Campbells Bay - Free and easy

Five years of maintenance-free living has just about cured a couple of the renovation bug.

148A Beach Road, Campbells Bay.

Lori McPherson and Bruce Pye knew they had packed their paintbrushes away for a long time when they moved from their former renovated house into this near-new rear townhouse five years ago.

Apart from recently repainting the plaster boundary fence, they've never once been tempted to flip the lid off a paint tin to change the colour and style of this house.

Six years on from its construction off the drawing board of North Shore architect John D'Anvers, its warm off-white wall colour and rich blue flooring offer the same uplifting sense of connection with the blue hues of nearby Campbells Bay that tempted them when they bought this house just before Fletcher's birth.

Now they and their children - Madeleine, aged 6, and Fletcher, 5, are keen to move further north along East Coast Bays and Lori is worried.

``We might get lulled back into renovating and I think I'd probably hate it if we did,'' she laughs.

Down its own driveway, the double-storey home has a commanding presence with tall exterior columns, mature Washingtonia palms and a light-filled vaulted entry beyond the front door.

Stairs to the left lead up to the four bedrooms, the family bathroom and en suite. At ground level, all rooms radiate off the hallway beyond the front door.

The kitchen/family room and separate formal lounge unfold off double doors, with the separate dining area providing the walk-through link between the two rooms.

Big picture windows and French doors maximise the connection with the garden and the tiled deck that is their summertime al fresco living space with the trees of Centennial Park as the backdrop.

Every significant room in this house faces north and basks in the sunshine that makes this a warm house even during winter.

Expansive views stretching beyond Mairangi Bay to the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, and the timeless materials and decor have delivered effortless living.

Bruce got the views that he wanted and Lori got the ground floor indoor/outdoor flow she craved.

Outside, the children have their jungle gym, Bruce has the cedar, shingle-roofed garden shed that he built, and Lori has her favourite flowering annuals that add a seasonal burst of colour from planter boxes along the outer edge of the deck.

They can walk to the nearby Campbells Bay beach that they can see from their family room, and the Campbells Bay Tennis Club is close enough for them to hear the gentle `thwack' of tennis balls.

It's a home that, by its design, finish and its location close to Takapuna, has freed Lori and Bruce to focus on family life and grow their business, Astra Bridal.

Says Lori: ``It's a light and sunny house and it has been really easy for us to live in and enjoy.''

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGES: 2

SIZE: Land share of 1012sq m; house 246sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: REINZ records for the past six months show properties in this area selling from $600,000 to $1.3 million. Auction on October 31.

INSPECT: Sat/Weds 1-1.30pm.

ON THE WEB: www.harcourts.co.nz # BW060909.

CONTACT: Dragana Rancic, Harcourts, ph 021 126 8322, 477 0848.

SCHOOL ZONES: Campbells Bay School, Westlake Boys and Girls High.

FEATURES: North-facing plaster-clad home with tiled roof, open plan ground floor living, bedrooms on upper level. Walking distance to Campbells Bay, Castor Bay, Kennedy Park, Centennial Park.