Swanson: A touch of the exotic

Better described as a work of art than a home is this delightfully decorative Swanson residence.

By VICKI HOLDER.

Inspired by travels to eastern Europe, an exotic masterpiece on a park-like property in Swanson was a daring vision of opulence and breathtaking craftsmanship. Yet as it neared fruition, the owners abandoned ship for a lifestyle property up north.

They didn't give up completely though. For 10 years, they persevered, returning one day a week to keep up with the task they had set. The unusually complex construction embarked on in 1974 was not only proving difficult to build, but it was soaking up funds.

So the massive structure, ornately crowned with pagoda-style roofs, was left derelict with wisteria threatening to smother it, until builder Bruce Morton came along.

Bruce fancied a bit of a challenge to take him away from the monotony of putting up square walls. For 11 months with only four days off, he and his son, Aaron, cleared, gutted, repaired and rebuilt, putting in the last 25 percent of effort needed to turn the property into something sublime.

He says it was a huge amount of work but he is pleased with the end result. Now he can sit back and marvel at the home as if it were a fantastic piece of art, or perhaps a shrine to some little-known eastern god. With its flamboyant design, brilliant interior hues and alluringly shaped windows, it seems far too beautiful to live in. Yet, that was the original intention. Not many homes are treated to this kind of rich detail.

Bruce says few craftspeople these days possess the skills to create some of the features of the home.

For example, the tall windows - with jewel-like coloured glass patterns along both sides of the huge central ballroom - would have been exceptionally expensive to produce. "I asked a joiner how much they would cost to reproduce and he said they would start at around $8000 each, that's if somebody was capable."

The heavy internal timber doors are grouted and panelled to complement the intricate window designs.

Pendulous plastered ceilings that adorn the two almost identical rooms surrounding the ballroom might have been plucked straight off a The Lord of the Rings set. Not a room in the house has an ordinary ceiling. Baked as smooth and white as icing with curves that reach up from the walls, they are a magnificent testament to the skills of their creators.

So too are the broad, deep bow windows that grace each of the three bedrooms. These soak up the tranquillity of the rambling, park-like surrounds.

Bruce explains the pristine hand-screened silver floral wallpaper in the second lounge was imported from America by the couple who originally owned the home. The price, at $70 a roll in 1976, was twice the average wage.

On both sides of the house, the outdoor living areas provide peaceful places to entertain. Entered through a gracious plastered archway, a zen-like courtyard off the ballroom is enclosed by striking ornate wrought iron fencing. Below the deck on the northern aspect, contrasting colours of brickwork form swirls and patterns of hard landscaping around low plants.

The bone structure for many of the more unusual features in and around the house was already in place. Bruce brought it back to life and added practicalities like the new kitchen in the family area. He also installed two modern tiled bathrooms with spa baths, including an en suite off the master bedroom. For the bold wall colours he consulted a specialist designer from Resene, Muriel Capper, who drew on hues from the glass windows.

A lavish crystal chandelier now hangs from the ballroom ceiling. The floors were carpeted on the upper level in an expanse of wool carpet. Downstairs in the enormous games room and a library lined in bookshelves, the flooring is slate.

Set in a garden where three ponds flow through a quiet woodland - filled with 70 species of camellia, rhododendron and magnolia - this unusual home is not for the faint-hearted. It provides a private place where a family can live out their wildest dreams, entertaining in a generous, comfortable living environment close to the local train station and the hub of Henderson.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: 1240 Scenic Dr, Swanson.

FEATURES: Unique lifestyle property with fantasy gardens, ponds and mature kauri; large three-bedroom home; new kitchen; two new bathrooms with spa baths; large ballroom; second lounge with free-standing log fire; library; gym or rumpus opening to huge north-facing deck; double garage with self-contained living.

SIZE: Land area 4.5ha.

TENDER CLOSES: 4pm, June 23.

AGENTS: Jim and Marie Trubuhovich and Richard Tracz, Barfoot & Thompson, Henderson. Ph 838 6059 bus; Jim 021 979 404 mob; Marie 021 814 198 mob; Richard 021 751 580 mob.