‘Oasis’ in middle of city

Built in the early 1950s, this Rattray St house has views of nearby St Joseph’s Cathedral and...
Built in the early 1950s, this Rattray St house has views of nearby St Joseph’s Cathedral and beyond that, Otago Harbour. PHOTOS LINDA ROBERTSON
The airline memorabilia in the living room references Ms Williams’ former job and includes a Pan...
The airline memorabilia in the living room references Ms Williams’ former job and includes a Pan Am poster depicting Milford Sound.
Before the renovation, the dining and living areas were divided by a wall and fireplace. PHOTO:...
Before the renovation, the dining and living areas were divided by a wall and fireplace. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
The living room has got much more use since the ground floor was made more open-plan. The...
The living room has got much more use since the ground floor was made more open-plan. The alterations were completed by Residential Renovations.
The new shower is behind a vanity with a metallic basin. Both the bathroom and laundry have...
The new shower is behind a vanity with a metallic basin. Both the bathroom and laundry have French doors to the lower deck.

When former flight attendant Ailsa Williams began looking for a house in New Zealand, she had three criteria — location, light and views — and a home above Rattray St "hit all three".

Set in a steep, terraced garden just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre, the house has spectacular views.

"I call it my oasis in the middle of the city," she says.

Ms Williams, who recently gave the property a makeover, travelled widely as a child because her late father was a founding member of the UN Secretariat.

Ailsa Williams relaxes in the sitting area in her first-floor bedroom.
Ailsa Williams relaxes in the sitting area in her first-floor bedroom.
Born in New York city, she attended school in Sydney and Copenhagen and went to university in Auckland. Later, she worked for Pan Am and Delta Airlines for 47 years, starting in the corporate offices before becoming an international flight attendant and purser.

"Home" until 2021 was an attic apartment overlooking the Connecticut River. She then became a "Covid retiree" and moved to Dunedin, the city where her parents met and went through university.

The Rattray St house delivered on her three "must-haves" and she knew she could take care of anything else, she says.

"[It] has such charm and character. As soon as I walked in, I had that ‘special feeling’ about it."

Architectural designer Bevan Wood, of Eco Workshop, explains the house was designed in 1949 and has the rectangular forms, generous glazing, flat roof and outdoor balconies that were hallmarks of that era.

The renovations he designed involved converting the laundry into a laundry and bathroom, and removing a brick chimney to open up the space between the dining and living rooms.

The kitchen had already been upgraded so the only changes here were installing a new tile floor...
The kitchen had already been upgraded so the only changes here were installing a new tile floor and underfloor heating.
Before the work, the living room was closed off from the rest of the house and seldom used. One work-around would have been to open it up completely but Ms Williams wanted to preserve some of the original style of the property.

The solution was to remove the solid wall and chimney between the two areas but add a section of glass shelving in the middle. The two spaces are divided but have an open, airy feel; the harbour and city views that the living area enjoyed can now be seen from the dining area as well.

The dusty pink in the office area is Resene’s Brandy Rose.
The dusty pink in the office area is Resene’s Brandy Rose.
"You’ve still got visual separation but you have easy access, light and sun," Mr Wood says. "Sometimes ideas are so simple but it’s [all about] the way they’re finished. It was Ailsa’s idea to have glass shelves in the middle and the detailing around them made a big difference."

Reconfiguring the laundry, which had a toilet off it, was the most challenging part of the renovation because the space was so small. Previously accessed from the deck, it now opens off the kitchen and has a space-saving washer-dryer.

From there, a pocket door leads to the new ground-floor bathroom which, although small, contains a shower, toilet and vanity. With friends from the United States visiting for weeks rather than days, a second bathroom was a priority.

Upstairs, both bedrooms open on to a balcony overlooking St Joseph’s Cathedral. While the lower deck is ideal for entertaining, this one provides sweeping views of Flagstaff, Mt Cargill, Harbour Cone and Otago Harbour.

"Having upper and main decks makes sense because I ‘grew up’ in a 747," Ms Williams says with a laugh.

"I’m so fortunate to have found this unique, quirky house."