Urban utopia for busy family in Newton

6 Kirk Street, Newton, Auckland. Photo / Ted Baghurst

6 KIRK ST NEWTON

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SIZE: Land 307sq m, house 800sq m approx.

PRICE INDICATION: Buyers over $1 million invited to inspect. CV $1.4 million (no body corp). Auction July 20, 6pm on site.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 12-12.30pm and Wed 5.30-6pm.

ON THE WEB: customresidential.co.nz/CR2986

SCHOOL ZONES: Newton Central, Kowhai Intermediate, Auckland Girls' Grammar, Western Springs College.

CONTACT: Keith and Sandy Dowdle, Custom Residential, ph 021 877 905.

FEATURES: Live-and-work space within walking distance of Ponsonby, K Rd and CBD. Main living space of 200sq m refurbished as open-plan loft-style home with three-bedroom family pod. Building includes purpose-built gym/yoga studio, commercial loading dock, office space and warehousing. Zoning allows for a future storey on top.

HeraldHomes accepts an invitation to join a yoga session before looking through this mixed-use, live-and-work building on the fringe of Ponsonby.

Not only is the class a chance to improve technique under the guidance of instructor Pam McDonald in her custom-built yoga studio, but it also allows an appreciation of the building's diversity.

Pam has taught for 17 years and runs Newton Yoga in the building where she and husband Craig live with their children, Kelly and Will.

Craig tells of the journey in which the commercial building of 800sq m floor area became multifunctional.

The McDonald family bought the premises for their textile building in the 1980s. "We were in Elliott St and we were literally chased out of the building by Chase Corporation," he explains.

They found these premises in Newton, just off Great North Rd, which suited the business as it offered large warehouse space to store bulk fabric. The business was supplying local garment manufacturers but then demand for fabric started to drop as more manufacturing moved offshore.

"That's the way of the world. You can't rant against it," says Craig.

Moving with the changing times, the company merged the textiles into another operation and the McDonalds decided to refurbish the warehouse space.

The intention was to offer it as mixed use for Newton's changing dynamics as more architects, web designers and music industries moved into the area.

They refurbished the building for a live-and-work purpose, hardwiring it for internet connections, double-glazing the large upstairs windows and adding insulation.

They didn't change too much aesthetically, liking the industrial chic look of concrete block walls and polished concrete floors; but adding carpet and tiles in the family's upstairs bedrooms and bathroom pod. French designer Stephane Rondel assisted with the refurbishment, providing signature touches such as the plywood stairway, the kitchen's island bench and the dining table legs.

As the refurbishment neared completion, a tenant was lined up but it was at this stage that Kelly and Will, then 18 and 21, voiced what Mum and Dad were already thinking ... that this large, open-plan living space would make a great family base.

"Pam and I said, 'This is cool! We should live here for a while'," says Craig.

Their one concern was how they would heat such a large space (some 200sq m) but Craig says they have found it no harder to heat than the villa they had in Ponsonby. "It turned out not to be an issue."

In late 2009, the family moved in.

You enter their townhouse from Kirk St, walking up the stairs, with the yoga studio on the right, then into Craig's office, which has floor-to-ceiling curtains sectioning it off from the main living and dining area. "We have the computer area, then the kitchen. There's the TV area, the music space with piano and there's even a table foosball," he says.

On warm days, they slide open the large windows and bring the outdoors inside as they look over Newton and across to Mt Eden.

In the street corner area is the kitchen with a large, walk-in pantry ... which isn't so much as pantry as a regular-sized room.

Stairs beside the office lead up to the three bedrooms, bathroom and another lounge. Again, this was originally done with business in mind and the bedrooms could, instead, be offices with the bonus of including a domestic-style bathroom and shower - perfect for people who cycle to work or run at lunchtime. The roof of this upper area is angled slightly to follow the exterior roofline.

There is another office/warehouse space off the Monmouth St entrance.

But now the family's neat urban pad is for sale. Kelly and William are old enough to fend for themselves and Pam and Craig have decided to sell their townhouse while there is a strong demand for urban property and buy a beach house while that market is weak.

Pam has to say goodbye to her custom-designed yoga studio and Craig will miss the convenience of the inner-city location - and the abundance of space. "We have become used to having such space now that when we go to other homes, the rooms seem so small."