The tale of how Kelly Edwards and James Macredie came to buy their Parnell house may be familiar to many a would-be renovator. Nine years ago, the family were about to start renovations on their old Mt Albert house when, more out of idle curiosity than any firm plans, theycame by to look at this solid 1990s Italian-style home. Their son was an out-of-zone pupil at Parnell Primary, Kelly worked in the CBD, the house was beautifully detailed and finished in the way that builder's own places are.
"We were only halfway down Parnell Rise and we'd decided yes, we'd buy it," says Jamie. "This is so handy to everything, we can walk to Newmarket, Parnell, the Domain and the city, and yet we have more privacy and greenery than we did in Mt Albert. There are tui, wood pigeons, fantails."
Though the layout and finishes may catch the eye of the casual visitor, Jamie's construction engineering background means he was as much impressed by the building's underpinning. Built on a slope behind Trinity Cathedral, the two-level house is anchored by 6m deep piles, plus concrete floors and blockwork on the lower floor and most of the upper level. He says the monolithic cladding, installed in 1995, has never had a problem. The concrete roof tiles have a look of old terracotta.
"The builder/developer lived here. He had a bit of a thing about Italy, but was also thoughtful about the use of the space," says Jamie. This has made for a timeless design, with details such as the granite kitchen bench, classic tiles in the bathrooms, plaster corbel ceiling roses and beautifully engineered steel balustrades on internal staircase and external balconies. The floor plan makes the most of the sloping site, with views to the south.
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From the entry courtyard -- there is a carport as well as internal garaging -- the lobby opens to an airy kitchen and dining room, with pale oak floors.
The living room, a level below, has a fireplace with a classical mantelpiece and windows on both sides to collect the sun and the views down the valley. At the bottom of the no-exit street is a walkway connecting to Ayr Reserve, which in turn leads to the parks and waterfront walks of Shore Rd.
Stairs to the lower ground floor are generous, lit by unexpected windows and sky lights. Their son's bedroom opens into a sky-lit atrium and has plenty of room for friends to hang about.
An unexpected bonus is the generous laundry which opens to a sheltered courtyard -- surrounded by trees, it is private from neighbours and feels like a bush retreat. As well as the master suite and another double bedroom, there is also a good office for Jamie, who works from home. Terracing and courtyards bring sun into the space, making it a pleasant spot even in the depths of winter.
But the family are making a radical lifestyle change, packing up to move to Tauranga.
They had toyed with all sorts of moves within Auckland -- from around their suburb to the lifestyle outskirts -- but Tauranga ticked all their boxes, Kelly has transferred and Jamie will run his consulting business. So this easy Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls' Grammar zone spot is up for the next family keen to avoid the hard work and enjoy inner-city living.
