Being avid collectors of New Zealand art, Julie and Bruce Trethewey have a big moving job on their hands when they leave their penthouse.
Especially as they have such a large apartment -- occupying the entire top floor -- that they have populated with sculptures, painting and ceramics.
"Downsizing is not going to be easy," says Julie with a laugh.
Julie, who has worked at Auckland City Art Gallery as a guide, says as well as enjoying art they have been proud supporters of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and the Auckland Museum, hosting gatherings at their home. "We've had an easy 50 or 60 people here on different occasions and the apartment copes with it easily with the two living rooms and the balcony."
The couple bought the apartment 14 years ago from an elderly couple who had bought it off the plans but decided not to move in. Designed by Brian Cullen, of Paterson, Cullen, Irwin, the Belgravia building is as classically styled as its name suggests, set in manicured formal landscaping and has only five apartments with plenty of guest parking out the front.
"It's great being such a small development because everybody knows each other here and we are one of the three originals who bought into here who are still living here," says Julie.
Another aspect she loves is the security system that controls entry to the building, the lift and the basement garage where the couple have three car parks and a storage locker.
Only they can access their floor, where they have a lobby outside the lift that can be locked off from the apartment itself.
The main entrance off the lobby takes you past a guest bedroom with balcony and en suite into a foyer where you can head through to the formal dining room that transitions into a formal lounge opening out to a deep loggia that spans the building's width and is north-facing with views across the suburb and out to Orakei Basin.
Image 1 of 14: Art lovers' penthouse has plenty of space and sun, top security, plus that building-striding loggia
Either side of the formal lounge are the master bedroom suite and the kitchen/family room and they both open on to the loggia, which has reticulated gas for the barbecue.
"It's a fabulous entertaining area out here and the shutters at either end mean it is quite sheltered," says Julie.
"Even in winter it's a beautiful spot to have lunch."
Back-to-back gas fires warm the carpeted lounge and the neighbouring family room, which has American oak floors.
There is also central heating to call on. Picture windows on the eastern wall flood the kitchen/family room with light.
"In the mornings it's gorgeously sunny in here and I get caught out sometimes when I go out because I don't realise how cold it is."
Expanses of gleaming stone benches provide plenty of food preparation space in a kitchen that has copious storage.
Behind the kitchen is a study and further into this wing of the house are a bathroom and two more bedrooms, one of which Julie has set up as an art room.
She says this part of the apartment would be perfect for a nanny or someone wanting to live independently as there is a separate entry off the lobby.
Over the other side of this level sits the master suite with large tiled en suite and spacious dressing room.
The master bedroom opens to the western end of the loggia, which has speakers from a Bose sound system that operates in other zones in the house.
Julie says she and Bruce are not so much downsizing as trying to find a home that is more appropriate for hosting their four young and energetic grandchildren.
