Opening Up a Bungalow
West Auckland Open-Plan Kitchen Renovation 2023
A character bungalow with dark rooms that nobody wanted to be alone in.
Simon and Michelle loved the character of their West Auckland bungalow. They didn’t love that it had been laid out in small isolated rooms, and that the kitchen sat behind a wall, cut off from family life.
The brief: open it up — but keep the bungalow feeling like a bungalow. Don’t strip the soul out of the house to get more light in.
We brought in an architect and a kitchen designer to work the layout. The big call: a load-bearing wall had to come out, replaced with a laminated engineered timber beam that vanished into the ceiling.
7 Things You Should Know Before You Renovate.
Before you sign anything, before the demo crew turns up — read the seven things every Auckland homeowner wishes they knew. Free, no fluff, drawn from 200+ AVR renovations.
Get the Free Guide →
Character intact. Walls gone. Light everywhere.
Wall down, beam in, finishes carried through. The kitchen, dining and living are now one open room — light from front to back, room for the whole family without anyone being shut away in a cooking corner.
The original bungalow details — skirtings, ceiling height, character mouldings — were all preserved. The renovation feels less like an extension and more like the bungalow was always meant to be this way.
Before & After
Small isolated rooms, a closed-off kitchen, and not enough natural light getting through.
Wall down, beam concealed, and one open room that finally lives like a modern family home.
Wondering what a renovation like this actually costs?
We’ve published our full Auckland renovation cost guide — real ranges by project type, what sits inside each investment level, and where the money actually goes. It’s how we open every client conversation.
- Realistic Auckland cost ranges by project type
- What sits inside good, better, best investment levels
- Where the money goes — room by room
- How design-and-build keeps your number fixed
Inside the renovated bungalow.
Kitchen wide
Living spaceKitchen detail
Kitchen designDining wide
Bungalow exteriorFive steps. Same process, every job.
The scope, in plain English.
A West Auckland bungalow opened up into a single light-filled kitchen and living space — load-bearing wall out, character in.
Load-Bearing Wall Removal
Engineered removal of the main load-bearing wall between kitchen and living — replaced with a laminated engineered timber beam concealed in the ceiling. Coordinated with engineer and council.
Open-Plan Layout
Kitchen, dining and living merged into one light-filled open-plan room — light from front-to-back, room for the whole family at once.
New Kitchen
Full kitchen rebuild — designed alongside a specialist kitchen designer to suit how Simon and Michelle actually cook and entertain.
Character Preservation
Original bungalow details — skirtings, ceiling height, mouldings — preserved and restored. New build elements detailed to sit comfortably alongside character features.
Interior Design
Interior design pulled together by the AVR team — finishes, lighting, paint and fittings selected to match the new open-plan flow.
Building Consent
Full council consent for the structural change — plans, engineering, and inspections through to Code Compliance Certificate.
Get an instant estimate for your renovation.
Answer a few quick questions about your project — rooms, scope, and size — and we’ll give you a realistic Auckland cost range in under two minutes. No phone call needed.
Get My Instant Estimate →Your Estimate
Get an instant estimate for your renovation.
Answer a few quick questions about your project — rooms, scope, and size — and we’ll give you a realistic Auckland cost range in under two minutes. No phone call needed.
