So much gothic charm comes out of this church home renovation near Hamilton by JBeere Building. Jason and Anita needed a bigger property and there wasn’t much choice in the market, except this rundown old church that had once been renovated, and was left to rack and ruin by renters. They planned a dining room extension and Jason carried out the work in weekends and holidays, taking out walls and replacing with new cladding and window sills. The weatherboard exterior brings back the church to more like its original state, replacing the plaster that had been there when he bought it.
In the second extension the family included two extra bedrooms and a media room, and had new gothic windows made locally. Jason and Anita managed to find a set of double doors from an old church in Dunedin, and using lead, he made his own flashings around the windows, in keeping with the old world charm. Original lead light windows have been beautifully restored and new frames made, and the matai flooring inside has been retained as well. Timber trusses – around 100 year old, have been oiled and brought back to life – their rich colour showing the rimu’s age, and Jason made new timber rafters and finishes around the ceiling to match as best he could.
An entire set of exquisite chandeliers finish the interior design perfectly – Jason credits his wife Anita for her natural ability – “designers are born not made,” he says. When they moved in and set to work on the place, the bathroom leaked and there was no working kitchen. “But it was nothing we couldn’t handle,” Jason said. Mother-in-law came to stay and helped set up a temporary kitchen in the garage and the
renovation continued.
The new pool house replaces the original idea for a children’s castle on the property – there are many
old stories about this property, and now new things have been added to continue the tale.
The cobblestones in the pool have been replaced and the entire area resurfaced, turning it into water lover’s paradise. “We did inherit a lot of issues that were unforeseen, The sheds leaked, the pool leaked and the stormwaterdidn’t work. The first shower taken in where the scullery is now, was a bit of a worry as the water ran out the door and down the hall. We had to place a barrier of towels to prevent the hall becoming a stream. The first bath taken in the upstairs master bedroom was all so a highlight as when the bath was emptied, water poured down into the kitchen below. But we love this home now and it will be a hard one to leave,” he said. Badger Hall has the old world charm with all the modern comforts. J Beere Builders are custom builders in the Waikato, and Jason brings international expertise to his company, formed in 1989. Jason has previously worked in Japan and Tahiti, and employs a team of six.
