Verve editor Jude Mitchell shares her journey of converting an old workshop into a dream home.
When we purchased this property in 2009, we were right in the depths of the Global Financial Crisis!
We knew it was going to be hard, but we were determined that somehow, something would happen that would make it all fall into place.
Advertised as one bedroom, one bathroom, in Grey Lynn, the only truth of the listing was that it was in Grey Lynn – but there was no bedroom and no bathroom! It simply wasn’t habitable. But it came with a commercial building permit so we were able to start work on it pretty much immediately.
We needed to develop a concept that enabled us to evolve the commercial plan into a family home. So the design evolved into a home with two wings connected by a covered terrace. Our ensuite is set to the rear of the original workshop area.
The covered terrace links the two wings but its real value is as a stunning space for entertaining and casual dining.
There is a spacious loft above for storage. The family wing had three very large bedrooms, its own lounge, plus a full bathroom and a separate laundry.
We upgraded the roof and exposed trusses, added insulation and renewed the skylights which buildings like ours used to illuminate corners that otherwise would have been dim. We even repurposed the original roller door to retain the industrial connection. Heat pumps and a wood burner ensure that even in the middle of winter the place
is cosy.
Yes, the covered terrace links the two wings but its real value is as a stunning space for entertaining and casual dining. The recent addition of and ‘out of the ground’ swimming pool, sun lounging deck and a stunning garden have completed our ‘Oasis in the City’.
