In 2016, a $2 million dollar restoration was completed of a historical home which was once the residence of the Mansfield family. The home which had stood by the sea for over a century had provided the inspiration for Katherine Mansfield's well known short story 'At the Bay'.

The property had been severely damaged by a storm in 2013, and caught the eye of Wellington Developer, Chris Stevenson who bought the house with the intention of restoring it — and keeping a piece of New Zealand history intact.

The severity of the damage meant that the framework of the home needed to be rebuilt before the home was fully restored. For the renovation, Stevenson had the existing structure raised by two metres, and added a second storey. The adjoining boathouse, also included in the restoration, was converted into a two bedroom mezzanine quarters with a nautical theme. 

The extensive renovations were costly, but were key to preserving the history of the home. "I could have bowled it and built a new place for half what I did, but that's what you do to save a bit of New Zealand history," explained Stevenson in a stuff.co.nz interview in 2016.

Adding to the fantastic look of the rebuilt home is a stylish powder-coated aluminium and glass balustrade from Provista Balustrade Systems. The Panorama semi-frameless product features face-fixed posts with completely hidden fixings and the 'Retro' rectangular handrail. The 10mm toughened safety glass is vertically rebated into the posts as well as being horizontally rebated into the glazing rail under the Retro handrail.

The Panorama and alternative 'Summit' semi-frameless balustrade solutions are two of the most popular products in the Provista range, providing a very pleasing look whether a home is classic or contemporary in style. And being able to provide the Dulux Duratec range of powder-coatings for high corrosion zones means the stylish solutions will remain looking great for many years to come.

Provista Balustrade Systems solutions are compliant with all NZ regulations and suited to A, B, E and C3 residential and commercial applications.