Arrive at this East Auckland property and you could be forgiven for thinking you’re in an exclusive tropical resort. It’s an oasis in the suburbs, a place where lush and luxury live together under palm trees and beside a swimming pool and tennis court. The 460sqm masonry house has undergone a complex renovation, not that you’d know it from the builders’ wide-ranging skills and attention to detail. The project entailed a 60sqm extension with a gym and an enlarged kitchen-dining area with a new European kitchen. New life was also breathed into the existing side patio, which was given a new timber-framed louvre roof and hanging fireplace. All three bathrooms received the luxe treatment with Venetian-style plaster render and top-of- the-range cabinetry and tapware. It’s all flawless and opulent now, but this was a highly technical project requiring a savvy, skilled team. Large masonry walls had to be removed and steel beams used to create openings. As a result, myriad intricate services needed to be rerouted. Given the calibre of the existing finishes in the four-bedroom home, attention was paid to every tiny detail, right down to the polished concrete sills and handrails. It shows: this is how to do a top-end, seamless renovation.