A character homestead renovation in Martinborough
Waitohu Lodge is a two-storey Edwardian homestead set among the vineyards of Martinborough’s Golden Mile.
Originally built in Lyall Bay around the turn of the twentieth century, the house was relocated to Martinborough in 1999 and carefully restored. Its current owners purchased the property sight unseen in 2022 while living overseas, before embarking on a renovation designed to make the home work better for modern life.
Working with Aspect Architecture, the brief was to update the house while retaining the character and presence of the original Edwardian home.
The renovation included bringing an outdoor bathroom inside the house and creating a new boot room at the rear. The existing commercial kitchen was converted into a laundry, while a sheltered and sunny indoor-outdoor entertaining area was also created.
Character home renovations require a careful balance between preserving what makes the original property distinctive and introducing the changes needed for contemporary living. In a home with as much history as Waitohu Lodge, new work needs to feel considered rather than competing with the existing architecture.
The completed renovation gives this grand Martinborough homestead a more practical layout and improved connection to its outdoor spaces while retaining the character that has defined the house for more than a century.
Photography: Rebecca Kempton
