Experience and creativity resulted in a drop-dead gorgeous house that suffered none of the usual building pitfalls. VICKI HOLDER details the process.
Hindsight is a fine thing, they say. "We love our home, but if we built again we'd do it differently," is an often-heard regret. But in the case
of this building project, second time around gave the owners the chance to design a home that left no stone unturned, that would keep this family here forever. Well, that's what they'd hoped, but it was not to be.
A stroke of luck resulted in the owners finding a bare piece of land in an unbelievable location - at the bottom of a right-of-way (cul-de-sac??) street, within earshot of some of Remuera's finest schools. Not only did it ensure private living to the rear of the section, facing north-west, but the elevated site gave wide views over nearby Martyn Wilson Field and Hobson Bay.
From this auspicious start, another opportunity fell into their hands when they heard through friends of an architect with great credentials. Paul Raven of Raven Architects was the man commissioned for the job.
The owners were thrilled with his design. Raven gave them a three-level home with extensive living areas on the middle level, opening to a broad terrace, a secluded rear courtyard with a swimming pool and a children's lawn at the front. The double garage, storage, huge laundry and guest wing were on a lower level with their own private north-facing patio. Four more bedrooms and the bathrooms sat upstairs and opened out to decks and the views.
But having been through the building process before, the owners knew that the finer details would need special attention. And the designer, and refiner, of their choice was Prudence Lane. Lane stands out among Auckland's interior designers for her ability to create drama with quite simple effects.
Lighting, textures, materials and placed objects are essential co-ordinates in her repertoire. And this interior is very much her trademark, although it has to be said that the owners have stage-managed the team - which also included the skills of kitchen designer Marti O'Brien - brilliantly.
The house is tucked at the bottom of a long concrete driveway, which boys in the neighbourhood have claimed as a roller-blading run. It rises up with deep white painted eaves overhanging the dramatic double-height entry.
Flooded with light through tall windows, the pale ceramic floor tiles, white-painted balustrade on the stairway and soft American maple flooring beyond give a welcoming, mellow effect. This is highlighted by clever lighting in square holes in the floor and symmetrical recesses on either side of the door to the formal lounge.
Double doors open to the formal dining room which features contemporary frosted glass and stainless steel light fittings and a simple but elegant Oamaru stone fire surround on the double-sided gas fire. The same fireplace is replicated on the other side in the formal lounge, which opens through french doors to the courtyard and the expansive deck overlooking the park. Six little cubby-holes in the wall, lit from above, create a becoming display space for objets d¹art.
The vast family area awaits on the other side of the entry hall and is overlooked by a kitchen that is both beautiful and packed with practical features. Zambesi is the colour of cabinetry - a kind of smoky grape - married with silky oak accents and a granite bench top. Features include an extra-wide fridge freezer that is great for big platters, a pretty stack of small silky oak drawers with exposed dovetailing for every imaginable miscellaneous item from kid's hair ties to plastic bags, wicker baskets on roll-out trays for vegetable storage, vertical sliding bottle storage drawers, extra-wide subdivided drawers beneath the gas hob for utensils and spices, an on-bench pantry with bifold doors opening both ways...the list goes on.
Upstairs, the four double bedrooms are each as beautifully designed as the next. The large master bedroom has a pitched ceiling and a feature wall the same grape colour as the kitchen, punctuated with white shutters above the bed.
The dressing room has a fold-down ironing board and leads to a spectacular en suite with a spa bath and silky oak vanity with double basins. Both of the children's bedrooms feature pretty designer wallpapers to dado level and have walk-in wardrobes. The fourth bedroom treats guests to a dazzling view of the bay through a picture window.
Downstairs, the stunning laundry reiterates the grape and silky oak theme. A neat third bathroom with a kitchenette adjoins a large guest room or entertainment area.
Certainly, anyone who is lucky enough to be invited to stay here would be hard pressed to find accommodation in Auckland that measures up to the quality and luxury in this designer home.
Vital Statistics:
Address: 56B Sonia Ave, Remuera
Features: One-year-old contemporary home on three levels, four bedrooms plus guest suite or extra living space, three bathrooms, pool, built-in barbecue setting, kitchenette, two gas fireplaces, alarm, parking for six cars
Size: Land 1085 sq m; house approx 380 sq m
Tender: Closes 4pm, August 10
Agent: Leila MacDonald, Barfoot & Thompson, Remuera. Ph 524 0149 bus; 630 5488 ah; 025 928 926 mob
Experience and creativity resulted in a drop-dead gorgeous house that suffered none of the usual building pitfalls. VICKI HOLDER details the process.
Hindsight is a fine thing, they say. "We love our home, but if we built again we'd do it differently," is an often-heard regret. But in the case
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