The short answer
One of the oldest homes in Takapuna: interior painting of an 1890 heritage home
The House Painters painted the interior of one of the oldest homes in Takapuna built in 1890 and held by one family for five generations. The job covered the board and batten ceilings, plastered walls painted in Dulux Wash&Wear +Plus Anti-Bac, restoration of the windows, doors and skirtings in Dulux Aquanamel, six original fireplaces (five painted, one stripped and varnished) and varnished wooden floors. The exterior of the same home won The House Painters the Master Painters Gold Award (2021 Takapuna heritage home restoration).
This home was built in 1890 and is one of the oldest homes in Takapuna. It has a connection to Frank Moren, engineer of the original Takapuna Pumphouse, and one family has held it for five generations.
The interior had been divided into two flats. The new owners decided to restore it as one home. The exterior shows the craftsmanship of its era. Inside are six original fireplaces and vaulted ceilings, and both needed careful preparation from The House Painters.
Builders and other tradespeople were on site while we painted, so we used specialist extraction systems to keep dust down.
The exterior of this home won the Gold Award.
CEILINGS
The board and batten ceilings in one of the oldest homes in Takapuna are beautiful, but they took a long time to prepare and paint. We sanded every inch, then siliconed the full length of each batten so the gaps disappeared.
The ceilings then received a full coat of undercoat with mould inhibitors and two coats of Dulux Flat ceiling paint.
WALLS
Turning the flats back into one home took extensive building work. The walls were plastered and every surface received a full sealer undercoat.
We painted the walls in Dulux Wash&Wear +Plus Anti-Bac. On our interior projects we use the best product available, and this is why we chose it here.
It is a washable paint developed to resist bacteria and mould on walls, which may trigger asthma and allergy symptoms. Its 101 Barrier Technology gives a hard-wearing finish, and most common marks, scuffs and stains wipe away with a wet cloth.
- Antimicrobial protection
- Resists bacteria and mould which may trigger asthma and allergies
- 7 year guarantee against mould growth*
- Withstands wear and tear
- Exceptional washability
- Environmental Choice approved
- Made in New Zealand
DOORS, SKIRTINGS & WINDOWS
The windows, doors, door frames and skirtings in one of the oldest homes in Takapuna carried over 100 years of built-up paint, so we used modern sanders to remove it. Hand sanding followed in sections, and we ran our hands over each prepared surface to check it was smooth.
Next we primed every surface for a strong bond with the topcoats, and the window panes received a specialist adhesion primer. Filling and siliconing came next, then more sanding and a prime over the filler. We vacuumed the whole site before applying the topcoats in Dulux Aquanamel.
Move the slider to reveal before & after photos.
FIREPLACE SURROUNDS
The lower level has six chimneys. We prepared and painted five. The sixth, in the dining room, was stripped back and varnished, and it is now the focal point of that room.
THE FINISH
After painting, the wooden floors were varnished and the interior was complete. Each room was prepared, painted and restored. The fireplaces echo a home from over a century ago, and the paint work suits it to modern living. It was a pleasure to work on one of the oldest homes in Takapuna.
See the exterior painting and the Gold Award page for the rest of the project.
Move the slider to reveal before & after photos.
COLOURS
Ceilings: Dulux Vivid White™
Walls: Dulux Dannevirke
Windows: Dulux Vivid White™
Doors: Dulux Vivid White™
Skirtings: Dulux Vivid White™
🎨 Colours shown are a guide only. Check physical colour samples before making your final choice.
Hover over the target to reveal the actual colours used on this home. These colours are representations only and may vary from actual paint colours.
Vivid White
Vivid White
Questions about painting one of the oldest homes in Takapuna
Who painted the interior of this 1890 home?
The House Painters, a Registered Master Painters business run by Chris Miller. Chris has more than 25 years in the trade and has run The House Painters since 2001.
We also painted the exterior of the same home, and that work won The House Painters the Master Painters Gold Award (2021 Takapuna heritage home restoration).
What state was the interior in before the work started?
The house was built in 1890 and is one of the oldest homes in Takapuna. Over the years the interior had been divided into two separate flats.
The new owners decided to restore it as one home. Converting the flats back into one home took extensive building work before the painting could be finished.
How were the board and batten ceilings prepared?
We sanded every inch of the ceilings, then ran silicone along the full length of each batten so the gaps disappeared. This took a long time.
The ceilings then received a full coat of undercoat with mould inhibitors and two coats of Dulux Flat ceiling paint in Dulux Vivid White.
Which paint went on the walls?
The walls were plastered, then every surface received a full sealer undercoat. The topcoats are Dulux Wash&Wear +Plus Anti-Bac in Dulux Dannevirke.
Dulux developed this washable paint to resist bacteria and mould on walls. Most common marks, scuffs and stains wipe off with a wet cloth, and Dulux backs it with a 7 year guarantee against mould growth.
How were the doors, windows and skirtings restored?
They carried over 100 years of built-up paint. We removed it with modern sanders, hand sanded sections, then primed every surface. The window panes received an adhesion primer.
After filling, siliconing, more sanding and priming the filler, we applied the topcoats in Dulux Aquanamel, in Dulux Vivid White.
What happened to the fireplaces?
The lower level has six chimneys with original fireplace surrounds. We prepared and painted five of them.
The sixth, in the dining room, was stripped back and varnished. It is now the focal point of that room.
How did you keep dust down with other trades on site?
Builders and other tradespeople were working in the house during the painting. We used dust extraction systems while sanding.
Before the topcoats went on, we vacuumed the whole site so dust would not settle into the finish.
What finished the job?
Once the painting was done, the wooden floors were varnished. That completed the interior of one of the oldest homes in Takapuna.
The fireplaces in each room still echo a home from over a century ago.
What is the history of the house?
The house was built in 1890 and has a connection to Frank Moren, engineer of the original Takapuna Pumphouse. One family held it for five generations.
Inside are six original fireplaces and vaulted ceilings.
Why use Dulux Aquanamel on interior woodwork?
Dulux Aquanamel is a water-based semi-gloss enamel for interior and exterior use. Dulux describes it as durable and non-yellowing, with low odour and easy water wash-up.
It is chip resistant, Environmental Choice approved and made in New Zealand. We used it on the exterior windows of this home as well.
Are the colours shown on this page exact?
No. Colours shown are a guide only.
Check physical colour samples before making your final choice.
How do I get a quote for painting a heritage home interior?
Chris quotes every job in person and manages every project himself.
Use the free quote button on this page to book a visit to your home.