Very Versailles |
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Deb and Mark Bell’s first impressions of their Hastings home more than three years ago weren’t good. But, on closer inspection, Deb’s artistic eye detected possibilities for renovation; Mark remained underwhelmed.
The L-shaped weatherboard structure, built in the 1950s, was an architecture-free zone with some questionable additions thrown in over time. The 100sqm space comprised three small bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and an L-shaped open-plan living area.
“The lounge had low ceilings, decorative beams and hard-board walls,” recalls Mark. “And part of the roof had been removed with a clear corrugated panel installed in its place.”
Luckily Deb could see past all that. Her experience as an interior, landscape and clothes designer, jewellery manufacturer, artist and chef helped her to visualise the property’s hidden potential. “I knew we could create something special here,” she says. “The way the light came into the rooms looked ideal for my painting and the building was as solid as a rock. Its plainness was a big attraction too.”
Devoid of detail and features that would compete with her vision, the place was ripe for Deb’s style of personal enhancement and Mark knew to trust her instincts when it came to creating special places. The couple had already successfully completed two substantial renovations – an old villa and a beach bach in Hawke’s Bay.
The couple meant business. The day they moved into the home they later named La Maison des Portes – the house of doors – a superfluous wall in the lounge came down, even before the beds were made. A few months later the low ceilings, hardboard walls and clear roof panel were banished and five extra sets of French doors installed.
Reconfiguring the existing footprint allowed for two generous bedrooms, an extra loo and enlarged living spaces, including a lounge, dining area and salon-cum-library. Though these spaces are open they feel intimate, with the zones differentiated by clever design, furnishings and furniture placement.
The fact that the couple’s sons, Harley, 29, and Josh, 23, had both left home eliminated the pressure of accommodating four adults in a compact space. “We were initially tempted to increase the living area by extending the back of the house and adding a huge deck.
Story: Jesma Magill
Photographs: Anneliese Hough
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