By VICKI HOLDER
Building a pristine architecturally-designed home in an inner-city suburb is almost an impossible dream. But recently a handful of grand old properties in Remuera's best streets came onto the market, giving a rare opportunity to build.
Making the most of this good fortune, a young developer, a woman in
her 20s, who already has several successful projects behind her, purchased a large, prime site halfway along Victoria Ave - arguably Auckland's most sought-after street. Having completed her homework on the street, she recognised the demand for big family homes of exceptional quality. Rather than carve the site into a series of small townhouse lots, she decided to build two outstanding homes with fully landscaped gardens.
Her approach was to engage top design professionals to create the elegant living environments. Starting with architect Brian Cullen, she began with a traditional Tuscan theme. Although the homes are different, they complement each other with richly coloured traditional solid plaster exteriors and meticulous detailing.
The home to the rear, beyond the automatic galvanised steel gate, conveys a warm atmosphere with orange Marseilles tile roofing, deep copper spouting and stained cedar-clad sectional-folding garage doors. Colour designer Karen Ferguson selected the mushroom colour of the walls.
Stylish boxed mesh copper lights at the entry and a squiggle of chrome that forms the Paul Mason door handle are examples of the striking design details that leave an impression.
Inside, French limestone inset with Brazilian rosewood meets a luxurious Spanish 100 per cent pure wool carpet that flows upstairs and into five bedrooms. The entry opens through double doors to an elegant formal lounge with Brazilian rosewood parquet flooring extending to a Hinuera stone fireplace on a feature wall. Bifold doors draw back so the room adjoins a fossilstone terrace which wraps around a lap pool. Cedar plantation shutters stained a similar dusky grape colour to the walls give privacy at the windows.
The formal room leads to the kitchen, open to a spacious family living space that also overlooks the terrace and pool. Burnt orange silk curtains billow in the breeze around a room alluringly furnished by interior designer David McNee.
The kitchen is a German Poggeenpohl design. A combination of rich cherrywood and ice blue cabinetry combine with the clean industrial look of linen-textured stainless steel, and a pale, streaky white slab of marble forms an island bench in the middle of the room. Appliances are Gaggenau - and even the American Standard tapware looks sensational.
As David McNee comments: "If she [the developer] continues putting this standard of fitting into her homes, all the other developers will go broke trying to keep up!"
A small study poised at the end of the hallway sits beside the fifth bedroom, with its own tastefully appointed en suite. This room opens to a terrace, a whimsical checkerboard of pavers and grass, with a view along the grassy lawn towards the pool emphasising how large the section really is.
Also on the ground floor are a mosaic-tiled guest bathroom with a pretty limestone vanity and a laundry featuring neat limed timber cabinetry with slide-out drawers.
Up the hand-finished waxed wrought-iron staircase, small halogens guide you to a landing where you can look down to the entry, which is lit by a contemporary Italian aluminium and glass chandelier. Three of the bedrooms have huge walk-in wardrobes, and the master dressing room is fitted with drawers, shelving and a superb roll-out shoe and tie-rack.
However, the master en suite is the piece de resistance - an elegant room that takes your breath away. Square white basins with Philippe Starck tapware perch on timber plinths. A double shower hosts rows of powerful massage pumps and a large Italian shower rose. And recessed in one corner, with halogens set into a timber frame, the spa bath looks equally inviting.
It's hard to believe a developer has put so much effort into a home where she will never live. She has spared no expense. But this is the kind of quality she believes everyone deserves.
Vital statistics:
Address: 164B Victoria Ave, Remuera.
Features: New five-bedroom home designed by architect Brian Cullen with landscaping by Natural Habitats; Poggenpohl kitchen; riverstone driveway; rosewood parquet flooring; Messina Wilton carpet; bathrooms and entry have thermostatically-controlled underfloor heating; gas bayonet fittings to ground and upper levels; gas fireplace; data points to lounge, family study and bedrooms; alarm with zone control, emergency button and remote control; video intercom; central vac; wired for speakers.
Size: Land area 613 sq m. Floor area 364.6 sq m, including deck.
Tender: Closes February 13.
Agent: Jenny Kek, Barfoot & Thompson, Remuera. Ph 524 0149 bus; 522 4523 ah; 025 994 188 mob.
By VICKI HOLDER
Building a pristine architecturally-designed home in an inner-city suburb is almost an impossible dream. But recently a handful of grand old properties in Remuera's best streets came onto the market, giving a rare opportunity to build.
Making the most of this good fortune, a young developer, a woman in
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