CONTACT:
Andrea Ritchie and Duncan Ritchie,
Bayleys, ph 375 7410 or 021 906 793 (Andrea)
or 021 400 811.
Thelma McGough gave her husband Bruce Rotherham a checklist when they were house-hunting 19 years ago: it had to be in St Marys Bay, have a view of the city and decks where they could eat breakfast and lunch. "And I said I didn't want one of those brown cedarhouses."
She then went back home to the UK to tie up loose ends before moving to New Zealand permanently to be with Kiwi Bruce. "He found the perfect house ... well almost," she laughs. "It was in St Marys Bay, it had the view and the decks. And, of course, it was brown cedar."
She's glad she didn't let the cladding put her off (although a change of colour was required, with brown giving way to a white-grey). "It has been such a wonderful home to live in," she says. "I've loved living here so much."
New Zealand is a world away from Thelma's roots. She grew up in Liverpool, and as a teenager she became part of rock 'n' roll history. While at art school she dated John Lennon. "I was his first girlfriend," she says. "He and his friends Paul (McCartney) and George (Harrison) used to sit around singing together. I thought he could be famous one day but never expected what happened with the Beatles."
She adds: "Apparently, John's dad wanted to bring the family to New Zealand - John could have grown up here."
Thelma's creativity has not dimmed since she was at art school. She has a good eye for interior design and over the years has slowly transformed her two-storey townhouse.
The house has been carefully laid out, with the main living areas upstairs to make the most of the views. Downstairs are the double internal access garage, three bedrooms, a bathroom and a living room that Thelma, a skilled quilt-maker, uses as a studio. This room opens to a stunning courtyard with an Italianate garden created by landscape designer Trudy Crerar. A stylish bespoke gate frames the view into the garden from the driveway, so that it looks like a piece of art.
Lots of features of the house show an artistic touch, such as the huge, three-paned window in the upstairs living room that frames the outlook across city rooftops to the Sky Tower. There's also a great view across the harbour to Devonport, Waiheke and, on a clear day, Coromandel Peninsula.
The home's crisp white walls have been ideal for displaying her award-winning quilts, while the sleek, modern kitchen dazzles. Designed by Jennie Dunlop, it has white cabinetry and a central island with a surface that looks like Carrera marble but is actually Brazilian granite. The same granite is used for the gas fire's hearth in the living room, and for benchtops in the bathrooms.
Image 1 of 7: 4a Westwood Terrace, St Marys Bay. Photo / Ted Baghurst
The custom-made kitchen also has thoughtful features such as shelving that pulls out and twists sideways for easy access, and Corian benchtops which still look immaculate three years after being installed. Thelma had seen similar benches in the UK home of her good friend Cilla Black, with whom she used to work on TV shows like Blind Date.
"I thought, 'Oh I like those'," so we used Corian, too."
It's the home's privacy that brings a smile to Thelma's face. It is tucked down a long driveway in a quiet cul-de-sac off Shelley Beach Rd. "I can lie on the hammock on the back deck completely starkers and no one can see me," she laughs.
