Newmarket: Double exposure

Photo / Ollie Dalel

Building two townhouses side-by-side makes for a huge family home that is one of a kind.

13 Sarawia St, Newmarket

The last place you'd expect to find a bustling family with five kids, two busy parents and a myriad of outdoor hobbies is an inner city townhouse. But in 2000, when Karen and Brent Pasley moved their blended family from Waimauku to this cul de sac on the edge of Newmarket, they got creative in their thinking.

"We wanted to be handy to schools and all the city things for the family, but clearly we need a lot of room," recalls Karen. "This site was zoned for three townhouses, so we figured why not build two that would work together as a big family home, but could easily separate again if we ever sold."

It helped that Brent is a landscape designer, used to visualising levels and a finished look from a blank lawn, and Karen a creative thinker who loves colour and style.

Working with architect Richard Kelly of RKTecture they created a mirror-image pair of townhouses tucked neatly over three levels to allow plenty of space for gardens, a driveway for the basketball games, even a producing orchard. The sun-drenched house has framed views of Hobson Bay. Newmarket Park, at the end of the cul de sac, provides plenty of run-around space for the boys, or the Domain is only two blocks away.

Not surprisingly, the designer kitchen is the heart of the home. Centred in the middle floor, it is well equipped for several cooks to work together. Opening off this is a dining space and one of the living rooms, warmed by a gas fire. A second family room, which caters for the kids, collects afternoon sun and has its own courtyard.

The north garden courtyard is landscaped by Brent into a series of rooms, framed by clipped native hedges, lawns, gravel paths and pergolas. He reckons he's got maintenance down to a quick clip. Used to country gardens, the couple have planted an astonishing array of fruit trees - citrus, apple, pear, peach - plus grape vines and more.

It is on the ground floor that the two-into-one concept is most obvious: There are a pair of double garages, each with its own internal entry, double bedroom and bathroom. These areas work as a teen retreat or home office.

With no-maintenance concrete slab wall construction, central vacuum and garden irrigation, Karen and Brent have created a generous and easy care family home. This means more time to walk to movies, cafes and shops in Parnell or Newmarket. The kids catch buses or trains all over town.

But the call of country life is too strong, and after five years in the city Karen and Brent are moving back to a large property with room for horses, a permaculture garden and another house project.

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 716 sq m, house 487 sq m.

PRICE: $1.7 million.

INSPECT: Sunday 11.30-12.15pm.

CONTACT: Nicola Bull, Kellands, ph 302 2209 or 021 474 645.

FEATURES: Architect-designed home of concrete and corrugated iron, designed to convert back to two town houses. Featuring two large living spaces opening to north and west facing courtyards; open plan gourmet kitchen; two gas fireplaces; master suite with en-suite plus five more double bedrooms (two with ensuites); family bathroom; library/study; two utility rooms; central vacuum; security system. Garden features fruit trees, topiary and petanque court. Two double garages with internal access. Zoning permits 3 units on site.