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How to build the perfect villa extension

open plan, kitchen, lounge

With ANZ, Homes to Love is exploring the ways we live now, under the theme of ‘Personalisation’ – and how this trend allows us to live and build today.

The home of Patrick Reynolds and his partner Maria Majsa, reworked by architect Malcolm Walker. Walker left the villa largely untouched and added a carefully composed series of volumes – an open-plan, light family area and a darker, moodier room.

Image caption: The home of Patrick Reynolds and his partner Maria Majsa, reworked by architect Malcolm Walker. Walker left the villa largely untouched and added a carefully composed series of volumes – an open-plan, light family area and a darker, moodier room

  1. Respect the old – it’s been there for a century or so. Restore and replace character features where appropriate.
  2. But embrace the new – don’t try to hide the new building. It’s okay for it to stand out.
  3. Villas were usually built with no regard for sun. Use this as an opportunity to bring in the light.
  4. Don’t ignore the garden – landscaping is as important as the architecture and helps to connect the house to its site. (Villas were never very good at this.)
  5. Make sure the two parts feel unified: continue the line of the hallway in the extension, for instance, or introduce new materials carefully in the old.

If you’re thinking about building, buying or renovating use the ANZ home loan calculator to work out how you can achieve it. Visit anz.co.nz/homeloans for more information.

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