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Secret villa addition wows: ‘It wasn’t a flip; I built it for me’
Expect the unexpected - you cannot tell from looking at this 1910s villa that all is not as it seems.
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This 1910s Grey Lynn villa hides a stunning, award-winning transformation designed by architect José Gutierrez. Dubbed The Light Catcher, the project features a modern concrete and cedar extension creating a new high-spec kitchen and living space. This area flows seamlessly to a west-facing courtyard and reflection pool.
The original villa was also upgraded, and the project has won several accolades, including an NZIA Auckland award. The owner is now downsizing, offering a unique opportunity to own this architectural gem.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking this beautiful Grey Lynn villa has been staged for sale, because that simply isn’t the case.
This is exactly how Carla Tewkesbury’s home has looked since she undertook a massive two-year renovation and addition that began in 2020. “It wasn’t a flip. I built it for me,” she says.
Having seen earlier examples of architectural designer José Gutierrez’s work, Tewkesbury commissioned him to transform her villa built in the 1910s. The collaboration continued “every step of the way”, right through to the selection of furniture and furnishings.
Architectural designer José Gutierrez designed this multi award-winning sculptural extension to the house, which provides a calm, light-filled living space. The house is now 148m².
Rooms in the extension open to a courtyard on the west side, with a reflection pool and leafy landscaping bringing a real sense of tranquility to the urban property.
“I have always said José ‘controlled the crazy in me’,” Tewkesbury says. “I like a lot of different things, but he is very good at editing, and I think that’s why it has such a cohesive design language from the moment you walk in the door.”
Tewkesbury bought the villa in 2017. It had already been renovated by the former owners. “It looked amazing, but then I found shortcomings. For example, the laundry was in the hallway and that didn’t suit [for the family]. And the flow and layout didn’t really work for me.”
It’s a very minimalistic look - and no, the house is not staged. This is how the collaboration with the designer evolved, right down to the furniture selection.
She thought she would sell and buy something bigger, but soon realised it would be more cost-effective to stay, and change the house to suit. So she approached Gutierrez.
“I had seen Jose’s work pop up a few times over the years and I thought, ‘wow this guy has amazing vision’. And he’s very practical - he doesn’t just make something look grand; he ensures everything flows, and there’s storage.”
Tewkesbury says the build process was difficult with Covid lockdowns and huge cost increases in building materials. At one stage she bought cedar boards and stored them in the shed for three months to avoid any further increases.
There’s a central axis right through the house from the front door to the pool. Everything is aligned.
A large picture window on the east side brings in morning light.
The cost overruns slammed her budget. But in the end, she decided not to compromise on anything. And it has paid off. The renovation has won numerous awards for the architectural practice, including an NZIA Auckland award and a Home magazine award last year.
But what you see from the street doesn’t even begin tell the whole story. The most exciting stuff takes place out the back, with a long concrete and cedar-clad extension that accommodates the kitchen, dining and living area. These flowing spaces all open to a west-facing courtyard with a reflection pool and leafy landscaping.
Battens across the clerestory windows create changing light patterns within - Gutierrez calls the house the Light Catcher.
Gutierrez calls the project The Light Catcher, due to the way sunlight creates changing patterns within the home throughout the day.
“The architecture creates an internal experience, but can also stand alone as a sculptural form to be viewed from within,” he notes on his website.
“The original detailing of the existing villa is respected, resulting in a home designed with light, space and elegance that functions as a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the urban landscape.”
The concrete pod accommodates a second living area or media room. The concrete has a Peter Fell black oxide finish.
There is good separation between the two living spaces, yet a visual link remains with the window looking out to the courtyard.
It’s never a straightforward project, adding a sharp, modern extension to a villa built more than 100 years ago. And this one was no exception.
“We had to strip out bits of the villa, as we needed to strengthen the walls and get them straight,” Tewkesbury says. “So part of it was rebuilt - there is now insulation and double glazing.” There is new flooring also - similar to the flooring in the extension.
Nothing was skimped in the fit-out of the new living space - every material is high spec in keeping with the design ethos. The kitchen features Italian tapware, a honed marble benchtop and splashback, and custom oak cabinetry.
Large sliders open up the entire living space to the outdoors.
The front door needed to be replaced. The leadlights and stained glass are in keeping with the original.
French doors open to the front veranda.
There’s a second living area in a concrete “pod” opposite, which is accessed from the villa. And there are three spacious bedrooms in the original villa part of the house, and a total of two-and-a-half bathrooms.
The property has come onto the market with Reuben Payn of Whitefox, because Tewkesbury says it’s time to downsize, with just herself and her adult son at home.
“My partner and I have a house in Coromandel. And while we don’t live together, by the time I spend a couple of nights a week at his place, and over at Coromandel, I sometimes think this place has become a really expensive home for Jack to live in.
There’s just a peep of the rear addition in this view.
“It has been a very big decision to make, but I’m at peace with it. I’m simply not spending enough time here and it needs to be enjoyed more.”
Reuben Payn says there are no open homes, because one of the last times a property with a renovation designed by José Gutierrez came to market, there were 300 people through the first open home. So it’s private viewing only for this property.
The property, at 36 Stanmore Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland has a deadline sale date of March 25, 2026.
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