Keen gardeners Peter and Mary McMahon are trained in Japanese arts where form, balance and structure are paramount. Peter's discipline is bonsai and Mary's is ikebana. These disciplines focus on details and have honed the couple's eyes to what's around them.
When Peter and Mary saw this architecturally designed waterfront home 12 years ago, they knew instinctively it was right for them. The brick-and-cedar house is set at the end of a tree-lined private road called Santa Rosa Court off no-exit Marguerita Place.
The McMahons fell for the views across the mangroves and harbour to the city and Sky Tower. They also loved the details in the house's design, which include a high, sarked ceiling in the living area and porthole windows.
"Even after a year here we would still discover things about it we loved," says Peter.
They had been living nearby in a townhouse on Luckens Rd, which they had bought 15 years beforehand, downsizing from the family home in Avondale. But as it turned out, the townhouse was too small for their four sons and six grandchildren to visit comfortably.
For some months, they searched around West Harbour for a new home with no luck, until 26 Marguerita Place came on the market.
"This property came up and without hesitation, we knew we wanted it," says Peter. "This house just fitted with what we wanted. And when we first saw the views we were blown away."
The house suited the McMahons perfectly, with three downstairs bedrooms for visiting friends and family. The impressive upstairs master suite was extremely generous, with two balconies, panoramic views, a kitchenette, sitting room, dressing room and en suite. As gardeners, the couple could see the 1200sq m section had plenty of potential. The peace and quiet also appealed. "With the ambience and atmosphere it felt homely," says Peter.
Image 1 of 7: Stunning views across the harbour and a garden sanctuary give this place the X-factor.
After moving in, they added a new granite kitchen, renovated the master en suite and installed double glazing. Now, this extra insulation, heat pumps and a woodburner mean the house is toasty in winter. In summer, it keeps cool with several sets of doors that open the house to the garden and extensive, artfully laid-out quarry tile paths and patios.
Peter and Mary have worked incredibly hard over the years to create their sanctuary of a garden. They have gravitated to different areas of responsibility -- Mary the bedding plants and Peter the bigger, structural plants.
The McMahons can't see any neighbours from their living area, only the vista that unfolds in front of them. "We love looking at the view of the ferries moving up and down the harbour," says Peter. "The view isn't static, but it's not noisy, either."
Although this house has suited the McMahons as a couple extremely well, it would also be ideal for new owners with teenagers or extended family.
One of the three downstairs bedrooms is set apart from the others, close to a separate entrance, the kitchen and a double garage with loft storage. This set-up could also suit au pair accommodation or as a home office.
The other two downstairs bedrooms are in a different wing of the house.
Peter is now using one as his office and the other is a guest bedroom, which has water views.
Justifiably proud of this home and the garden they have created, Peter and Mary now feel it's time to sell and downsize to a smaller, lock-up-and-leave home.
