This 1950’s Beach Home Renovation Has A Very Special Story…
Imagine going to the same beach house every summer since you were three years old. Then, 70 years later, turning it into your dream home.
That’s exactly what Bruce and Franny did.
Not Just a Renovation
Their place up above Maketu Beach isn’t just a house. It’s where Franny grew up spending summers. It’s where multiple generations squeezed into one big open room. It’s where memories were made. The kind that stick around for a lifetime.
Now in their 70s, Bruce and Franny wanted to bring the old bach back to life. Not to modernise it beyond recognition, but to preserve the feeling, the charm, and the family legacy for their kids and grandkids to keep enjoying.
A Full Rebuild With the Heart Still Beating
We took it right back to the bones. Re-piled, re-cladded, re-insulated, re-roofed. We extended the house to add a new ensuite and walk-in wardrobe, and reworked the layout of the laundry and main bathroom to make it all flow better. Every inch was touched, but the essence stayed the same.
The front porch is still there. That’s the spot where Franny’s dad once told Bruce, “We want this house to stay in the family.” And it has.
More Than Just a Job
Like a lot of our projects, this one turned into more than just a reno. I (Amy) spent hours on the phone with Bruce over the course of the year. Not just talking about plumbing and cladding, but chatting about life, investments, travel, and the big picture. Bruce and Franny became more than clients. They became friends.
This is the kind of work that hits you in the heart. The kind of project that reminds you why you started a building company in the first place.
A Home for the Next Generation
Today, their bach is stronger, warmer, more functional. But still unmistakably the family beach house. Ready for the next chapter. Ready for more memories.
Got a home that means something special to your family?
We’d love to help you bring it back to life, in a way that keeps the heart but makes it even better to live in.
