A step back in time

This gracious family residence offers a touch of tradition mixed with a raft of mod cons, as VICKI HOLDER reports.

Anyone with a penchant for classic English country manor houses need look no further than Bucklands Beach in Auckland.

Behind a tall brick wall in this seaside suburb, a grand three-storey brick home shelters a picturesque estate. Set on a rise, the property commands sweeping harbour views across the grassy lawns, the mature trees and the landscaped garden.

Within the expansive grounds, you can kid yourself that you're deep in the country. The property, however, has shops around the corner and Macleans College next door.

The owners moved here 15 years ago to raise their children in a privileged setting, which is as safe and secure as it is large and beautiful. The monitored, electronic wrought iron gates provide peace of mind at the entry and exit points.

In 1987, they began to alter and enlarge the solid 1950s brick house. They discovered it was built to English specifications using double bricks. To comply with local building regulations, they took three years to pull it apart, brick by brick, and then put it back together again.

The original front wall was removed as a way of matching the bricks, and several thousand new bricks were made to match to ensure that the house retained its special old world character.

So convincing is the aged effect on the outside, it's surprising to learn that the homestead is not at least a century old. As you pull into the half-circular driveway, which is lit by English-style lamps along the lawn, you feel like you're stepping back in time. Bushy shrubs hug the edge of the house and ivy begins its ascent up the bricks.

Inside, it's a different story. Although gracious and traditional, it lacks none of today's modern conveniences. The home sprawls between the four-car garage with a guest loft apartment above at one end, and a self-contained cottage that's linked to the main house at the other.

In the middle, a bricked portico entry with a tiled floor welcomes you into a large entrance hall, where a semi-circular oak staircase winds upstairs. Inset in the entry door and around the landing, geometric red and blue leadlights have been reproduced from an original Victorian design.

The north-facing sunny living areas span the middle level and flow effortlessly into one another. Spilling out through french doors to a terracotta balcony, they soak up the views of the sea, the Astroturf tennis court, and the gas-heated pool in the garden surrounded by olive trees.

Basking in midday sun, the lounge glows with pale gold walls and silk drapes. On cold winter nights, a fire burns in the marble fireplace. Dinner is served in a pale sage green room through cavity doors. Beyond this elegant room, the family area is heated by a Jetmaster fire, which was added during the renovation.

Cold, dark and gloomy this home is not. The windows are double glazed and there is under-floor heating beneath the terracotta tiles in the adjacent kitchen area and the six bathrooms, which is usually all that's needed to keep the place warm.

The cooking options are endless in the white German Poggenpohl kitchen. The assorted Gaggenau appliances include a barbecue grill on one bench, a wok burner, gas burners and an electric cooktop. Other features include an ice-maker.

The chef can appreciate the views while serving the family meals at the benchtop in the casual dining area. They can see the comings and goings outside with a television intercom system on the wall.

Completely sound-proofed, the study is quiet despite its location next to the family area, which is fitted with a sound system and ceiling speakers. Recently restored, the original pink and black tiled bathroom, which adjoins the study, retains its Art Deco charm.

There's never a queue for the bathroom. As well as the guest bathroom at the front door, the three big bedrooms on the upper level have traditional well-equipped en suites. The master en suite has extras, including a bidet and pulsating shower heads. This bathroom opens to a deck with a hot tub, which is shared by the bedroom in the guest cottage. The guest apartment and the cottage also have bathrooms.

Many a party has been enjoyed in the ventilated basement ballroom, where the tawa floor is sprung for dancing. The children have claimed this room as their own, where they snuggle up in front of the Jetmaster in winter to watch television and listen to music. The kitchen and the bathroom make entertaining easy, while the wine cellar and a dressing room are added bonuses.

The double french doors open to a courtyard on the north-west corner. Enclosed by low hedges and paved with old brick, it's always sheltered. The french doors also open to the lawn leading to the pool.

The ballroom leads past a big workshop to the garage and a studio tucked under the apartment.

Even when the family and guests are in residence, there's room to escape in this huge home that has every conceivable luxury.

Vital statistics

Address: 122 Macleans Rd, Bucklands Beach.

Features: Estate with grand three-storey brick home bedrooms, three bedrooms with en suites upstairs plus self-contained cottage and guest apartment in loft; four-car garaging with remotes; study with bathroom; studio; gas-heated pool; Astroturf tennis court; security system; security gates; under-floor heating in kitchen and bathrooms; landscaped garden with irrigation system.

Size: Land area 5250 sq m (approx).

Auction: At 7 pm on Thursday, February 28, at Ray White Corporate Auction Rooms, Level 2, Alcatel House, Viaduct Harbour Ave, Auckland.

Agent: Christine Fowler, Ray White - Mountfort Estate. Ph 535 8128 bus; 534 5439 ah; 025 930 529 mob.