Mission Bay palatial magnificence

By VICKI HOLDER The vast speckled granite bathroom has an oval spa bath in a bay beneath skylights.

The makeover of this Mission Bay home has been so extensive that if you had visited the place a year ago you'd barely recognise it today.

Every room in the palatial mansion was remodelled to create a state-of-the-art family home befitting its magnificent location.

On one of Auckland's most sought-after streets, "Syvret" is two minutes' walk from Mission Bay's beach, restaurants, cafes, cinema and shops. Despite the breathtaking, wide-open views of the bay, the city, the harbour, Rangitoto Island and beyond, the property basks in privacy.

This is no goldfish bowl. The houses and the road winding along the coast remain out of sight further down the slope. A canopy of leafy trees and palms at the bottom of the garden trick the eye into believing the property reaches to the waterfront.

Although grand with a sweeping, half-circular, cobblestone driveway rolling up to the entry, the house gives little away from the street. Once inside, you encounter the view almost immediately through enormous picture windows that wrap around the north-facing rooms.

The natural elements of the sky, the garden and the water are brought inside to enliven the cool grey colour palette on the floors and walls. Natural light floods onto the dark oak floor of the foyer through a peaked skylight above.

Covered in soft knobbly-textured carpet, a broad stairway heads to the upper level. Four huge bedrooms, including the master suite, escape day-to-day living with spectacular views across the balcony to the city.

Two of the rooms share an enormous speckled granite bathroom, which includes an oval spa bath in a bay beneath skylights. White louvres around the windows ensure privacy from neighbours. Designed to be used by more than one person at a time, the bathroom features double oval basins in a traditional vanity. The double-the-normal-size shower comes with double showerheads. Not as big, but just as well-appointed, the master en suite is decked in two-tone marble and has a raised triangular spa bath.

Downstairs, glazed french doors open to an expansive open-plan lounge. The oak floor circles the carpet around the room, where a corner bay provides the perfect viewing point for activities on the harbour. There's a gas fire at one end of the room and plenty of space for formal dining at the other.

Plaster pillars stand sentry beside cavity doors that open to the casual family area. The carpet gives way to an oak floor that extends from the sitting area to the kitchen behind. During the renovation, under-floor heating was installed throughout to keep the house warm. However, a gas fire set into a recess adds an old-fashioned ambience.

The room steps outside through bifold doors to a balcony pavilion that's glazed overhead. In the corner on a granite benchtop, the barbecue is positioned above cabinets where implements and outdoor picnic gear can be conveniently stashed away. If the phone rings, there is no need to dash inside. It's right there.

Between the sitting area and the kitchen, a long granite island bench doubles as a breakfast bar. Casual diners bathe in the sun that pours through a curved wall of glass bricks at the end of the kitchen.

Specialist kitchen designer Sue Gillbanks created the kitchen where sleek white cabinetry sports square, brushed, stainless-steel handles. The latest Bosch appliances include a gas hob and a convection oven. Kitchen storage is plentiful and there's more behind the large laundry nearby. An area lined with cupboards precedes the entry to the double garage.

There's enough room for another house in the basement, which opens to the terrace and garden. One of the rooms, with an adjoining bathroom, could be used as an enormous rumpus room or billiard room.

Next door, there's a gym and substantial garden storage. Not that this garden needs much grooming. A slate-paved terrace runs into a broad pathway that leads to the end of the garden past an Astroturf tennis court. The hard landscaping is softened by the easy-care planting with box hedges trimmed with mondo grass, standard white roses and gardenias. The sound of trickling water is ever-present from the rocky water feature to one side.

Brought up to date with every possible luxury, this vast property offers an extraordinary gamut of enticements. Not just the location and views, but a big, stylish home designed for effortless family living and entertaining.

Vital statistics

Address: 32 Ronaki Rd, Mission Bay.

Features: Remodelled, three-level, north-facing home with harbour and city views; living rooms and master suite open to terraces and views; five bedrooms plus study; three living areas plus recreational rooms in basement; five bathrooms; new kitchen; Astroturf tennis court and landscaped garden; under-floor heating plus two gas fires; central vac; big storage areas; double garage.

Size: Land area 1473 sq m.

Auction: At 5 pm, on site, on February 21.

Agent: Leila Macdonald, Barfoot & Thompson, Remuera. Ph 524 0149 bus; 630 5488 ah; 021 928 926 mob.