In Valencia they could call it a nice house (a nice house); in San Francisco street slang they’d probably rave that the decor is really neat, but for Melanie and Joe Spooner, who spent several years immersing themselves in both cities in the Northern Hemisphere, this residence on the slopes of Remuera, Auckland, which she practically rebuilt is a place to belong.
jackie meiring/NZ House & Garden
Melanie Spooner can keep an eye on tweens and teens in the pool from the master bedroom balcony in her Remuera home, but there’s also a great view of the neighborhood and even the Sky Tower in the distance.
For Joe, who lived here as a teenager, there is a personal history in the house and the neighborhood. For Melanie, originally from the North Shore, it was a place where she could watch their children—Lucia, now 14, and Ruben, 12—live as Kiwis. “Both of our children were born in Spain and have American accents,” she explains. In 2016, after a decade away from Joe’s career as an America’s Cup sailor, it was time to bring them home.
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Joe’s parents moved to the California bungalow in the mid-1980s. Avid gardeners, they laid out a lavishly planted patchwork quilt to surround the three-bedroom home. Some 35 years later, maintaining the property became a bit much for Joe’s father, so the second generation of Spooners bought the house and started renovating it for their own young family.
Jackie Meiring/NZ Home & Garden
Melanie displays Murano glass vases bought from her mother’s Auckland shop, La Dolce Vita Vintage, on a sideboard in the open-plan living room: “I like their faceted shape as opposed to the traditional Murano style. “, she says; the furniture includes two 1930s Italian chairs and an Eames chair made of molded plywood; the painting was commissioned by Auckland artist Nicky Foreman.
The couple previously lived in a Victorian home in San Francisco, so nurtured an affinity for character. While they loved the original features of this house, it lacked a powder room and laundry room, the hallway was dark and narrow, and the plum color scheme was a little oppressive. While they would have liked to keep the garden alive, the tapestry of plants was high maintenance and the lack of outdoor space unsuitable for the rambunctious needs of tweens and teens. A full redo was at stake.
Say it fast and it seems easy; essentially it was a lengthy process. “First we had to get permission and a design, then we moved for two years while they were demolished and rebuilt,” says Melanie. Logical if you realize the scope. From the basement, where they excavated another 40cm to reach full head height, to the central core where they widened and raised the hallway, to the extension – a guest room in the loft above the new double garage, additional footage on the residential zone and a new master suite upstairs – the bungalow was pushed and pulled back and forth.
Architect Warwick Lee, a family friend, connected the emerging aesthetic with the old, keeping a sense of nostalgia alive. Elements such as stained glass windows, a brick fireplace, wainscoting and beamed and paneled ceilings were kept or replicated where possible, but a new double-height foyer and a hall that reaches up to 5 meters are very much of the moment. Original Jarah floors, stained dark, give way to concrete in the large open-plan living area and the connection to the outdoors, with space to throw a basketball, pool and spa completes the structural revolution.
As a convoy of merchants moved through to bring about the transformation, Joe and Melanie tried to keep their fingers crossed as they held the reins of Kiwi Flush, a company they started as an afterthought, just taking off. . “Portable toilets,” says Melanie. “It’s random and not very glamorous, but we’re lucky to have thrived during the pandemic. What we missed because events were canceled, we more than made up for with construction sites.”
Jackie Meiring/NZ Home & Garden
Arabescato marble from SCE Stone & Design is like a work of art on the kitchen island and back wall; Walnut veneer cabinets add more pattern to the mix and Joe, who was in charge of choosing the appliances, went all-industrial style with a Sub Zero refrigerator.
It’s hard to compare this stylish mom of two to the portable toilet industry, but luckily the remodel provided plenty of opportunity to express her creative side. Sharing ideas with Clare Kitching of Peachhaus Design, she chose finishes such as vibrantly veined Arabascato marble for the kitchen island and back wall. “It sticks out on three sides, so a special steel frame had to be built to support it,” she explains.
Her selection of walnut veneers for the cabinets hints at her love of mid-century design and international influences can be found in the dining room: a shimmering round chandelier over a glass and brass dining table with a gilded tray and crystal and brass display. vintage glassware. “I’m a fan of Hollywood Regency style,” says Melanie, who would probably just as well buy these at a Webb’s auction, a vintage furniture boutique, or online. “Some call me the Trade Me Queen,” she laughs. “I’ve set up a lot of favorite searches, so I’m not missing anything.”
French designer Pierre Vandel is a current fix, and in the formal lounge, a mid-century style sofa and glam-chic Vandel side table sit perfectly together on a Persian rug in front of the white brick fireplace.
Melanie may inherit her eclectic eye from her mother, Wendy Paul, who curates vintage clothing and other finds: “Sometimes we swap pieces.” This long-held passion meant that once the couple was ready to move in, they already had a houseload of furniture in storage. Two 1930s Italian chairs, bought on a road trip from San Diego, now flank a mid-century drinks cart wrecked at the Alameda Pt Antiques Faire, east of San Francisco. “It was a good thing I got the seats, because on that same road trip, Joe bought a Mustang,” says Melanie.
In October 2020, when the Spooners moved in, the car, conceived as the “workingman’s Thunderbird”, slid cleanly into the new double garage. Melanie and Joe woke up that first morning to a distant view of the Sky Tower through the shutters of their bedroom. Eyrie and the children, losing their American touch, invited friends for a swim in a celebration of freedom after the lockdown.
With layers of personal history, global finds, and plenty of room for both “we” and “me” time, the second version of the Spooner house has become the focal point of a balanced, well-rounded lifestyle. “When we left San Fran, I was afraid I would miss the energy of that city,” Melanie says, “but this project has been a labor of love. We really settled in.”
Q&A with Joe and Melanie Spooner
Best renovation tip: If you’re short on time, get a great team. We used contractors, an architect and contractor, as well as an electrical consultant for lighting placement and a technical consultant for recommendations on effective heating of the house and pool/spa. (Jo).
Best design decision we made: Many living spaces – a godsend with the work from home scenario because of Covid. We also didn’t want to compromise on budget for the specialty items and finishes. At that point it feels like a bottomless pit of expense, but when it all comes together… (Melanie)
Everything you would have done differently: Ultimately not. There were a few decisions that felt like budget blows at the time, but we don’t regret it. The built in spa was a last minute addition and is used every day. (Joe)
Next on the list to buy: More Pierre Vandel. I am obsessed with his vintage pieces of copper, glass and lucite. They are very hard to find, but I’m lucky enough to have Charlotte Rust from the Babelogue store holding pieces for me as soon as they become available. (Melanie)
Favorite garden plants: The sago palms we kept from my parents’ garden and the sculptural form of the giant bromeliads (Alcantarea imperialis ‘Rubra’). (Joe)