Deceased estate, 50 Maungawhau Road, Epsom, Auckland City. Video / Michael Craig
A three-level mid-century house that could be straight out of the set of the TV series Mad Men – but in the heart of Auckland’s double grammar zone – is for sale.
A steel and concrete 1950s home on a sprawling 2020 square metres of land in Epsom, Auckland, has been described as a “time capsule” with the design and decor untouched for decades.
The three-level home in Maungawhau Rd, Epsom, was built in the 1950s by homeowner Colin MacLean and was designed by local architecture practice Rigby Mullan.
A walk through the 230sq m home at 50 Maungawhau Rd is like being transported back in time as each room is packed with unique design features.
A sweeping red steel staircase leads to a floor solely for relaxation and entertainment.
A plush leopard-print plumbed-in bar, bamboo beaded curtains, floor-to-ceiling curtains, a drop-down projector screen and a hidden recording studio tucked behind a curtained wall are just some of the original features.
The sweeping red steel staircase was a typical feature in Rigby Mullan's homes.
“It is so rare to see a property like this that is so original and untouched,” real estate agent Steve Stone, from Ray White, said.
“It is like the set from a movie and you have to see it in person to appreciate it.”
The property – which OneRoof estimates is worth $3.07 million – was designed in 1953 by well-known architect firm Rigby Mullan as a bachelor pad for then-single businessman Colin MacLean.
The second level of the home was designed purely for entertainment with a drop-down projector screen and movie set style.
MacLean died about 20 years ago and his wife Hildegard continued living in the house until she died in December last year.
Colin MacLean owned the successful Colemax Menswear store on Karangahape Rd, founded by his grandfather, for 66 years.
It is understood that he built the house himself and, as a lover of astronomy, cinema and music, added these aspects to the design.
A close family friend described MacLean as “incredibly talented, someone who loved the stars and music and who could build anything from a house to a transistor radio”.
The plumbed-in leopard-print bar was perfect for parties on the entertainment level of the home.
MacLean even produced records at the house under the name Tudor Records.
There were a few wild parties at the bachelor pad before he met and fell in love with Hildegard.
“He was buying clothes in Sydney and he met Hildegard and he wooed her to New Zealand saying she had to come and see the house he had built,” said the friend, who did not want to be named.
“He was such a gentleman and he treated ladies very well.”
A rare photo of Colin MacLean standing in front of the home he built at 50 Maungawhau Road in Epsom, which is now for sale. Photo / Michael Craig
Hildegard moved to New Zealand in the 1960s and in the 1970s her German mother followed.
The couple seamlessly added a bedroom, living room and second kitchen to the home’s design to accommodate her.
The bedroom in Colin and Hildegard MacLean's house in Epsom has the original flocked wallpaper, carpet on the ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Hildegard valued her privacy so she bought the adjoining property at 46 Almorah Rd.
It is understood Hildegard, who also worked at Colemax Menswear, had the bungalow razed by the fire service in the 1980s to retain privacy and add to her gardens.
“She wanted it removed but it was expensive, so the fire service used it as a training fire and burned it down for her,” the friend said.
Egyptian motifs in the garage are Colin MacLean's own designs. Photo / Michael Craig
Stone, who is selling the deceased estate, said location scouts for production companies had called, saying they would pay thousands of dollars a day to use the untouched canvas as a backdrop.
And it’s no wonder, with the wood-panelled entertainment level like stumbling onto the set of the American drama Mad Men.
An aerial shot shows the expansive 2020sq m property and the adjoining 1340sq m site which are both available.
Stone described the property as “ahead of its time” with large glass doors at the corner of the entertainment level engineered to open effortlessly onto the large deck with bright yellow balustrades – a Rigby Mullan signature.
“There are plenty of hidden features that make you realise how clever the design was,” Stone said.
Downpipes that take water from the roof are painted bright yellow and form part of the design. Egyptian motifs in the garage are MacLean’s own creation.
An internal phone system connects all three levels of the home with the lift of a classic cream receiver and a press of a button.
An internal phone system designed by Colin MacLean links the main areas of the three-level house. Photo / Michael Craig
The house sits in the centre of the 2020sq m property, with fellow Ray White agent Sho Mehta describing the expansive garden as “perfect for a family”.
There is also the opportunity to buy the adjoining 1340sq m property on Almorah Rd.
“There is so much to it, it even has an observatory in the garden where the roof slides open to view the sky above,” Mehta said.
“It’s an amazing property and we’d love to see someone buy it who appreciates how special it is.”
The property will be sold at an on-site auction on May 19.
To view the property and see open home times, click here.
Kirsty Wynn is an Auckland-based journalist with more than 20 years’ experience in New Zealand newsrooms. She has covered everything from crime and social issues to the property market and consumer affairs.
