At the first site-visit my eyes lit up at the stunning bones of a turn of the century villa in need of some serious TLC. Inside and out, the villa was tired, neglected, and screaming to be restored to its former glory.

The house was sitting on a rear section and Janice had big plans to move it forward to the front, elevated section, where it’s gorgeous detailed façade could be admired from the road.

To lighten up the interior, the colour scheme was to be easy on the eye, warm, and fresh. The Resene colours ‘Quarter Tana’ (a soft, fresh green) and ‘Quarter Ricecake’ fitted the bill perfectly. This soft, classic French feel was to be continued throughout the house. Every decision, from style of tapware to the kitchen splashback tiles, the cabinetry, and style of lighting involved keeping to our ‘classic villa’ brief.

New wardrobes were built in the bedrooms that lacked storage to mimic the detailed, battened style of the original wardrobes. In one of the bedrooms, slightly uneven walls meant that wallpapering would be a better solution to painting - so we brought back the dado rail for a classical, balanced wallpaper divide. The stunning ‘Maison’ wallcoverings embodied true vintage chic with their romantic hues, hand-blocked style and tempting textures. Surface printing imparts a bespoke charm across the non-woven designs, embracing floral trails and beaded stripes.

For the kitchen, we chose with care and splashed out on the 40ml stone bench, more expensive than marble and granite but we felt the serviceability with a family in mind was worth it. This was complemented by a soft blue hand-painted ceramic mosaic splash-back, and quality Italian tapware.