KEY POINTS:
10 Tawini Road, Titirangi.
After five years of living in London and practicing corporate law, David Keefe was ready to leave the smog and crowded living conditions behind.
"The firm I was working for wanted to send me to Washington but I didn't want to live in
the States," David says. "And about the same time my father [who owns a jewellery business] wanted to retire so it was a chance for me to be my own boss - that was the driver." His return to New Zealand was not only a chance to get off the corporate treadmill but also a time to enjoy a better quality of life.
"I came from living in tenement buildings in London, so when I got home I wanted something peaceful and quiet."
He returned to New Zealand in April 2002 and three months later found the place he was after in Tawini Road, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it, no-exit street off Scenic Drive. The weatherboard bungalow with a brick base was built in 1955 and the ground floor was extended in 1995. The second storey was added in 1998, about the same time the new kitchen went in.
The ground level of the house has polished floorboards in the living area with the choice of a woodburner or gas heating for warmth. The dining area flows out to a deck that faces west and overlooks a neighbouring farm, with towering kauri framing the views. Adjoining the living area is the kitchen, with a small seating area opposite and beyond that a study.
The upstairs is where David made some major changes in 2004/05 because although the top level was quite new, the layout was inexplicably cramped. "Pretty much the whole upstairs was gutted," says David. "It was a real rabbit warren - there were five rooms and two corridors up here."
Now, there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Floor to ceiling sliding doors in the master bedroom open to a dummy balcony and allow the room to be opened up to the view of bush and farmland. There are thoughtful touches like the picture window at the end of the hallway which also enjoys the same view and brings light into the home.
A change in family circumstances means the house is for sale. David says the new owners can look forward to living in a tight-knit community. "There's a Tawini Road Neighbourhood Watch committee that's really active," says David. "Every year there's a barbie held at the reserve at the end of the street."