Once it was a Deco damsel in distress. Now it's a Mediterranean marvel. VICKI HOLDER maps the transformation.
Once upon a time, a decrepit little Art Deco box sat on a lovely north-facing section in a highly desirable street of Mt Eden. For some time it waited for a starry-eyed lover to rescue it from its forlorn state of disgrace.
Then four years ago, along came a pragmatic couple. Equipped with specifications a mile long, they wrought a remarkable transformation. Traces of the house's former identity have vanished after a dose of Mediterranean magic.
Recognising that the house would never live up to their expectations, the couple called on architects Don Nelson & Associates to mastermind the changes. After all, it was the gently sloping, full site that pushed their buttons. These were modern sophisticates, not sentimental fools.
Don Nelson recalls that the couple wanted double garaging underneath the house,
prompting some major excavation work. And they wanted decks out the back to make the most of all-day sun. The decks had to link fluidly with the garden below and the house had to have good indoor/outdoor flow from the living areas. There was to be no compromising on what they wanted to achieve. Quality had to be the very best.
Says Don: "We added on out the back and opened the whole house up to the sun and garden." In the process of this major renovation, a modern Mediterranean design took shape. Smart angles and sweeping curves in a simple plastered style roll down the property towards a tranquil tropical oasis of garden.
So radical were the changes, the house may as well be new. It has that crisp freshness and sensible contemporary layout that renovations don't often manage to achieve. From the entry foyer, through the bedrooms and to the kitchen and living areas, the house is light and sunny.
Instead of the usual picket fence, the house resides behind a pale ochre plastered wall with an impressive cedar gate in the middle. Visitors enter across a terracotta-tiled courtyard to arrive at an entry hall between two of the three bedrooms.
Double glazed doors open to a sun-filled living area. A curved, faceted window lets light inside all day long. In winter, the Jetmaster fire is ablaze most nights to make this as cosy a room as any in Mt Eden. In summer, the doors to the balcony remain open.
With its sisal-look carpet and dramatic sculptural aluminium lights, the mood in this room is urban rather than suburban.
That mood flows into the kitchen which fits neatly between wrap-around north-facing decks and a dining area. The kitchen cabinetry is solid rimu with a rimu breakfast bar. A linen-textured stainless steel bench contrasts with the sleek stainless steel Smeg appliances and Stephane Rondel aluminium door knobs. Emerald green Morris & James tiles inject vibrant colour behind the bench.
Tiled floors continue outside on to the big deck which continues back to outside the superbly located master bedroom. This bedroom has a private, north-facing aspect and opens through double doors to the deck. It also opens from the living area and straight into the family bathroom, as though it were an en suite. A short passage between the living area and the bathroom contains a nifty laundry and storage area.
Stairs from this upstairs living area glide down a curved wall to the garden below. One of the owners, a professional landscaper and handyman, is responsible for the design and planting of the seductive water feature under the majestic pohutukawa. At least five men hauled huge rocks from under the old house to create the bush-like setting of native grasses, palms and papyrus which encircle a fishpond. The rock extraction also made way for a huge, under-house storage area.
Not what you¹d expect to find in Mt Eden, this sunny, contemporary design has fulfilled a demanding wish list to become a very special place for a family to call home.
Vital Statistics:
Address: 113 Peary Rd, Mt Eden
Features: Mediterranean-style home, three bedrooms, open-plan living, north-facing balcony, double garage, landscaped gardens
Tender: Closes 4 pm Wednesday, July 26. Owners will consider long settlement
Agent: Faye Flegg, Century 21 Main Realty, Mt Eden. Ph 630 5685 bus; 620 5163 ah; 021 665 163 mob
A daring rescue
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