James Walter Chapman-Taylor built the house at 14 Rewiti Avenue in Takapuna for his friend, the jeweller Ruben Watts, using steel window frames manufactured by Crittal, a leading window manufacturer.

Together with the Golder family, who have owned and lived in the house for over 70 years, Crittal Arnold and the North Shore Heritage Trust are working to restore some of the badly corroded original windows, and to replace those that cannot be restored with identical replicas.

The original application to the Trust was for assistance with replacing the steel windows with look-alike aluminum, the family having found the ageing steel windows difficult and expensive to maintain. However, drawing on the knowledge and experience of individual trustees, and Crittal Arnold, who are still making steel windows after all these years, we have persuaded the family to trial replacement steel windows in the kitchen and front hall of this Category A scheduled building. The Trust is hoping that a successful outcome with the trial will lead to the reinstatement and repair of steel windows throughout this fine house, and with these, the restoration of one of the most outstanding architectural.