Renovating character homes is a challenging task. Achieving the balance between contemporary needs and retaining heritage features can be tricky, but the reworking of this deco home artfully and successfully hits all the right notes. New additions have been seamlessly integrated into the original silhouette. From the street, you’d be forgiven for thinking the home has simply had a new lick of paint – now refreshingly crisp in white with a slim black trim. Appearances aside, much has been done to restore the inherent grandeur of this extensive 430sqm home. Internal walls have been removed to extend and open up the kitchen. From its dark and poky past emerges a sophisticated, thoroughly modern kitchen with scullery. Features such as the existing timber floors have been maintained, refreshed and matched with new flooring. The patio, with its stunning panorama of the Waikato river and feature louvre roof, has been preserved. Solar panels on the new roof link to a Tesla battery. Substantially improved thermal efficiency and a ducted HVAC system provide year-round comfort. Nearly a century on from early deco days, this enduring beauty has been reinvigorated for many more years of enjoyment.