Coastal: Heaven's gate

By VICKI HOLDER

Returning from Ireland six years ago meant farewelling the fast-paced European fashion world to embrace a simple, South Pacific paradise.

Judy and Ken Thompson discovered their heaven on a clifftop overlooking the beach in Stanmore Bay, Whangaparaoa.

As ex-pats on the hunt, they made sea views their top priority. What they have achieved with this property, however, is nothing short of sensational.

Living areas spill out to vast outdoor entertaining terraces gathered around a big pool – a sheet of blue that projects into the sky and floats above the bay.

There's trickery involved, of course. In reality the pool disappears over a weir. And if you look over the weir, you discover a big stretch of lawn on another level further down. This clever design gives an unbroken view of Stanmore Bay with the benefits of total privacy and security.

"It's beachfront living without the day-troopers," quips Judy. "We're actually about a two-minute walk from the beach. Access is a couple of doors away. But if I see anyone I know down there, I drop everything and go. And I'm there in a matter of seconds. You are never lonely because you can always sit and look at the action on the bay."

It's not just the location that Judy loves, as the house works really well. It's open and spacious yet intimate.

"When there are just the two of us at home, it closes its arms around us," she says. "But when the children come or friends come to stay, it opens them again and gives us plenty of space."

The Thompsons live on the upstairs level nearly all year round, retiring to the library/sitting area (half a level down) when they want to hide away from the sun. The upper living space is completely open to a full-height entry gallery, which is flooded with light from skylights above. The lounge and dining area is part of the same space, which follows big windows and doors around the deck to the kitchen.

Like many of the steep-pitched ceilings in the house, the kitchen is timber. Solid kauri cabinetry is complemented by dark grey granite benchtops.

While Judy doesn't like clutter, she prefers to have everything handy, so all the appliances and gadgets are hidden yet easily accessed. Two big cutlery drawers are complemented by an integrated implements drawer with customised slots.

The couple's bedroom, with its fitted dressing room and big, tiled en suite, is the only separate room on the upper level, besides a small study at the front door. Three more big bedrooms nestle on the lower level with yet another comfortable lounge extending to the terrace. Outside, a large table and chairs sit under a covered porch awaiting alfresco diners.

Concepts pivotal to Judy's fashion business loom large in her home. She has taken a minimalist approach to the interior, which gives her the freedom to ring seasonal changes with accessories.

In winter, for example, she throws Persian rugs over the large-tiled floors throughout the home. The walls are white, giving her carte blanche to opt for any decorating style. With
privacy not an issue and their love of the sun and views, most of the windows lack curtain treatments.

Storage is plentiful so nothing is on show that doesn't have to be. Besides the spacious laundry and the room-size linen cupboard on the landing, the bedrooms without walk-in dressing rooms have floor-to-ceiling, fitted cupboards. Mirrors, shelving and power points are concealed behind big kauri sliding doors.

The landscaping around the house is equally as simple. Planting has been reduced to a clean line of green hedging to throw a softer note against the white walls. Large concrete pavers in the front and back are self-cleaning, meaning that the rain does all the work. There's no garden as you approach the house from the road, just parking for the boat and a sweeping wall of stairs arching down to the forecourt in front of a big triple-car garage.

Paring the housekeeping back to a minimum means that the Thompsons have time to relax – when they're not swimming, jogging, kayaking, fishing and entertaining, that is. Now they devote their time to the important things in life.

Vital Statistics:

Address: 28 Ardern Ave, Stanmore Bay, Whangaparaoa.

Features: Six-year-old home overlooking Stanmore Bay with swimming pool; large
paved outdoor entertaining terraces; high ceilings; two living areas on upper and lower levels; library; four bedrooms, main bedroom with en suite and dressing room; study; solid kauri kitchen; internal vac system; laundry; good storage areas and security.

Size: 943 sq m.

Price: Upwards of $1.4 million.

Agent: David Boyle and Grant Lynch, Unlimited Potential. Ph David 529 0560 bus; 0274 398 830 mob; Grant 529 0592 bus; 0274 965 655 mob.