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Meticulous planning and much passion went into the design of this seaside home. VICKI HOLDER writes.
Had the owners of this Cockle Bay home known an irresistible business opportunity would come along, this house might not have been their all-consuming passion for four years. It was to have been a place
where the owners could put down roots, a place to grow old.
But it wasn¹t to be. After investing massive amounts of energy working with local architect Graeme Smith to design a place totally attuned to their vision, they must now seize the day and move on.
Having lived in a small cottage on the site for several years, the owners produced a host of ideas for Smith to incorporate into their dream home. A combination of private and open-plan living, orientation to the sun, and light-filled spaces were important. The house had to accommodate a substantial business, as far removed from the family area as possible.
It also had to reflect a style of building popular in San Francisco - simple, flat-roofed, plaster-clad with hints of Art Deco in the parapet moulding and glass bricks. This style befits the house's location, just a few minutes walk from Howick and Cockle Bay beaches.
The home straddles the width of the property, forming a long courtyard between the living areas on the ground level and the road. A tall wall gives privacy and blocks road noise. Northern sun floods inside, however, through doors aligned along the courtyard. Raised garden beds soften the robust roadside wall, and their edges provide casual outdoor seating.
Entry to the property is through a gentle arch between two rose-draped columns. Big cedar doors sit under the deep Fijian kauri soffits, framed by windows of recycled rimu. A stretch of terracotta-coloured ceramic tiles hugs the house, forming a covered path under the eaves.
Adults and children are treated to independent spaces on either side of a large entry foyer. Though family and formal living are separate, the design allows flexibility and choice. For example, timber louvres set into a window between the foyer and the family area can stay open to link the spaces. When the parents entertain, the louvres can be closed to stop noise travelling between the rooms.
The family, dining and kitchen area is well used - it is always warm and sunny, especially when the bifold doors are open in summer. Several people can work in the kitchen, which includes some handy storage solutions. Spices and cooking oils conveniently slide out from a vertical drawer to one side of the hob. Trays and platters line up neatly in vertical slots in the pantry. As in the rest of the house, a simple, muted colour scheme is enlivened with bolder details. Vivid blue tiles behind the hob contrast with buttery tongue-and-groove cabinetry.
The formal living room sits behind double doors. Sofas surround an open log fire and the formal dining area is tucked to the rear.
The on-shore winds that sometimes whisk around the house are blocked by sliding timber shutters placed externally on the sliding windows. These allow ventilation without uncomfortable turbulence. French doors open from the lounge to a private patio behind the house which steps down to a grassy lawn where there's room for a swimming pool.
Utility rooms on the ground level include a toilet, under-stair storage, a huge wine cellar and a large laundry with an airing cupboard. There's also internal access to a big double garage.
Family bedrooms, the guest room and a big family bathroom reside on the upper floor. At the top of a second stairwell, filled with light from a skylight and a curved wall of glass bricks, a generous master suite includes two private balconies. This vast retreat incorporates a bedroom, large en suite, a walk-in wardrobe, a sitting room plumbed with a kitchenette, and a study wired with four telephone lines.
As the owners prepare to depart, someone else can step in and reap the benefits of their painstaking attention to detail.
Vital statistics
Address: 41 Cockle Bay Rd, Howick
Features: Private indoor/outdoor living, five bedrooms including master suite with en suite, study and sitting area, second bathroom plus guest toilet, formal and informal living, wine cellar, double garage, gourmet kitchen
Size: Land 650 sq m; house 430 sq m
Price: $599,000
Contact: Leigh Gibson or Grey Roy, Bayleys, Howick. Ph 535 5480 bus; Leigh 535
4089 ah or 021 646 565 mob; Greg 534 8090 ah or 025 966 966 mobile.
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Meticulous planning and much passion went into the design of this seaside home. VICKI HOLDER writes.
Had the owners of this Cockle Bay home known an irresistible business opportunity would come along, this house might not have been their all-consuming passion for four years. It was to have been a place
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