Villa Roma
Villa Roma has been renovated over an eighteen-year period and some of this work progressed in very small stages while I lived in London for over a decade. The property was built in 1905 and there was some modernisation in 1950’s, however the original features had been retained. I purchased the property in 1994 and carried out much needed maintenance, such as re-piling the foundations, rewiring, and replacing the plumbing and gas pipes. After the initial maintenance, I employed an architect for the fireplace designs and dimensions, then I worked with a carpenter to install all the plaster cornices, columns, plaster ceiling plaques and the fireplace statues. A structural engineer was required for the steel beam that replaced the wall between the lounge and dining room, then the plaster columns and bases were installed under the steel beam. Plaster frames were added to the walls and canvas prints of the 18th century Venetian artist, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, were installed inside the frames. After the interior architecture had been completed, I started all the gilding and painting work using scaffold and ladders. Upstairs was renovated at a later stage when I returned to Wellington on a permanent basis. Villa Roma is currently listed on Airbnb.
Studio Opulento
Studio Opulento was renovated in stages while I was working and living in London. Being a small space provided some challenges for storing building materials while living there. Adding a floor to ceiling mirror glass behind the bed provided an opportunity to visually increase the size of the space. Being open plan, the columns and walls added to the kitchen area provided privacy for the sleeping and lounge area.
Chez Nicolet
Chez Nicolet is a townhouse within a large house built in 1905 and it was a partnership development with my mother. We retained the character by keeping the original doors and fireplaces. The conservatory was an extension to provide space for a dining room. The columns were added later and some of the architectural features were gilded.
Alpine Lodge Austria
Our Alpine lodge is in the Lindenthal village, which is now connected via a pedestrian walkway to the main village, Abtenau. Along the walkway, there are spectacular views of the mountains, the local ski-field, and the surrounding landscape. The local ski-field in Abtenau is Karkogel, Tennengau region, and the mountain range is the Dachstein West. The Dachstein Mountains are bordered to the west by the Lammer valley which forms the boundary of the mountains with the Tennengebirge.
Abtenau is a market town in the Hallein District of Salzburg. The municipality is in Lammertal, Tennengau, about 45 km south of Salzburg, and encompasses the entire middle valley of the Lammer.
