KEY POINTS:
A modern home a stroll from the beach incorporates part of the cottage over which it was built.
1 Minnehaha Ave, Takapuna.
Summer in Auckland, and nostalgic thoughts often turn to the golden weather immortalised by Bruce Mason in his lovingly written portrait of old Takapuna days.
The golden strip of Takapuna doesn't get much better than the streets leading from Hurstmere Road down to the pretty beaches and walkways of Thorne Bay. Minnehaha Avenue, lined with pohutukawa trees and fine old homes, is one of the prettiest.
So it's no surprise that after nearly 20 years as converted shore-ites, Ralph and Vivien Lennan knew they'd found the perfect spot when they spied this house on the corner of Minnehaha and Hurstmere Roads seven years ago.
But the modern Italian-influenced home was not quite what it seemed.
``We know that the architect replaced an old bungalow that had been on the site with this modern home in 1992, but discovered bits of it remain: you can still see some of the original floorboards and footprint of the original cottage,'' explains Ralph.
And it's true - in the family room and kitchen the original matai floorboards provide a warm touch of the past. It was this heart of the house that won over the Lennans and their children.
``We walked in and saw that kitchen with the island bench, and the sweep of staircase up to the bedrooms, and knew that this was it,'' says Vivien.
The original brief for the house opened the informal living into several zones - a sitting area opening to the barbecue court, a casual dining area opening to a pergola-sheltered terrace, and a cosier sitting room on a lower level which converted perfectly to a home theatre.
In their time at the house, the stairway has seen two family brides descend in their finery.
While the Lennans found the bones of the house were ideal for their large family and myriad of visitors, they sharpened up the look.
They didn't need to alter the granite kitchen, with its generous island bench and sun-filled sky-lights, but did change the windows to bi-folds so that benches act as serveries for the barbecue courtyard.
This courtyard and the front terraces and garden were carefully re-landscaped by the Lennans to reflect the laid-back Italian feel of the house - shaggy hedges were replaced by plastered walls, fresh paving tiles and crisp planting, including fragrant gardenia for night scent and madly flowering white roses.
A small fountain now trickles, and a gate leads to the generous double driveway with a one-bedroom granny flat.
In winter the formal living and dining room on the sunny north side of the house comes into its own, cosy with a gas fire. Alongside the well-appointed service areas is a double bedroom and en suite, currently wired as a roomy home office.
Upstairs are the four main bedrooms. One even has a tiny door opening into every kid's dream - an attic space perfect for a playroom or hideaway, much loved by visiting grandchildren.
The master suite has an outlook across trees and rooftops to framed views of Rangitoto and the sea. The couple love to sit on the terrace watching the boats and soaking up the sun.
But the golden weather has come to an end. With only two of their five children still at home, and a business just sold, the Lennans have the luxury of making a complete lifestyle change.
VITAL STATISTICS
BEDROOMS: 6
BATHROOMS: 4+
GARAGES: 2+
SIZE: Land 675sq m, house 390sq m.
PRICE INDICATION: Properties in the area have sold in the mid-$2 millions plus. Auction March 1.
INSPECT: Sun 12.30-1.15pm.
ON THE WEB: www.barfoot.co.nz # 356356
SCHOOL ZONES: Takapuna Primary, Takapuna Intermediate, Westlake Boys High School, Westlake Girls High School, Takapuna Grammar.
CONTACT: Leo Smith, Barfoot & Thompson, ph 027 496 5242.
FEATURES: Architect-designed home in Takapuna's Golden Mile, minutes from the beaches and town centre. Landscaped outdoor terraces and gardens opening from a series of formal and informal living spaces, sea views from master suite. Granny flat.