A treasure of architecture

57A Mt St John Ave, Epsom, belonging to Sandy Sitters and husband Greg. Photo / supplied

57A MT ST JOHN AVE, EPSOM

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SIZE: Land 1214sq m, house 285sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: Early $3 millions.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1pm-1.30pm.

ON THE WEB: barfoot.co.nz/564515

SCHOOL ZONES: Epsom Primary, Auckland Normal Intermediate, double grammar.

CONTACT: Trevor Wyness, Barfoot & Thompson, 021 976 906.

AUCTION: March 9.

Sandy Sitters isn't sure who was the architect of the family home she and husband Greg bought 15 years ago when they returned from Sydney. At the time, she was more interested in getting the family settled in a neighbourhood that was close to schools and easy to get around (daughter Amanda was 14 at the time, son Cam 11). She admits to exhausting the real estate options when she'd travelled to Auckland to scout homes and schools, so when Greg, on a later trip to Auckland, spotted this shingled right-of-way house, she was assured it was perfect. Family helped with the vetting and the place was theirs.

"Greg loved the locale immediately, he knew it would be perfect," says Sandy. "It's been ideal -- the kids walked to school, Newmarket and Parnell, everything was in an easy radius, the bones were great. This house is really spacious, but feels quite compact because the rooms are connected to each other."

The couple were told that the two-storeyed house, built sometime in the mid-nineties and later modified with an additional wing, had earned architectural awards and it is easy to see why. The striking exterior, with its mullioned windows, an oriel window at the double-height atrium is inventive, but nods to the street of gracious Arts and Crafts bungalows. The Sitters were lucky enough to have established trees around them, so Sandy's landscaping focus was to create easy-care borders and a gracious avenue of flowering cherry trees along the driveway. The sweeps of lawn front and back are flat and ideal for kids to run around, although now the family mostly spend time on the curving sweeps of deck in the backyard, ideal for afternoon sun.

Image 1 of 5: Spacious with a sweeping landscape, this family home has perfect flow for large gatherings. Photos / supplied

Inside, finishes on the original house were so good that, apart from some paint, carpeting and new drapes, the family did not have to make substantial changes. The kitchen, with its granite benches and panelled cabinetry in smokey pinks and blues looks like new, while the three bathrooms have the original striking Mediterranean-style tiling. Clearly the original owners had specified good quality -- door handles are weighty bronze, light fittings are classic, the cedar shutters at most of the reception room windows have never needed replacing.

The flow of rooms in the house has worked well for the family, letting them host crowds of 50 or more for parties. Reception rooms radiate from the double height entry lobby, with another double-height space for a formal living room, complete with fireplace, opening to the formal dining room.

Both this and the kitchen open on to the generous family room, which has banks of built-in cupboards, a pretty window seat and french doors opening to the sunny afternoon deck. On this floor there is also a bedroom suite, currently used as an office as it overlooks the entrance, but it would be an ideal guest, nanny or teen suite. A separate laundry also has a guest loo.

Upstairs are the main three bedrooms. Two good-sized double bedrooms have built-in wardrobes, and leafy views around the neighbourhood, as well as shared bathroom. The master suite, added in a later renovation, is entered through a library corridor. As well as the en suite and closets, it has an office nook and a pretty dressing table for Sandy. The Juliet balcony, with more views around the neighbouring tree tops, is a perfect place to begin and end the day.

The house has been a big part of the Sitters' lives, but now both children are married. Sandy admits they still consider this their home and are horrified at their parents' decision to sell to downsize.

She says, "I do really want another family to come here and love this and use it as much as we do."