Herne Bay house named best in Auckland

The Auckland House of the Year in Herne Bay.

The creative juices must have been flowing when a fruit drink magnate's celebrated new house was on the drawing board.

Now, the talented people behind the elegant new home have been recognised in the Auckland Registered Master Builders House of the Year awards.

The Masefield Ave property part-owned by Phoenix Organics director and former Charlie's boss Stefan Lepionka, who made millions when he and former All Black Marc Ellis sold out of the company, was the big winner named last night.

WG de Gruchy Construction was recognised for its work on the 800sq m Herne Bay property, which features a seamless flow from outdoor to indoor living with spacious dining and entertaining areas - and a swimming pool.

WG de Gruchy won awards for craftsmanship and outdoor living, and the House of the Year title and a Gold Award for the category covering homes worth more than $2m.

"This is one of those exceptional homes that you seldom see," the judges said. "Starting out originally as a renovation, before changing paths to become a 100 per cent new build, the degree of difficulty experienced by the builder in order to create this masterpiece is amazing.

"The exacting standards and incredible attention to detail displayed in this home is almost beyond belief." Judges also praised Barton Builders, which renovated an architect's home in Winsomere Cres, Westmere.

"This is a home that has multiple facets to it and is a perfect response to the client's brief."

Last year, Lepionka and his business partner Nigel Hughes bought Hawkes Bay's most expensive property in Waimarama. It sold on January 15, 2012, for $2.2 million, nearly $1m above its CV.

Last night's awards were at Takapuna's Bruce Mason Centre.

There were 26 Gold Award winners from the Auckland area which will now be assessed alongside Gold Award winners from the 10 other regions of the competition to find the national finalists.

Full results: www.houseoftheyear.co.nz