b'We lived here for 18 months before making any changes. It was like a rite of passage,We liked the house and we didnt want to change it, she says. The scale is really good. Its just the right sizenot too grandand its in the corner of the property, which gives us a lot of outdoor space. Matthew loves classic cars and liked the fact that a three-car garage would easily t. During the years the couple has seen the potential in a number of homes, having renovated and lived in an Art Deco style house, as well as building their own new home before buying Emerald Villa.We lived here for 18 months before making any changes. It was like a rite of passage, explains Rosemarie. The Auckland City Councils heritage planner recommended a number of architects. We chose Antony Matthewshes had a lot of experience with heritage projects.With a clear idea of what they wanted to achieve, Rosemarie and Matthew worked closely with their architect and had extensive input into the design. The changes to the original layout were minor, but they effectively upgraded the home for modern living. Downstairs, the ow has been improved by linking the old study and the den; what was a bathroom is now a spacious laundry; the back hallway has been opened up and one of the four upstairs bedrooms was converted into a bathroom. 52'