b'feature house the challenge W henVincentandSarahVillas are one of the least energy efficient homes, so the challenge for Vince and Sarah was to make theirs Heeringafirstsawtheoldfunction better without destroying the character. They:villa they now live in, Vincent likened it to a gracious old lady whose stockings haveHad a builder recondition the sash sagged.Rumpty,rentedoutandlookingwindows to get rid of draughts.the worse for wear, the house however had aAdded under-floor insulation and as long and proud heritage.much as possible to the roof - a difficult task when the cavity in the Built in 1852 as Allendale House, it wouldattic-style space is extremely small. haveoncebeensurroundedbyfarmland.Replaced one of the fireplaces with Now, its tucked behind commercial buildings a locally made Metro wood burner.inAucklandsMtAlbertandwhilethe Sarah is the editor of Good magazine, Newapproach to the house isnt picture-postcard,Laid wool carpet and hung thermal the large back garden and established treesZealandslifestylemagazineforsimple,curtains. make you feel far from the city.healthyliving,andtherecentwinnerofAre planning to add MagicSeal Originally a two-storey cottage encircled bySupreme Magazine of the Year. double glazing to the south-facing SaysSarah:Ivewrittenalotaboutourbedrooms and fans to recirculate verandas, it had villa features added to it laterwarm air. on. The house certainly spoke to the heart ofcountrys substandard housing stock, about the couple. Its grandly proportioned rooms,poor insulation, the lack of passive heating,Top leftThe grand home dates from original features, fireplaces, attic bedroomsand how homes are typically not built for sun.1852 and now has Resene Joanna And this house is typical of its era, built forweatherboards with Resene Lemon and age were a good match with the couplesGrass trims. love of retro and vintage pieces. And it nowthe outlook but they somehow managed to position it to repel the sun completely.MiddleSarah in the large bay caters well for their four children - Levi (17),window added early last century. Tobias (15), Theodore (11) and Wilhelmina (9)But the couple sees it as the ideal house toAboveNew kitchen doors in Resene - one dog, one cat, and four chickens.raise teenagers, have out-of-town family toBlack White were added. SarahandVincentthenhadtoreconcilestay and to entertain friends. Basically it has theirviewsonsustainabilitywithbuyinglots of space, with good bones but cant beResenean energy-sapping, cold and draughty house.easily wrecked. CamaroneReseneRice Cake19'