A relationship sparked over skincare lead the owners of this Beach Haven home to a make-over of an entirely different kind.
Managing director Natasha Bourke imports skincare brand Dermalogica met her partner, Dan Manolas, when the shop-fitting company he's involved in was doing retail design work for hercompany.
Daniel bought here around three years ago. Natasha later moved in and bought into the property before they embarked on an extensive renovation a year ago.
Natasha says: "Dan liked the high ceilings and sense of spaciousness. He's talented when it comes to improvements, so the opportunity for him to enhance it and put his own stamp on it also appealed."
The 1980s home is two storeys, clad in painted rustic weatherboards.
Natasha says: "The view over the water as you come down Jacaranda Ave is lovely — and the house has sea views, too."
They're at the seaward end of the cul-de-sac, three properties down from the Jacaranda Ave Reserve and its playground. That's handy as every second week Dan's son Theo, 11, and Natasha's children Vinnie, 8, and Maisey, 6, live here, with distinctive devon rex cats Augustus and Cleo completing the household.
A double carport, which once incorporated a tin garden shed and relied heavily on trellis, has been reinvented to suit the home. It now integrates sports gear storage and provides thorough privacy to the sheltered north-west-facing courtyard behind it.
Natasha and Dan's joint interest in interior design is evident in the beautifully light and spacious open-plan living-dining-kitchen area they've created across the rear. It had previously been cut up into kitchen, laundry and dining room and felt dark despite the soaring angled ceilings as they were poorly lit exposed pine.
They achieved a light and lofty atmosphere in this area, which opens to the courtyard and to decks, by lining the ceiling with painted grooved MDF concealing insulation and choosing solid oak flooring.
Natasha says: "It's just been transformed."
She loves cooking healthy food in the Scandinavian-style kitchen the couple designed. Its oak laminate and white painted cabinetry with finger pulls, made at Dan's work, accompanies Corian benches, bar seating, a 90cm wide oven and in-cupboard laundry.
Natasha says: "Sometimes as I'm standing in the kitchen, I see people kayaking around the coastline. And we get gorgeous sunsets."
Pointing out the barn-style sliding oak door opening to the second living area, Natasha explains they chose high specifications as they thought they'd live here longer. They've recarpeted and repainted throughout, upgrading heating to six heat pumps.
The sunny front master bedroom features a rolling ladder on a bar to access extra cupboards above new wardrobing.
Natasha was doubly sure the tiles they'd found for their renovated en suite, resembling white-washed timber, were right when they saw they were named "Jacaranda", like their avenue.
Downstairs are three good-sized bedrooms, an office, a bathroom with bath sheathed in oak, and a separate toilet..
The grounds are low maintenance and lawn-free although Natasha thinks if they'd stayed here longer they might have terraced the bark-covered rear grounds into lawn.
The couple have purchased another property that will trim travel time to their children's other parents and their schools.
28A JACARANDA AVE, BEACH HAVEN • 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 parking spaces. • Land half-share of 895sq m, house 130sq m. • Sale price: CV $1m. • Inspect: Sat/Sun 1.30-2pm. • Auction: Aug 2 6.30pm, 128 Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna (unless sold prior). • Schools: Kauri Park School, Beach Haven School, Birkenhead College. • Contact: Jordan Selwyn, Harcourts, 027 6715882; Brooke Barrass, 021 131 0566, 28ajacarandaave.com/
