularly with a new baby, but we love gardening, and growing our own fruit and veges. It feels like an oasis within an inner-city suburb.”
