Black into white does go. When you extend a character property and aim for sharp contrast, there’s nothing grey about the results.
Jamie and Paul Oliver run a branding agency and their house is proof that, just as when crafting a compelling campaign, success lies in the details. However, you’ll have to look closely to discern those in their Point Chevalier, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland home, because its charm lies in restraint. The details are there, but a streamlined aesthetic and clean lines triumph over fuss.
The site was a surprise find for the couple who, six years ago, were ready to vacate their Western Springs home, with their eyes on neighbouring Westmere. When the real estate agent led them to a 1920s bungalow do-up across the road from Pt Chev beach, the untouched house drew them in. “When we looked at the property, I thought, ‘This is amazing’, because the house was so original,” Jamie says. “The previous owner had lived there 80 years. It was easy to walk in and clean it up.”
On the generous 632sqm section, the pair saw the beauty in preserving the original bungalow, while adding a modern annex to the rear. Living in the house for two years before renovating gave them clarity in their vision. “During that time, we gained a feel for it, and it became clear that we didn’t want to get rid of it,” Jamie says. Although she and Paul love being close to the sea, the flat terrain was also perfect for a pool — now a favourite summer hangout for the family.
From the street, the bungalow is quaint, revealing nothing of the black extension tucked away. “We’ve always loved those suburbs in Sydney and Melbourne where some houses are understated from the front, offering you no idea of what’s out the back,” Jamie says. “So many different housing styles have gone up in Point Chev in recent years, and many old homes are being knocked down, so we felt the pull to hold onto this home’s character.”
The couple engaged Michael Macfie, architectural director of Macfie Architecture, to realise their vision for the white bungalow contrasted with a contemporary form in black.
The original entrance and a sitting room were restored to showcase heritage touches such as leadlight windows, an ornate ceiling rose and the classic bungalow feature of the front door being positioned at the side of the house.
The existing spaces were dedicated to bedrooms, a lounge and a playroom for the Olivers’ two young boys. While the footprint was retained, damaged walls were rebuilt and one bedroom reimagined as an ensuite and walk-in robe. Then the walls and floor were painted white. “When we decided to paint the floorboards white, people told us we were mad. But they have honestly proved so hardy,” says Jamie. The serene main suite has warming gold-hued details. “We are monochromatic people,” Paul says. “Although I like touches of colour — especially greens.”
To the rear they added a modern, open-plan kitchen, living and dining zone. “This extension is marked by passing through a glazed link, which steps down to the entertainment wing,” explains Michael. “We designed the space with high ceilings, polished-concrete floors, in-situ fireplaces and full-height stacking doors which open directly to the outdoors.”
It’s a sleek oasis, with a view straight through the lounge and dining area to the lawn, pool and sheltering trees. Inside, white curtains, pale concrete and fine black joinery calm the senses. The cool smoothness of the concrete and the soft drape of fabric add to the room’s sense of ease. “We designed these spaces around the furniture,” Jamie says. “We knew we wanted a large couch in the lounge, so we kept pushing it out to make it fit.”
The couple deliberated about the length of the glazed link between old and new, knowing that the longer they made it, the shorter the pool would be: “But we didn’t want it to be a ‘stop-start’; it needed to be a transition,” says Paul.
A lesson in visual lightness, the formula is for an elegant extension that doesn’t dominate. “We wanted the doors to be full height, with the beams hidden in the roof cavity, to give the space architectural clarity,” Michael says. “Lights and curtain tracks are hidden in the ceiling, so it’s a smooth transition.”
Extending from the living is a welcoming outdoor space where the boys, Huxley and Zac, can play on the grass and swim in the pool. It’s easy to imagine barbecues with families here on sunny days.
A mature, wrap-around tītoki hedge lends privacy to the outdoor fireplace, which is a year-round focal point below a louvred pergola. Slender steel supports, anchored discreetly in the roof cavity, extend the elegance. “We’re able to pull the doors right back for seamless flow from the kitchen to the pizza oven,” Jamie says.
The board-finished custom concrete fireplace is the pièce de résistance of the outdoor zone. Builder Matt Farrell of Intact Construction says it was both cast and poured on site. Enhancing the home’s visual ease, the same concrete was poured on site to craft the living-room floor. It was polished and sealed before wrapping up into an internal fireplace hearth, which adds to the feeling of continuity.
A clever design approach saw the living area’s glass sliders operating as part of the pool fence. Michael says: “The last two doors are fixed, avoiding us having to lose another metre to install a separate pool fence. We designed the doors to close at that point, working the pool around it.”
The family love the upgraded alfresco area for parties. “No matter how old the kids are, letting them play outside while being able to watch them from the kitchen is a gamechanger,” says Jamie.
Black corrugated iron cladding works well but was, in fact, a happy accident, Michael explains. The original plan was to install a rainscreen but, when that was delayed due to a material shortage, the longer Jamie and Paul waited, the more the robust beauty of the corrugate appealed. Its matte finish and fine ridges give the façade subtle texture that shifts with the light.
All up, there’s not a single space that doesn’t now work better. “We’ve injected personality through furniture and art but, at the same time, we are big entertainers and this is such an easy house to realise that in,” says Jamie. “We aren’t too precious and the house is robust enough to serve both adults and children.”
A curated balance of simplicity, connection and enduring style makes this home as functional as it is beautiful.
Words Catherine Steel
Photography Larnie Nicolson