Modern landmark

VICKI HOLDER visits an architecturally sound home cleverly revamped for the 21st century.

Shifting the family from a grand old home to a more compact city residence without surrendering the furniture can be like putting a jigsaw puzzle together with too many pieces. But if anybody could make the equation work brilliantly, it's well-known Auckland interior designer Madeleine Paine.

She knew she'd solved her dilemma when she found a run-down 26-year-old home with lovely big spaces near the Parnell Rose Gardens. It was difficult for others to see its potential. However, Madeleine was in awe of the home's beautiful, solidly built, authentic design, as well as its quiet, sunny, north-facing location.

Innovatively designed by architect Bruce Cavell in the 1970s, it had been, in its time, a landmark building.

"It had a wonderful feeling of earthiness. I loved its rustic charm. All the detailing was superb - the high studs, steeply pitched roofline, big beams, solid doors and flagstone floors. Everything was there, ready to add a modern touch," says Madeleine.

She had a clear vision of the look she wanted, but owes much to the architectural expertise of her friend Lindy Leuschke. Now substantially renovated using modern materials, the lines of the original home have been enhanced to give the impression of a refined Tuscan farmhouse.

Madeleine chose a warm palette of terracottas, pale golds and seafoam blue for plastered walls and added natural-toned fabrics in drapes and window treatments. External walls painted in Murobond will gently age to affect a rich Tuscan ochre.

An old 70s-style rimu kitchen that wrapped around two walls of the family room was ripped out and replaced with sleek blonded beech cabinetry and a honed (satin) charcoal granite bench top. And the sturdy double Ilve oven with gas hob set in front of a matte black tiled upstand reinforces the farmhouse kitchen appeal.

Madeleine took away the heaviness of the 70s style, stripping timber floors, painting the interwoven ceiling beams cream and the walls a subtle blue.

The door that ran from the kitchen to the lounge, separating living areas from the spacious entry foyer, was removed to give a more flowing, open-plan living environment filled with natural light.

Ceiling and beams painted cream and walls a blush pink in the formal lounge lend a restrained elegance to offset beautiful furniture and furnishings. The aged texture of the restored stone fireplace becomes an intriguing focal point.

Doors and bifold windows from both upstairs living areas open to a pebbled courtyard surrounded by a garden, which is as eclectic as the house itself. Holly, palms, mondo grass and gardenias combine in an unexpected collection. "But it all melds together and works," says Madeleine.

She designed the garden in conjunction with a landscape stylist and believes it's important to use what's already in the garden. By salvaging an original paw paw and big ginko trees, a mature canopy shelters a pretty woodland ramble climbing the slope towards the new double garage, designed to be in keeping with the house.

Madeleine says the home is not only beautiful, but its living spaces are extremely practical for a family with teenagers. The kitchen looks through an opening to a casual living area downstairs, which doubles as a relaxing entertainment/television room as well as a quiet workspace.

Top-quality steel grey carpets imported from the United States flow up the stairs to the master suite, which opens to a balcony framed by striped wheat and black curtains threaded through eyelets on an aluminium rod. A large dressing room leads to an en suite bathroom, converted from a bedroom. It features a stone-topped vanity and luxurious square basin. Dramatic, steeply pitched ceilings lined with solid beams in both upstairs bedrooms create a romantic ambience.

As well as the smaller bedroom beside the front entry, a guest bedroom has its own entry through french doors off the courtyard. Guests who stay in this room are treated to a delightful original bathroom next door. With a big round window looking out into the garden and an unusual shower that fits into a deep blue mosaic-tiled bath, Madeleine says this quirky room is fun and a "bit of a blast from the past."

Cloaking great structural bones with elegant new attire, Madeleine has charged a dated home with a whole new lease of life.

Vital Statistics

Address: 8 Taurarua Tce, Parnell.

Features: Three-level architecturally designed home updated by architect Lindy Leuschke and interior designer Madeleine Paine; stunning new kitchen; large casual living area; separate formal living; second living space downstairs; four bedrooms; three-and-a-half bathrooms; double garage; alarm system.

Size: Land area 690 sq m.

Auction: February 27.

Agent: Leila McDonald, Barfoot & Thompson, Remuera. Ph 524 0149 bus; 630 5488 ah; 025 928 926 mob.