FEATURES:
Comfortable fully
renovated family home with gas central
heating and rear vehicle access in a
heritage street, close to Eden Quarter,
sought after schools and central city.
A few years ago, for the good reason of being an almost intact cityscape of early 19th-century villas, Burnley Tce was designated a heritage street. And No29 fits right in. As pretty as can be behind its picket fence and bay trees, its interior does not disappoint, either.
All thevilla features you would expect in a heritage area are there, intact. Stained-glass panels surround the front door, the hallway is divided by a traditionally styled plaster archway and the original wide kauri floorboards and high board-and-batten ceilings of the era lend the air of lofty elegance so sought after by lovers of character homes like this one.
But the practicalities for modern family living have been taken care of as well. Lisa Gordon, entertainment manager of the Kings Arms Tavern in Newton, and Chris Snowdon who, with their young boisterous family of three boys, have called it home for the past four years, admit to being lucky that they didn't have to do the hard work.
"It was all done," says Lisa. "Apart from making the bedrooms a bit cosier with carpet, all we had to do was unpack." Chief among the mod cons are those which are fast becoming expected in newly renovated homes - good heating and ventilation, in this instance gas central heating and lots of insulation. A pleasant cross-flow of ventilation comes through the three wide sets of French doors in the combined kitchen, dining and living room.
Another deck, this one enclosed for privacy with high white fences, leads off to the east from Lisa and Chris' bedroom and is the perfect place for a little private parents' time on the few weekend mornings they are not busy. "Like all boys of their age our lot can be pretty noisy at times," says Lisa. "Out here is where we can sit peacefully for a moment ... It's invaluable."
All three bedrooms are the good size expected in traditional villas, with the main one tucked between the kitchen and the two at the front where the boys sleep. Across from the main bedroom is a large dining room, big enough for dinner parties, yet intimate enough to be a homely place for family meals.
Connected to this large comfortable room, yet separated by cleverly detailed wooden display boxes which disguise the change of ceiling heights between the older and newer parts of the house, is the living room. This in turn leads to large north-facing decks which cross the rear of the house, and then to the pretty landscaped garden below.
"The garden and the trees are one of the things I just love about living here," says Lisa.
"Although the previous owners put in speakers in the sitting room and out of the deck we never use them.
"As you can imagine with a job like mine I love peace and quiet when I can get it, and out here there is so much birdsong. I never get sick of listening to it."
A bonus in this inner-city street is the large double garage with its access off Taupata St at the rear of the property. "Several of the houses have this rear vehicle access and that is why the street facade is so unspoilt," Lisa says. But although Chris and Lisa have been very happy here, they are on the move. "With three boys like ours we really need another bedroom, and we've been lucky enough to find one not far away that has that extra bit of space. I just hope that it is as comfortable as this one."
