Mt Eden: Family affair

Oozing a warm sense of cosy family living, this house combines natural elements and innovative design components. By CHARLOTTE COSSAR.

Seamlessly combining old and new, this renovated home - sitting high on the hill looking back to Mt Eden and beyond to the city - is the ultimate in family living.

A sense of comfort immediately envelops visitors when entering this inspirationally renovated 1930s bungalow.

Owned by architect Alastair Gaudin and his family since 1985, the home has been transformed into a peaceful haven. Comfort and warmth reign supreme, and an interesting mix of textures pleasantly evokes the senses.

Gaudin says that when they bought the house in 1985 it had been in two flats with two bedrooms, a kitchen, dining, bathroom and living rooms upstairs and a kitchen, laundry, bathroom, bedroom and living downstairs.

"One thing that attracted us to the house was that the living areas lay to the north and north-west giving warmth and providing an outlook across Mt Eden and beyond to the upper harbour. The north-west aspect is an asset, which is a function of the site and which has been emphasised with all the subsequent alterations."

Originally, the driveway went down the side of the house to a single garage and the rear garden, but this changed when the property was cross-leased and the land to the rear of the property sold.

Says Gaudin: "I prepared planning consent drawings for a new building which were sold with the site along with specific height restrictions over the part of the site in order to protect our northerly outlook."

The first major alteration was to construct an internal-access double garage with a deck over the top. Then the kitchen was replaced, the ceilings upgraded with acoustic control between the living area and the bedrooms below, and new windows, which slide right back to open the room to the view, were installed in the dining area.

As the family grew so did the house, and the deck became a second living room, a new internal staircase was added, both bathrooms were upgraded, and a wine cellar, laundry and office area were created.

Gaudin has designed the staircase so it can be extended up another floor. "We have obtained building and resource consent to erect a bedroom, bathroom, office and living room," he says.

The house is a pleasant mix of materials. Gaudin says: "Earthy materials like stone and concrete are on the ground and air materials, timber and plywood are above ground."

Also used is blonded plywood on the stairwell walls and sandblasted patterned glass in the entrance that provides an elegant screen from neighbours across the road. Ground concrete downstairs provides an interesting and low-cost floor finish and paua shell and pieces of glass cast into the floor were purely for fun, says Gaudin.

Outside, dark-stained cedar weatherboards provide a good looking cladding, which complements the existing stucco. "Extending in stucco would be almost impossible to match up with the existing finish," says Gaudin.

Also featured is reeded glass and heart matai in the flooring, the kitchen counter and the mantelpiece.

The main living area with kitchen, dining and lounge, which opens through bifolds to the deck, is bathed in sunlight and works well for entertaining as well as family living. The second living room, which, says Gaudin, works well providing space for teenagers to be entertained separately from the adults, is made private with cavity sliders.

Down the hall are two bedrooms and the stunning entrance. Says Gaudin: "The entry is ideal for hanging artwork and has a sandblasted window design inspired by Tami Louisson from Seatoun, Wellington."

This opens to a private front courtyard with a 2m-wall along the street boundary. Gaudin says the paving is reminiscent of Auckland beaches and the courtyard catches the afternoon sun. The extensive use of shell outdoors makes this area easy care and provides excellent drainage.

Downstairs, french doors from the bedroom lead to another courtyard. Ideal for capturing the afternoon sun, this area connects to the deck above and the rest of the property.

A much-loved project, this homely house with its exciting mix of materials offers comfort and functionality.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: 14 Rahiri Rd, Mt Eden.

FEATURES: A three-bedroom, two-bathroom 1930s stucco bungalow that has been modernised; views to Mt Eden and beyond; extensive use of different textures in glass, wood and stone; sunny open-plan living areas; two-car internal-access garage; wine cellar; laundry; decks leading to courtyard gardens; masonry fencing from the street; elevated position for sun and views; underfloor heating.

SIZE: Land area half share of 746sq m.

AUCTION: 2.30pm, August 20, on site.

AGENTS: Lisa Pringle and Colleen Strachan, Unlimited Potential. Ph 631 5180 bus; Lisa 631 7716 ah; 0274 904 900 mob; Colleen 638 9874 ah; 021 283 6194 mob.