Villa and bungalow renovations
Auckland's villas and bungalows are the homes we know best. Since 2006 we have renovated and extended hundreds of them, from Ponsonby and Grey Lynn, Remuera and Mt Eden, including our own Devonport villa, a 2025 ADNZ Resene Design Award winner. Most sit within special character or heritage rules, and we manage the consents from start to finish so the process stays simple for you.
Some clients come to us for a new bathroom. Others want a full renovation and the addition of new wings. The aim is the same either way: keep what gives the house its character, and make it work for the way you live now.
Our character home renovations have won the ADNZ Resene Design Awards in 2019, 2020 and 2025 and been published homestyle, NZ House & Garden and Viva.
Before you buy
If you are looking at purchasing a villa or bungalow, we can view it with you before you commit. We usually look at the final few properties with a client and tell you what is realistic: what the planning rules allow, how the extension could be approached and if the budget and the time line aligns with your families needs.
Extending a villa or bungalow
Most villas and bungalows were built around small rooms, a central hallway and a kitchen tucked at the back. A typical extension opens the rear of the house to the garden with new living, kitchen and dining, often with a master suite, while the front rooms are restored. Where the site allows, we can also go down or up: excavating beneath the house for garaging or a gym, or adding an upper level for a master suite with a home office or second lounge.
Special character and heritage consents, handled
Most of the villas and bungalows we work on sit within a special character area or heritage overlay in the Auckland Unitary Plan. For many owners, this is the part of a renovation they dread. For us, it is everyday work.
We know what the rules allow before we start drawing, so the design is shaped by them from the first sketch rather than reworked later. We prepare the special character assessment in-house, lodge the resource and building consents, and answer council's questions on your behalf. You stay informed at every step without having to learn the planning rules yourself.
Bathrooms, kitchens and smaller projects
We take on bathrooms, ensuites and kitchens as well as whole-house projects, including the building consent a bathroom often needs.
Renovating in stages
If the full project does not fit the budget at once, we can design the whole house now and build it in stages, with each stage planned to lead into the next. One of our current Point Chevalier bungalow projects is being built this way.
Where we work
Most of our villa and bungalow work is in Auckland's character suburbs: Devonport and Northcote Point on the North Shore; Freemans Bay, Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Westmere close to the city; and Point Chevalier, Mt Albert, Sandringham, Mt Eden and Remuera further out. We work on every era and size of character home, from workers' cottages and single-bay villas to transitional villas and Californian bungalows.
How we work
A complimentary introductory meeting to talk through your house, your brief and your budget
Concept design
Developed design
Resource consent, where needed
Building consent
Support on site during construction, as you need it
Curious about the first stage? Read our Guide: Why concept design makes or breaks your renovation.
Start a conversation
"We love hearing about new projects, big or small. Book a complimentary introductory meeting and let's start talking about what's possible." Michael Macfie, Architectural Director. Book an introductory meeting.
Common questions
Do I need resource consent to extend my villa? It depends on where the house is. In a special character area or heritage overlay, changes visible from the street often need resource consent; work at the rear may not. We check this at the start, before any design work.
Do I need building consent to renovate my bathroom? Often, yes. Replacing fittings in the same position usually does not, but moving plumbing, adding a shower or changing walls usually does. We will tell you which applies and look after the consent if it is needed.
Can you look at a villa with me before I buy? Yes. We usually view one to three properties with a client and give you a realistic picture of what each could become.
Can I renovate in stages? Yes. We can design the whole house now and plan the work so it can be built in stages as your budget allows.
Do you only work in Devonport? No. We are based in Devonport and work across Auckland, Northland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury and Otago.
