Neat as a pin

VICKI HOLDER visits an exquisite Parnell home boasting touches of the old and the new.

Parnell's northern slope dips down into the valley and up the other side towards the Rose Gardens.

Travelling along this road, you begin to wonder whether the quaint old Parnell of days gone by has disappeared or if modern terraced housing has well and truly taken hold.

As you emerge near the top, a pristine, white, two-storey villa grabs your eye and reassures the essence of pre-1920s heritage Auckland. Neat as a pin, its entry is framed by small, perfectly groomed, weed-free gardens featuring a formal, modern designer blend of box hedging and mondo grass.

Just as the traditional exterior underpins a contemporary landscaping look, the exquisite interior remains true to the original, enhanced by clever alterations designed to make it more liveable.

Gleaming kauri floorboards, a tall stud and a gracious archway remain in the hallway. The clatter of feet going up the stairs, however, is not a sound that's heard anymore. The stairs and the rest of the downstairs living area are covered with fine-textured, natural sisal.

Two adjoining formal rooms in front - the formal lounge and dining room - are graced with pretty, original, back-to-back coal fireplaces with black-and-white-tiled hearths. These tall, elegant rooms have pale bone-coloured walls and cream curtains and blinds. A window seat under the front bay reclines in the sunlight that pours in from the north.

A door has been added between the dining room and the kitchen on the other side, so serving dinner is much easier than it might have been in the past. This small passage, or scullery, is lined with storage cupboards and has a fridge-freezer. Even though there's ample under-bench storage in the kitchen, this additional area provides invaluable extra space.

The walls above the bench in the corner have been removed and glazed to bring more light into the kitchen. The cedar joinery that frames the glazing marries with the bifolds and french doors, which open the family room to a deck and the garden.

The kitchen and cosy family area join across a breakfast bar and look out to this secluded outdoor area, which extends around the side. The box hedging and mondo grass theme is continued along the fence line. The owners have made the most of this compact space, which hints at a smart London pied-a-terre. The garden includes tall trees and a children's playhouse.

The ingenious glazed wall idea in the kitchen has been applied in the laundry-cum-guest bathroom to the rear of the dining room, and in two upstairs bathrooms. In the family bathroom, modern skylights reach out over the bath. In the master bedroom en suite above the tiled vanity, additional space is gained with a fitted, walk-through dressing room.

Not quite as large as the master bedroom and lacking the dramatic city views, the two other bedrooms have double wardrobes. The pale green carpet is soft under foot and the gas bayonet heating keeps the whole house warm in winter.

Full of old-world character yet completely up to the minute in the design stakes, this beautiful home has been fine-tuned for the new millennium. It provides a comfortable city haven where everything is just so.

Vital statistics:

ADDRESS: 15 Cleveland Rd, Parnell.

FEATURES: Two-storey Edwardian villa with city views; double garage; formal and family living areas; separate dining; two bathrooms plus guest toilet in laundry; three bedrooms, master with dressing room and en suite; gas bayonet heating; security alarm.

SIZE: Floor area approx 200sq m.

AUCTION: At 2pm, August 21, Bayleys Maritime Square auction rooms.

AGENT: Barbara Ding and Libby Butler, Bayleys BRE Newmarket. Ph 520 8888 bus; Barbara 025 586 800 mob; Libby 021 950 662 mob.