Kaye Henderson is not a fan of white interiors or random feature walls.
But you could probably guess that from her Port Chalmers home, which is full of bold colour, patterned wallpaper and eclectic art.
The brick residence was built in 1913 for George Booth, who was headmaster of Port Chalmers School for 21 years. The small wooden cottage that was previously on the site was too small for Booth’s large family of 11 children, Ms Henderson says.
"Eight of the sons went to war and all of them came back, which was really quite something."
After the school moved to a new site in 1957, the house remained in Education Board ownership until the 1980s.
When Ms Henderson bought it from a private owner a decade later, there was long grass at the front and large holes in the internal brick walls but she was far from discouraged.
Not only did she like the feel of the place, she knew a brick house would require less maintenance than a weatherboard one. Most important of all was the heritage aspect — president of the Port Chalmers Historical Society, she has always loved historical buildings and antiques.
But it was only more recently that she and son Selar talked about the property’s long-term future. Ms Henderson wanted to remain in the house as she got older so he moved back from Brisbane to live with her and together they embarked on a further round of renovations.
Mr Henderson, who works in regenerative development in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, shares his mother’s interest in history. As well as serving on the Cargill’s Castle Trust, he is part of a group hoping to turn a historic Port Chalmers foundry into a multipurpose community, arts and heritage centre.
The aim with the house was to future-proof the property and make it warmer but without compromising the integrity of the original structure, he says, adding they made some unexpected discoveries along the way.
When builders pulled up borer-affected floors in two of the four bedrooms, they realised that in most areas of the house there was enough space to add under-floor insulation. This, along with draught-proofing and double-glazing, has made an "unbelievable difference" to the property, he says.
A less pleasant surprise came when they renovated the bathroom and added a level-entry shower: the house was not connected to the stormwater system.
As well as addressing this, they relaid the sewer, upgraded to mains pressure and took the opportunity to plan for a second toilet or bathroom and a new kitchen.
With the terrace and lawn dug up for trenches, they also had an "incentive" to redo the landscaping, he says, with a laugh. Completed in the last few months, that work included creating a new seating area under a wooden pergola.
When it came to decorating, the wallpaper in the entry hall — featuring leopards and exotic birds — set the tone for colours in the rest of the house, Mr Henderson says.
The wallpaper in the guest bedroom also has a tropical feel. The dining room walls are an orange shade picked out from the Morris curtain fabric at the windows. And playful monkeys peek out from another jungle-themed print in the black-tiled bathroom.
"I’ve always wanted a black bathroom," Ms Henderson explains.
The home also features rimu and oregon timbers and an ornate plaster ceiling in the living room, which was reportedly where the headmaster received school-related visitors.
With no original light fittings left in the house, Mr Henderson brought antique ones from Australia as hand luggage and had them stripped back and repainted by Farra Engineering.
Their extensive art collection includes works by local artists, Aboriginal art and artefacts from Papua New Guinea while the furniture is also a mix of styles, from Victorian to mid-century.
"We want the house to be modern and liveable . . . and so we haven’t been too perfect about trying to keep to the Edwardian era, for example."
Original fire surrounds remain in the bedrooms but those in the living areas had been replaced by plain brick ones, probably in about the 1950s. Eventually, they hope to put more authentic ones in but for now, there are other priorities — completing the double-glazing, painting the exterior woodwork and replacing the kitchen, which includes an original scullery, pantry and meat safe. They also plan to add a conservatory-style dining extension, with access to the rear of the section.
In the past, people suggested Ms Henderson downsize but she "couldn’t do it", she says.
"I loved the place so much, and especially now."
Knowing she was not moving, Mr Henderson says, they were determined to "go all out" and make it "as fantastic as possible" for her to live in.
"This house carries strong colour and pattern . . . so we’re not shy about it.
"It’s not what most people would live in but we love it."
