Suzanne Barber says living for much of her childhood in an historic home in Remuera has likely influenced her preference for traditional architectural styles. The co-owner of Newmarket's interior design store Allium Interiors certainly enjoys the same understated, elegant aesthetic typical of many older Remuera homes.
Which is probably why this Manawa Rd home appealed instantly to Suzanne when she and partner Clive Imrie came to an open home here six years ago. Clive, a Surrey-born Englishman who immigrated to New Zealand in 1960, is also a fan of older, traditional houses, which he feels are designed to a more human scale than many modern homes, which he finds soulless.
The couple had been living in an apartment in nearby Victoria Ave and had no intention of moving, but they were taken by the graceful elegance of this three-level house, which Suzanne says has "an excellent feel and great indoor-outdoor flow".
Built in the 1860s, the house was originally only a few metres from Auckland's shoreline before land north of Manawa Rd was reclaimed. Today, that land includes picturesque Martyn Fields Reserve, which is directly across the road from the couple's property and leads to the excellent walkways that have been developed around Hobson Bay and the Orakei Basin.
