Woodhill: Taste of Ponsonby

SHARON NEWEY checks out a designer rural gem where modern edges meet restful surrounds.

It's like a little piece of Ponsonby dropped down in Auckland's rural west. Minus the cheek-by-jowl living and the pretensions, that is, and plus absolute privacy and bush outlooks.

This is the sort of sleek architecture you would expect of inner-city suburbs but with its corrugated Zincalume and creosote-coloured cedar cladding, the house has echoes of New Zealand's rural past. Certainly at 52m long (and only six wide), it wouldn't fit on a typical suburban site.

Here, it spreads its long lean limbs out along the gentle slopes of a low-maintenance 4ha block, opening its long side to the northern sun and views into the open tree tops. One arm of the house is the adult domain with a master bedroom, en suite, walk-in wardrobe, study and huge laundry, while the other is for the children, with three more bedrooms, a bathroom and internal access to the double garage.

The year-old house is a family collaboration. Designed by the owner's sister, Julie Wilson, who works for Carnachan Architects, and Gary Lawson of Stevens Lawson Architects, it was built by the owner's father and brother. So not only does it have top-quality design pedigree but was crafted with a loving and skilled hand.

At the centre of the house, a family living and dining area sits alongside the handsome Meranti ply kitchen. Siligna gum floors spread like gold beneath your feet and, like other materials, were chosen for durability. "When you have five children, you don't want to panic about anything being damaged," says the owner.

One wall of this living area opens completely through huge cavity sliders, creating a 9m gap, to a 6m-wide deck. Covered by a cantilevered roof, the deck nearly doubles the living space. A second deck a few steps down and balcony extensions mean that every room in the house opens to the outdoors.

During summer's height, three tall and narrow louvred windows in the back wall of the living space open to let in pine-scented breezes from neighbouring Woodhill Forest.

Two steps down towards the children's wing, a second living area provides a more formal gathering place. Like the family room, it has an open wood fire.

The master suite is decadence-plus. The bedroom has two full walls of glass, overlooking pasture and trees, but is completely private. The en suite has a luxurious French bath and a "loo with a view". As with all of the other wardrobes, the walk-in robe is fully kitted out with racks, shelves and drawers.

You won't get caught out soaking in the tub - or whatever - as visitors must drive through security gates to get to the house. Dubbed "the mother-in-law's gate", they add to the extreme privacy of this property. The current owners lived on a gulf island for seven years so coming to live on the mainland was a culture shock. This property has given them a buffer to city life without any loss of amenities. Helensville is a five-minute drive away; the bulk retail centre of Westgate is 20 minutes away and Auckland city just 40 minutes.

Woodhill Forest is through the back gate, literally, and the beaches and open spaces of this western playground are, not so literally, on your doorstep. Bye bye Ponsonby, hello Woodhill.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: 21a Goudie Rd, Woodhill.

FEATURES: Architect-designed, beautifully appointed 52m-long house; four bedrooms plus study; two living areas with back-to-back fireplaces; full en suite and walk-in wardrobe; main bathroom; huge entertaining deck; big laundry; double garage; security gates with intercom; 4000-gallon watertank.

SIZE: Land 4ha; house approx 300sq m.

TENDER CLOSES: July 30.

AGENT: Des Hawkes, Century 21, Helensville. Ph 09 420 8360 bus; 09 420 8905 ah; 025 953 240 mob.