b'feature housegentlereflectionsSoft aged colours all look like gentle reflections of the same thought process in this labour-of-love villa. N ancy and Nick Poland laugh wryly as they remember howperfectly executed paintworkits mostly down to their own hard a condescending kitchen design firm tried to brush themwork. They even relined the extra-high ceilings themselves. off with a kitset instead of the made-to-measure package their latestAlthough the villa looks like it has always been here, surrounded by renovation project required. They seemed to think because we lookluscious gardens, it was actually moved on to the semi-rural section young we were beginners in the renovation game, remembers Nick.about 40 years ago. When Nick and Nancy bought it eight years Little did they know Nancy comes from a family of serial renovatorsago the interiors were dark and oppressive, and having been turned and this is the third house we have done since we got married. around to take advantage of views across the valley, it had lost its Looking around the large, immaculate spaces of the grand return- sense of arrival from the road. veranda villa that is their latest home its hard to imagine how theySinceNickandNancysownershiptheinternalflowhasbeen managed to do most of the work themselves, with tradespeople onlyrationalised, an extension added for an ensuite, a front lobby created being employed on the legal bits. Lofty ceilings, acres of woodwork,outofabadlylocatedbathroom,andacollectionofcalmly 42'