Cleverly contemporary

Clean lines and sophisticated features create the ultimate modern home in Remuera, writes VICKI HOLDER.

This site in Remuera was formerly occupied by an old Horace Massey-designed home, which was moved to a farm in Silverdale.

In its place now stands a stunning, contemporary property designed by Bart Meo, of Meo Architects.

Meo's clever design incorporates many different materials to create an interesting exterior. The plastered columns and dark-stained shingles are teamed with glass and large, powder-coated aluminium panels, which make the home look anything but traditional.

Smooth boulders are clustered around the edges of the property to break up the landscape of the lush green lawn and the Hinuera stone pavers.

Meanwhile, the punched aluminium fencing, which encloses a heated, 10.5m pool and follows the perimeter of the garden, repeats the material used for the balconies.

At night, the property and the garden are illuminated by the uplights and downlights on the walls of the house.

Designed to be flexible and to cater for a range of lifestyle options, the house provides a variety of flowing indoor spaces and outdoor living areas. The lack of doors and window treatments combined with the lofty spaces and the Hinuera stone floors creates a calm, spacious environment.

The double-height ceilings in the large foyer and the dining and formal living room add a touch of grandeur.

The downstairs features a guest bedroom with an en suite, a study and a powder room, which could be separated with a door and used as a snug for teenagers or a nanny.

The separate master bedroom wing is in the north-west corner of the property, where it soaks up the sun and enjoys the fantastic harbour views.

Two more double bedrooms, one with an en suite, and balconies are positioned over the gallery bridge.

The floor-to-ceiling windows and bifold doors that span the entire north-west side of the house help to blend the interior with the outdoors.

The deep eaves shade the sun and the overhead glazing across the upstairs bridge allows the light to flood into the spacious, double-height foyer.

The home is as visually pleasing as it is functional. Attractive reflection ponds with fountains flank the path leading from the timber entry gate. The 3m-high, copper-and-stainless-steel door towers between tall panes of glass, which allow glimpses of what is happening beyond.

The entry foyer features jarrah stairs and a stylish, sand-blasted glass and powder-coated steel balustrade, which resembles Japanese rice paper.

The spacious kitchen, the laundry and the dressing room cabinetry feature jarrah teamed with cool colours.

Meo has designed a sleek kitchen to work well for entertaining. It features two Ariston stainless-steel ovens, two dishwashers, a GEC fridge/freezer, a Tholos sink mixer with a vegetable spray, a Smeg extractor, a slide-out stainless-steel pantry and electric and gas hobs.

In addition, a row of bronze halogen lights sparkles above the polished, black, granite, island bench.

The four bathrooms and the powder room offer an equally impressive array of finishes, fixtures and fittings. Notable features include the porcelain and ceramic floor and wall tiles, the square hand basins, the Spanish baths surrounded by painted glass, the designer radiator towel rails and tapware, and the heated mirrors.

Even the laundry is fitted out to the extreme, with jarrah cabinets, a built-in ironing board, a drip-dry hanging rail and a Bosch washing machine and tumble-dryer.

The property's security features include remote and manually operated zone control, a video camera and security-coded gate entry, two panic buttons in the master bedroom, smoke and heat detectors and exterior sensor lights.

Encapsulating the best of contemporary architecture, Bart Meo's latest design packs sophisticated punch into strikingly simple, clean lines.

Vital statistics

Address: 79 Benson Rd, Remuera.

Features: Modern Bart Meo-designed home with spacious living areas opening to landscaped grounds; all-day sun; harbour view; four bedrooms opening to decks; study; master bedroom with sitting area, dressing room and en suite/separate toilet; four bathrooms plus powder room; four-car garaging; separate laundry; heated swimming pool; under-floor heating; security systems.

Size: Land area 802 sq m; floor area 352 sq m.

Auction: On site at 6 pm, Wednesday, November 21.

Agent: Jan McCorkindale, Harcourts, Remuera. Ph 520 8108 dir; 021 906 510 mob.