Remuera: Upstairs, downstairs

This large family home has a varied job description, writes Liz Dobson.

21 Stoneyroyd Gardens, Remuera. Take one house and add a family with preschool children. Now take that house and instead have live-in elderly parents. Now change and have teenage kids. A number of different owner formulas would suit this two-storey home with amazing living spaces.

When John and Katrina Bourke bought the renovated home two years ago, they wanted a house to accommodate their soon-to-be-expanded family plus visits from overseas relatives, have space for an office so John could work from home, and still have room to entertain. This converted bungalow was perfect.

"We loved the feel of the house, the privacy and the indoor-outdoor flow. We enjoy a lot of entertaining as we have quite an extended family," says John.

When the couple moved in there were living spaces upstairs, while downstairs was self-contained with a kitchenette in the lounge area, two bedrooms, a bathroom, gymnasium, and even a 1000-bottle wine cellar with room for a table and chairs.

The couple decided to rejig the configuration downstairs by turning one bedroom into John's office, the gym into a playroom for Angelina and baby James (16 months), the kitchenette was removed and a home entertainment system installed while the second bedroom was turned into a guest room.

The sunny upstairs L-space area also works well for the family - one wing contains a formal lounge and dining space that is divided by a large gas fireplace and has cedar bifolds along one wall that look out on to the tiled courtyard and kidney-shaped pool.

In the other upstairs wing is the kitchen with nifty bifold windows that open onto an exterior breakfast bar, plus a family lounge-dining area.

The downstairs outdoor area is kids' heaven thanks to a trampoline, and a gorgeous playhouse. The upstairs courtyard is also great for supervising the kids.

The family is moving to John's home town of Sydney to be close to his family.

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 809sq m, house 300 sq m.

PRICE: $1.585 million.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 12.30-1.30pm.

CONTACT: Tina Gray, One2One Realty, ph 520-2102, 021-800-076.

FEATURE: A two-storey home with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, formal and family living upstairs; self-contained living downstairs plus a 1000-bottle wine cellar. Underfloor heating, monitored security, swimming pool and playhouse.