Herne Bay: Ideal escape

The open staircase, with extensive glazing on one side, lends an atrium-style atmosphere to the home. Picture / Mark Heaslip

The perfect getaway close to the city action.

Driving into this lovely wide road with a spectacular harbour vista instantly reminds you what living in Auckland is all about. Close to the city but quietly removed, Hamilton Rd in Herne Bay is sometimes overlooked, but once discovered never forgotten.

About halfway down the road on the left-hand side, a beautifully maintained row of three townhouses, bordered on one side by mature plantings, offers the perfect escape for people looking for an inner-city residence off the beaten track.

When this home was deigned, privacy was definitely a priority, with the front door skilfully angled away from the driveway, giving visitors a sense of arrival.

Light and airy from the moment you enter the home, a gorgeous charcoal carpet offset by white walls typifies the chic refurbishment the abode has recently experienced.

A showcase for stunning artwork, ample wall space allows gallery-style displays, while generous private and public domains mean occupants can live harmoniously without cramping one another's styles.

On the lower level, the floorplan allows for two double bedrooms with built-in wardrobes, a centrally located bathroom and a study area that opens to the sheltered garden.

Leading to a grassed area (room enough, it has been suggested, for a lap pool) behind two off-street car parks, the outdoor living area is just as substantial as the dwelling. An internal-access single garage houses the laundry.

Up the open staircase to the second level, flanked on one side by extensive glazing, giving the home an atrium-style atmosphere, a landing leads to the living areas on one side and the master suite on the other.

Complete with a walk-in dressing room and spacious en suite, the master bedroom looks out to lush mature plantings, which further enhance the feeling of privacy.

All beautifully finished, the bathrooms work well with the sleek decor throughout. Square, white basins combine with the rich dark wood bases, while grey tiles line the floor.

The living areas are split into two spaces - a liberal lounge and an open-plan dining and kitchen area. Two completely separate zones, dining is defined and removed from the after-dinner coffees and liqueurs, which can be enjoyed in the living area or on the partially covered terrace opening from this room.

The dining area itself is sizeable, easily catering for an eight-seater table, and flooded in light through large windows along one wall. In the opposite corner, the kitchen is a great space to prepare meals. A U-shape, it features a fantastic walk-in pantry that takes care of housing the provisions and stainless-steel appliances, which blend superbly with the grey cabinetry. A large window above the bench looks to the grounds of the lovely old home next door and further up the road towards Jervois Rd.

Short of nothing, heating in winter is provided by gas bayonets and ventilation in summer by large windows and sliding doors.

A deceptively large home, this townhouse has been immaculately decorated and awaits new owners who want to move in and get on with living - not be hampered by menial household chores and maintenance issues.