Ponsonby villa makes a bold statement

By VICKI HOLDER

Peter and Sarah Wren prefer their food simple and fresh. The decor and table settings in their trendy Ponsonby eateries - Espresso Bambina and Bistro Bambina - are similarly crisp and minimal. Simple decor, dinnerware and crisp napery highlights the colour of the food. In their home, they have applied the same simplistic philosophy.

Just five minutes' walk from their cafes, their renovated weatherboard villa stands apart from others in the neighbourhood and is often described as "the white house with the shutters." Together with a palm with bromeliads planted at its base, the house has a tropical feel.

During the day, the white timber plantation shutters splay out around the front bay window. Sarah says they were custom designed to give privacy yet allow ventilation and light to enter the house. External shutters negate the need for curtains, and maintain the uncluttered, clean lines of the house.

A desire for a big, open, fuss-free environment first drew Sarah and Peter to the home.

When the couple bought the villa, it was a plain, white shell, which gave the Wrens the opportunity to complete the finishing details.

They added the garage and the automatic gate, and developed the garden with a tropical theme. They also polished the timber floors.

A large kitchen with a skylight in the ceiling offered a good layout for their modern stainless appliances. The only other feature the Wrens added was the white brick tiles above the expansive stainless-steel benchtop.

"The best thing about the kitchen," says Sarah, "is the bench space. Pete and I love to cook and we tend to share the tasks. I'm a food stylist and he's a cook, so there had to be enough room for the two of us to move."

The boat-shaped jarrah breakfast bar that divides the kitchen from the dining table has been a hit with guests. When they're entertaining, friends prop themselves up at the bar and chat while the food is prepared.

Apart from the stainless, the jarrah in the breakfast bar and around the rippled glass in pantries is the only colour used in this white interior. It gives a cool, laid-back ambience - a soothing tonic to hectic inner-city living. Emphasis is thrown onto the shapes, patinas and subtle colours of the carefully selected pieces of furniture and artwork owned by the Wrens.

Subtropical palms in the neat, private backyard offer an effective screen. A big deck extends from their daughter Harriet's bedroom and wraps around the living area. Horizontal slats along the fence shield the deck from neighbours.

Two large bedrooms at the front of the house have substantial cupboard space. Storage in the rest of the house is ample yet unobtrusive. Linen is hidden in a cupboard in the hallway and the laundry is discreetly housed behind bifold doors.

Cosmetics and lotions are concealed behind mirrored cabinets above the vanity in the bathroom. Privacy is assured by frosted glass in the sash windows. Also featured are a glass shower and a white claw-foot bath.

Time is of the essence for this busy household, and this centrally located home with a designer edge makes it easy to enjoy the delights Ponsonby has to offer.

Vital statistics

Address: 53 Clarence St, Ponsonby, Auckland.

Features: Stylishly renovated villa with three bedrooms and spacious living area; large, modern kitchen; deck extends into landscaped garden with subtropical planting; garage and automatic gates; security system.

Size: Land area 329 sq m.

Auction: On July 4 at 6 pm at Meo Realty's auction rooms, 19 Blake St, Ponsonby.

Agent: Tricia Lafferty, Meo Realty. Ph 378 1500 bus; 021 611 205 mob.