Parnell: Arabian nights in Parnell

Large spaces, high ceilings and marble floors bring a Persian flavour to this modern home.

If you're going to live at this Parnell address, you need to be keen on cooking.

Walk in the front door of this two-storey home and it's a short step into the spacious kitchen, which dominates the rest of the ground floor.

A huge fridge, restaurant-size stove and walk-in pantry big enough to turn into a bedroom will have you planning a housewarming banquet.

When the dishes start piling up, you can throw them in a second scullery-style sink tucked in a corner.

Along the lefthand half of the house are the main entertaining areas, with two steps down to a lounge area in front of the large, open fireplace. Tucked in the back is a library room with built-in shelving.

The 465sq m house was built for interior designer Shamie Griffin, who commissioned architect Vian Barnouti to create spaces which drew on her Persian origins.

In a 2003 edition of NZ House & Garden, Griffin said the classic proportions of Middle Eastern architecture guided her choices.

"In our homes the centre of the house, the high ceilings and hallways are very important," she said.

"People often ask me what I am going to put in the space in my entrance, but that is not the point. It is enough to have the space there."

The house has had another owner since Griffin, who prefers to remain anonymous, and he and his partner have maintained the property in its original style.

The floors are marble in the main public areas, with wood or sisal overlays in the bedrooms.

The balustrade, a wrought iron and brass creation, creates a surprisingly organic contrast to the hard, flat surfaces.

The building is tucked into the elbow of a narrow valley running down from the ridge.

Agent Cheryl Whiting says two sections were combined. "The amount of land and size of property are extraordinary for Parnell," she says.

The house was pushed back in the section to open out space in front for the courtyard and a small, deep swimming pool, surrounded by green tiles.

This gives the house its own water view, while the garage and wall along the front of the section gives a feeling of privacy.

A cabana under the double garage means guests won't be trekking water into the main house, which could make the marble slippery.

The gardens, put together by landscape designer Glenn Sharp, feature hardy plants, which soften the concrete and flat planes of the house design. Alexander palms emphasise the height of the front of the house.

A narrow back garden, which leads to an alternate entrance onto Tohunga Cres, features paving stones and trees in pots.

Upstairs there are four double bedrooms. The master bedroom would qualify as a hotel suite, with a large entry area overlooking the pool, an en suite with two basins and a separate dressing room with built-in wardrobes.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: 35 Tohunga Crescent, Parnell.

FEATURES: Double-storey modern house on double section; large kitchen and entertaining areas; library; four bedrooms, including master bedroom with en suite and separate dressing room; swimming pool with changing room; double garage.

SIZE: Land area 947sq m, floor area 465sq m, plus double garage above pool changing room.

PRICE: $3.375 million.

AGENTS: Cheryl Whiting and Russell Duck, Premium. Ph 303 3369 bus; Cheryl 0274 976 221 mob; Russell 0274 770 802 mob.