Small is beautiful

VICKI HOLDER discovers a little piece of sun-drenched paradise in the heart of Auckland's cafe scene.

Tanah Jane Dowdle once sat in her little old villa in Ponsonby staring at the roses at the end of the garden.

"I used to think, 'Wow, it's sunny down there," she says. "Then I came up with the idea of cross-leasing and building a free-standing home in the sun. It was called a minor dwelling, which is something you're not allowed to do anymore."

Tailored for her needs by architect Malcolm Walker and built by a master craftsman, the thoroughly modern, cedar weatherboard home wraps her in a surprising amount of space and light. Although it's small, the tall gabled roof, which matches the neighbouring homes, allows for a mezzanine floor that makes the home feel expansive.

Accommodating at least 50 people for a party is never a problem. Guests simply spread out and spill on to the terrace - a private sunny extension of the indoor living area.

Tanah specified that her home had to be eco-friendly. It's built of renewable timbers and hardly any harmful resins or glues were used in its construction. It's also wired to avoid the negative impact of electro-magnetic rays.

The home even has its own separate road frontage as the previous home sat between two streets, so it's not like a cross-lease property where you have to share someone else's driveway.

Now Tanah feels happily indulgent, living in her sun-drenched, one-bedroom home that doubles as her office. It's here that she researches recipes designed to promote New Zealand ingredients overseas. Tanah also writes for food magazines and is studying for her master of wine exams.

A career based around food and wine gave the kitchen and wine cellar supreme importance in her new abode. For a small home, the wine cellar is large. Behind deep cupboards, it lines the terracotta-tiled entry as you step inside the front door.

The space to the side of the main living area is the garage in the original floor plan, but Tanah has opted to use the additional area as living space and parks her car in the street. There's enough room beneath the big windows at the end of the entry passage for a comfortable window seat, as well as the dining room table.

There's plenty of space to spread out and experiment in the kitchen, which takes centre stage to the rear of her lofty, high-pitched living area. Robust stainless-steel benchtops give the kitchen a semi-industrial look. The bench cupboards and tall pantries are covered in a hard-wearing, green aluminium and glass hammer finish, which has withstood the test of time.

Tanah cooks on the six-burner gas hob while she chats to guests enjoying the gas fire in the sitting room opposite. All year round, this room soaks up the warmth of the sun that beats through the curved bifold glass and cedar doors opening to the deck. Luscious, hand-printed, midnight blue velvet drapes keep the heat inside on chilly nights. With its dense foliage in summer, a fig tree on the terrace offers respite from the sun's intense rays.

When Tanah visited Malcolm Walker's home, she pounced on the features she wanted to include in her place. She particularly liked the way he was able to bring extra light into the south-facing areas the kitchen and bathroom - by designing glass windows that go up and over the roof. It wasn't an expensive departure from the norm, but it makes so much difference to the comfort of the two areas.

Accessed from the kitchen, through a small laundry, and the bedroom as a semi-en suite, the bathroom makes the most of a small area. A glass partition provides Tanah with a shower cubicle. Her towels, potions and lotions are stashed below the blue-tiled vanity and above the toilet in flush cabinetry.

Tanah believes that her one-bedroom haven is the perfect private escape where she can indulge in everything close to her heart. Yet she has the sociable buzz of Ponsonby Rd at the top of the street.

Vital statistics:

ADDRESS: 21 Douglas St, Ponsonby.

FEATURES: One-bedroom home designed by architect Malcolm Walker; upstairs guest loft/study; north-facing, enclosed, private courtyard with jarrah deck and terracotta tiles; eco-friendly; wine cellar; outside storage in lean-to shed; cedar and copper exterior.

SIZE: 50sq m plus garage-cum-extra living space.

AUCTION: On site at 6pm, July 4.

AGENT: Tricia Lafferty and Angela Saunders, Ponsonby Real Estate. Ph 378 9974 bus; Tricia 376 9256 ah; 021 611 205 mob; Angela 360 4408 ah; 021 448 900 mob.