New Zealand cuisine article - mcmahons Villa Hotel Parnell, Auckland

Cuisine Magazine Tanya McMahon had always fancied running an inner city country lodge. But it wasn't until she and husband Pat ran a lodge in the Scottish Highlands that it became more than just a whim.

Each of the six bedrooms with ensuites is decorated individually

The dining room with it's full gloss aubergine walls

It's now a reality: McMahon's Villa Hotel, in a stately turn-of-the-century home in the leafy suburb of Parnell, is only two minutes walk from the shops and restaurants of this popular inner city area. A tall, solid wall and a semi-tropical garden block out any road noise and cosset guests enjoying their stay.

The 'bed and breakfast', which opened in May, has six bedrooms with ensuites, owners' accommodation and a small cottage, all neatly tucked on to the large 2100-metre property the couple have owned since 1995.

Originally built in 1910, on what was once five acres of horse stables, the house cost its owner £2500 to build from heart kauri. Its owner, Max Paykel, a relative of Maurice Paykel, one of the founders of Fisher & Paykel, had immigrated from Russia in 1898. In 1938 the home was turned into four flats by the well-known New Zealand architect Horace Massey, until 1998 when the recent transformation began.

What was once a kitchen for one of the flats has been returned to a veranda, allowing a view out to sea. A large extension at the back of the house adds a contemporary feel to the home, with an open plan kitchen, dining and living area. A new four-car garage at the front of the house, roofed with the same Marseilles tiles salvaged from the old Remuera railway station, blends in with the home.

When the McMahons bought the property they lived in one of the flats before heading overseas in 1996 to 'backpack' for 12 months through Europe.

The new bed and breakfast was once four flats

A pool has been added to the back of the house

The Scottish lodge was not Tanya's first hospitality experience - she has a background in the industry and events marketing, having run Trillo's, a well known Auckland venue for several years. She also set up Unique Hotels and Lodges, a marketing group for luxury destinations.

Pat's background is in law, but he says he retired from that in 1994 to "become a builder's labourer", having done up several homes over the past two decades with Tanya, in between a four-year stint in Australia and three years in London.

The couple's architect, who worked on other homes for them, Glyn Bilkey, has impressed them once again, coming up with ideas that go as far as raised vegetable garden beds.

But it is Pat and retired builder Austy Smith, who have done "absolutely everything, including building the gardens" says Tanya.

McMahon's Villa Hotel is, as the couple describe it, "an alternative for people who don't want to stay in traditional hotels but prefer to have a home away from home."

And with 743 square metres of space in this fully refurbished grand old home there's ample room to relax. Apart from the large bedrooms (one is a suite with its own lounge) guests have the 'run of the house'.

"They're welcome to come into the living area where we cook, or to watch the TV, or swim in the pool. We encourage the 'mingle concept'," says Pat.

The couple are expecting a mix of corporate guests and tourists, and future plans include catering for small meetings or conferences.

Serving food for breakfasts or events does not phase Tanya. She has always enjoyed cooking and her new, expansive granite benchtop has already become a focal point in the kitchen, rather than just a utility. Pullout basket drawers, shelves and pull out pantries ensure the kitchen is easy to use and keep tidy.

The interior decor has been Tanya's doing but she's quick to attribute its success to professional input, with colour ideas from Julie Minkhorst at Aalto Colour and Kate Smith at Bos Design for the furnishings. Tanya says she likes the 'unusual' and in places defies the norm. For example, she chose full gloss aubergine for the walls in the dining room with peacock feathers intricately woven into the curtains.

Tanya contacted Kathryn Enchmarch to make her curtains after seeing an article about her. She explained how she envisaged using Indian sari type fabrics, so Kathryn helped to chose the metres of fabrics that went into the curtains. That is, except for the lounge with its elegant gold drapes; Tanya had 50 metres left over from a dinner she had organised for the 'Golden Oldies' in Christchurch a couple of years ago and felt the colour would work in the room. So Kathryn screen-printed the black detailing on to the fabric.

Click to view the description of the kitchen and photos