SCHOOL ZONES:
Parnell District School, double grammar.
CONTACT:
Denise Champion, 021 275 1030, UP Real Estate.
When Kay and Robert Barton built this boutique Parnell apartment five years ago, they put considerable effort into choosing just the right fittings. "We love apartment living and designed this apartment for ourselves," Kay explains.
The couple own the building and had already built penthouse apartments 12 years ago, livingin one of them, but loved the location so much they wanted to stay put after they sold the penthouses, so they converted some of the existing office space underneath.
"It's such a good location here and pretty private," says Kay of the quiet street that runs parallel to Parnell Rise.
"It's just a couple of minutes' walk up to our favourite restaurant, Woodpecker Hill."
At approximately 180sq m in size, Kay said there was room enough to create a three-bedroom apartment, but they opted instead for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-living area configuration, because they wanted the rooms to be as spacious as possible.
The Bartons wanted to give the apartment a European look and feel, using a combination of natural materials and textures. The floors are solid french oak and there are sheer curtains over the full-height windows, providing both privacy and atmosphere.
In the kitchen, a bank of high cupboards with pull-up fronts has beautifully glossy walnut burr-fronted doors. The two side-by-side sections of timber appear to be mirror images of each other.
"This is called book-leafed," explains Kay. "They slice the timber very thinly and then match them. These doors have about 30 coats of lacquer on them."
Not that the kitchen is just decorative. "There is so much storage in here," says Kay.
A walk-in butler's pantry hidden behind a translucent glass door keeps kitchen mess out of sight from guests at the couple's 10-seat dining table.
The large open-plan living area opens on to a semi-enclosed terrace, where the Bartons have an outdoor dining table and barbecue.
Just off the entrance to the apartment is a snug, carpeted TV room/second living room with bespoke shelving, crafted by the same company that built the kitchen.
