Something Borrowed.

This Mt Eden bungalow renovation is a delicate dance between past and present—a home where heritage whispers through timber floors and ceiling roses, and new life blooms in layered textures and light-filled spaces. Rooted in the distinct yet intertwined heritage of its owners, the design weaves the wife’s Māori ties to Lake Waikaremoana with the husband’s quiet strength drawn from rural New Zealand. Together, their stories shape a home that is both a sanctuary and a vessel for memory, place, and belonging.

The heritage bungalow stands as a cherished canvas, lovingly restored to reveal its character and grace. Original details were carefully preserved, holding the stories of generations past. From this foundation, a new wing unfolds softly at the rear—a calm, contemporary response that embraces the family’s present and future. The stepped floor plan choreographs movement through open-plan living, dining, and kitchen spaces, balancing openness with intimate moments.

Materiality tells the story here: stone lining the hallway evokes the rugged shores of Lake Waikaremoana, while a sculptural timber screen nearby stands like a grove of native trunks, filtering light and framing views. The kitchen’s green cabinetry and veined stone benchtop echo the valley’s lush depths, grounding the home in the landscape’s quiet rhythms. Linen and timber add warmth and tactility.

A poetic gesture anchors the passage between old and new: timber corbels salvaged from the husband’s childhood farm, quietly marking generational continuity and the flow of memory through space.

Innovation emerges not from spectacle but from thoughtful layering—melding culture, story, and place into architecture that listens and responds. The project honors sustainability through preservation and durable, timeless materials, ensuring the home will age gracefully with its family.

In this home, architecture becomes storytelling—a space where history breathes and new chapters unfold. It is a quiet, living poem of heritage, family, and place, crafted with care and poetic restraint.