In some ways, it's a miracle that this historic homestead is still standing. Kim Dungey reports.
It's hard to believe this grand homestead could have ended up housing livestock instead of being lovingly restored.
Co-owner Gloria Hurst says previous generations looked at different options for the Papakaio, North Otago, property. One was to knock it down and rebuild. Another was to store grain upstairs and pigs below.
"It was just a general feeling at that time. Where do you start with an old building like this?"
"And to be fair, the only reason we have our historic precinct [in Oamaru] is because there was no money to knock the buildings over. It was a different time."
Not only did the farmhouse survive, it recently gained a sympathetic extension — a two-year project that earned Roger Gilchrist Building Services the renovation over $1.5million and supreme renovation of the year categories at the southern Master Builders House of the Year Awards.
Willow Park homestead was built in 1880 by Scottish immigrants Donald and Jessie Borrie, whose family of eight children had outgrown a small stone cottage on the property dating back to 1865.
Archie and Jessie Hurst bought the home in 1928. Their grandson, former All Black Ian Hurst, and wife Gloria took over in 1977.
"It was old and cold but we could see potential," Mrs Hurst recalls. "So we rolled up our sleeves and room by room, we painted and papered."
Another renovation followed in the early 1990s, with the most recent one overseen by architect Ian Perry.
Family members were also involved: Sean Dixon, of Design Squared Landscape Architects, came up with the initial design and Jade Hurst of Good Space was responsible for the interiors.
Gilchrist says the biggest challenge was carefully demolishing the interior of the homestead, which had exterior and internal walls constructed from Oamaru stone blocks. All the internal walls and ceilings were covered in lath and plaster and there were timber tongue and groove floors on both levels.
"Basically all the internal walls upstairs and downstairs were removed, including the old Oamaru stone chimneys to below floor level ... New walls were then constructed , along with four large steel portal frames, which were bolted to the outside stone walls to brace the existing homestead. [These are now] hidden."
Architraves, skirting boards, windows and doors were made to match the existing ones, with the addition of double glazing.
They also removed all the Welsh slates from the roof, before straightening the roof framing and rebuilding the chimney structure. The roof is now a combination of those slates that were still in good condition and recycled slate from demolished Christchurch buildings.
In the lounge, a section of original stone was retained and glassed over to showcase the craft of the original builders.
The refurbished home has three living areas and eight bedrooms and ensuites. Before, there were four bedrooms so it was "a bit of a squash" when their three adult children and eight grandchildren returned home, Mrs Hurst says.
There are also lots of spaces where different generations can "sit around and talk and find solutions for the future".
"We’ve bridged the old and the new so the old home is still very much as it was but it’s been totally refurbished. Then we’ve put on a new kitchen, living room, games room and patio area. That’s where we were able to really lighten things up with glass on the roof and big doors to outside."
"We’ve also future-proofed her. She’s not going to fall over and she’s warm and solid and she’ll be fine now for another 100 years without anybody having to worry too much about leaking roofs or rotting floorboards."
Despite nothing being level, square or built as first thought, their builder remained calm, she adds.
"I’m sure he went home every night scratching his head because there was so much problem-solving involved but he never showed that to the rest of us ... Roger and all those who worked with him are the masters of this project and we’re just lucky enough to live in what they created."
Set on a sheep and beef farm 20 minutes’ drive from Oamaru, the homestead is surrounded by a large expanse of lawn, ponds and gardens with some of the trees planted by the Borries more than 150 years ago.
Mrs Hurst says they lived off site during the two-year renovation and returned with a renewed love for the property.
"It’s always been a place for all the generations to come and recharge and I’m sure that will continue into the future."
