PHOTO:PAUL MCCREDIE/NZ-HOUSE-GARDEN Polly Larkman and fiance Antony D’Esposito with recent addition Pat; the couple moved from London once they realised how great the apartment would be.
Picture an old fish factory in an industrial area and “light” and “stylish” aren’t the first words that come to mind.
But businessman Paul Larkman could see beyond the grime and fishy aroma of this Petone, Wellington warehouse.
“Dad had a vision for a cool New York-style loft apartment which must have taken a lot of imagination,” laughs his daughter Polly Larkman. The warehouse was built in 1939 as a dry ice factory. “It was basically one big open space with years of fishing nets and rubbish piled all over the place.”
Sadly, Paul passed away in 2017, a month into the renovation, but his wife, Sally Rowe, and daughter continued with his vision.
That included carving a mezzanine floor and internal staircase, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a deck out of the down-at-heel space. Not to mention replacing windows, cleaning original bricks and polishing a concrete floor.
