After three years, and the small matter of $2 million, a seaside home once used by Katherine Mansfield was restored in 2016 after being destroyed by a storm.

The Eastbourne property, at the northern tip of Days Bay, was badly damaged in the winter of 2013 by a storm that ravaged it and four neighbouring properties. The house had survived by the sea for more than 100 years and was the family home of the Mansfields near the turn of the 20th century.

Wellington developer, Chris Stevenson, bought the house in Marine Drive from the then owners and was committed to ensuring Mansfield's memory remained in the place that was the inspiration for her short story At the Bay. He had a figure that he thought he would spend on it, and ended up doubling it. The home had to be pulled apart, framework rebuilt and then the entire home fully restored.

After raising what was left of the existing structure by two metres, a second storey was added to create four bedrooms with ensuites. The adjoining boathouse has also been transformed into a two-bedroom mezzanine quarters with a nautical theme. As Chris stated in a Herald ‘Stuff’ article last year, "I could have bowled it and built a new place for half what I did, but that's what you do to save a bit of New Zealand history," he said.

Adding to the now fantastic look of the rebuilt home is a stylish powder-coated aluminium and glass Balustrade from Provista Balustrade Systems. The solution is their Panorama semi-frameless product featuring face-fixed posts with completely hidden fixings and the ‘Retro’ rectangular handrail. The 10mm toughened safety glass is vertically rebated into the posts as well as being horizontally rebated into the glazing rail under the Retro handrail.

The Panorama and alternative ‘Summit’ semi-frameless balustrade solutions are two of the most popular products in the Provista range, providing a very pleasing look whether a home is classic or contemporary in style. And being able to provide the Dulux Duratec range of powder-coatings for high corrosion zones means the stylish solutions will remain looking great for many years to come.

Provista Balustrade Systems solutions are compliant with all NZ regulations and suited to A, B, E and C3 residential and commercial applications.