FREEMANS BAY VILLA | HERITAGE RESTORATION & RENOVATION
Some homes carry their history well. Others need help finding it again. This classic Freemans Bay villa fell into the second category — purchased after years as a rental property, its original character quietly eroded by well-intentioned but misguided alterations over time.
Macfie Architecture's brief was to give it back to itself.
The restoration began at the street, where a new garage, front balcony, and verandah re-establish the villa's presence and reward it with something it never had before — sunset views across Freemans Bay and the city skyline.
Inside, the four-bedroom home was comprehensively reimagined. En-suites, a new master bathroom, walk-in wardrobes, and considered built-in joinery were woven through the existing fabric, each addition informed by the villa's own language rather than imposed upon it. The heart of the home is a new open-plan kitchen, scullery, living and dining area — anchored by a fireplace and opening fully to the outdoor entertaining space beyond.
Upstairs, structural work unlocked the potential for a genuinely luxurious master suite: double shower, walk-in wardrobe, dedicated office, and a balcony overlooking the landscaped gardens below.
The final flourish is perhaps the most unexpected — a converted storage loft, now an antique steel-gated wine cellar with capacity for up to 500 bottles. A quietly magnificent detail in a home full of them.
Project Scope - concept design, developed design, resource consent, building consent, on-site monitoring
Build by Buxeda
Photography by Sam Warner
