Photography: Babiche Martens
Home profile
Meet and greet: Jono Taylor (Intensive care consultant) and Sophie Henderson (principal researcher at MBIE), their son Atticus (seven months) and springer spaniel Labrador retriever cross Luna.
The property: A century-old traditional Grafton villa with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a library/study, kitchen/dining area, living room and laundry.
It’s hard to believe looking at it now, but Jono Taylor and Sophie Henderson’s beautiful Grafton villa in Auckland was nowhere near the polished property it is today when they first viewed it. In its former life, the four-bedroom house served as a long-term rental – mainly to students – so the couple found it unloved and rundown when they first viewed it. Despite that, they saw many things that ticked the boxes.
“There was so much to like about it, even in that state,” says Sophie. “We fell in love with the ornate details, high ceilings, sash windows, fireplaces and traditional kauri timber flooring. We particularly loved the archway in the hallway, the grand original door in the hallway leading into the kitchen/dining room and the ceiling roses.”
The top level of the home is a century-old traditional villa, built back in 1910. A lower level was built in 1996, which added two bedrooms and a bathroom. As Sophie tells it, when they moved in at the end of 2021, every room (and the garden) needed renovation – “an overhaul, really” – to turn it from student flat to family home. But the couple was up to the task, despite never having renovated before.
“We had absolutely zero experience with renos, so we learnt a lot of lessons with this house,” she says. “We have made countless mistakes and some regrettable design choices, which I think is part and parcel of renovating for the first time. It’s been an enjoyable rollercoaster ride. The positive is that we have developed many new skills and interests along the way.”
Jono and Sophie had a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve with their home. Their mission was to revitalise the Grafton villa, retaining its traditional heritage features and original character while modernising certain elements. Fortunately, they didn’t need any significant building work or extensions. Instead, it was more of a birthday glow-up for the 115-year-old dame, with every room getting some form of attention.
While they were keen to retain the traditional features of the home, the couple took a more pragmatic approach to the actual functionality of the rooms, converting two of the bedrooms into spaces they’d get more use from.
“We turned one bedroom into a home library/study and another bedroom into a home gym, both of which we love and use regularly. Instead of empty bedrooms, it made more sense to turn them into more functional rooms that met our needs and interests,” she says.
Jono and Sophie did a lot of the reno work themselves, with the help of family members who kindly signed up for painting and landscaping working bees. But they knew their DIY limits and hired contractors for some of the more challenging tasks, including tiling and plumbing for the bathroom renovations.
When it came to the decor and styling the interiors, Sophie was thoughtful in her approach. “Each room has a different purpose, feel and function, so rather than applying one consistent theme or fixed style throughout the house, the decor and colour scheme of each room is inspired with this in mind,” she says.
“For instance, our bedroom is influenced by Japanese design and aesthetics, with minimalist decor, clean lines and natural light, while Atticus’s nursery is inspired by the beach and nature with calming neutral tones and animal-themed books.
“His room was a real joy to create. From his oval cot, knitted wire name and shelving, it was all very considered and personal.”
Sophie says that Scandinavian and Japanese design principles largely inform her interior style: minimalist but practical. “We go for simple, clean design combined with functionality. We like embracing natural, warmer colours and materials for certain rooms, while others have a more monochrome interior design.”
The library – with its bold deep-blue walls – is one room that deviates from the brief, however. “We are both book lovers with academic backgrounds, so we always dreamt of having a designated cosy space to relax and read. We wanted to create a traditional, moody home library with ornate French features. With help from family and friends, we designed and built the three-metre-tall bookshelves, which was quite a challenge, but we think they make the room and perfectly house all our books.”
Almost every room features a mirror – Sophie says she collects them in different sizes and styles like they’re artwork. “I definitely have a minor obsession with mirrors. They are a statement feature, making each room appear larger, taller and brighter, adding texture and dimension. I look for mirrors that fit the brief of the room and its particular style, colour palette and height.
“I equally love choosing lights, particularly pendants and lamps. They’re decorative pieces that create the right ambience and mood.”
Now that they’ve completed the majority of the renovation, the busy parents can enjoy the home they’ve created for their family. “At the moment, we spend a lot of time playing and reading in Atticus’s nursery, which has become a new favourite room and calming, fun space,” says Sophie. “But we also love the reading nook in between the dining area and living room – it’s positioned next to a window overlooking the garden and is a great spot for a wine on an evening.”
They enjoyed many summer days on the sun-drenched deck at the back of the house, cooking barbecues, relaxing, and playing as a family. The couple has transformed the garden below, painstakingly removing a huge concrete slab and replacing it with lawn and plants.
“It was quite a big undertaking but absolutely worth it for our dog Luna, who loves the space. We landscaped the garden ourselves; one area is inspired by a Mediterranean garden, and another is New Zealand natives. We find the upkeep of this quite difficult, particularly with a new baby in our lives, but we love gardening and growing our own fruit and veggies whenever we can find the time. It feels like an oasis within an inner-city suburb.”
The couple takes pride in the results of their Grafton villa makeover and the family home they’ve created for the three of them, but they’re not done yet.
“We have created a house we love, in a perfectly situated suburb close to where we work as well as the Auckland Domain, which is ideal for dog walking,” says Sophie. “But because we’re doing it ourselves, it’s still a work in progress – a slow reno, as we like to call it. We always have more work to do and improvements to make. Our next reno plan is the kitchen – I’m dreaming of a butler sink and pot-filler faucet.”
Sophie’s home truths
High-end or bargain buys? I like a mix of both, depending on the specific item and use. I think it’s worth investing in high-quality furniture, tapware and fixtures that will be used regularly and stand the test of time. I tend to choose high-end statement pieces, including artwork and lamps but complement this with bargain buys where possible. For instance, in the main bathroom, I splurged on a Nuura bronze wall light but balanced it with a mirror that I sourced in a sale. It’s about compromise.
What about this house works best for your family? The open-plan design with the kitchen flowing into the dining area and living room makes for easy family living. It’s nice for one of us to be cooking while the other is in the living room or dining area with guests and still be able to interact socially and keep an eye on the baby.
Best memories in your home? The first few months painting and renovating while our dog Luna was a puppy. This was during the Covid lockdown in Auckland in 2021, and it was a quiet, unusual time where we were able to take things slowly and enjoy the process. Another favourite memory has to be welcoming Atticus into the home and seeing his nursery being used and enjoyed after a long wait.
What are you most proud of about or in your home? I think the fact that we have done a lot of the work ourselves as a family. It has been a challenge and a huge learning curve but worth the effort to see it all come together.
See more images of this Grafton villa below
Atticus’ room features wallpaper by Minnie & Me Interiors, a dresser from Farmers, a rotating bookcase from Mocka, a lamp from Freedom, a change mat from Babyhood NZ and a Stokke cot from Dimples.
The fluted wall tiles in the guest bathroom are from Tile Depot, the mirror from Bohzali and the sink from Plumbline.
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