It was night-time when Sheryl McIntyre went to see a one-bedroom cottage for sale in Huia and agreed to buy it without having seen it in daylight.
When she turned up the next day to have another look, she was bowled over by the outlook from the property, which sits on an elevated, native bush-clad site looking out over Foster Bay to the Manukau Heads and the end of the Waitakere Ranges.
"The views were beyond my wildest imagination," says Sheryl, who was 24 at the time.
"They really are spectacular and they are always changing, depending on the weather."
It's been about 35 years since she bought the property and, although the setting is every bit as beautiful and tranquil as it was back then, the cedar and copper house has undergone a complete transformation.
The wall between the lounge and bedroom was removed, creating one big living space.
Another wall was pushed out to create a dining area, and part of the deck was enclosed to accommodate an office with wooden ship-style desk and flooring.
An enormous deck was later added and has been the perfect spot for sitting out and enjoying the view, as well as entertaining friends. Sheryl and her husband, David Seton, were married on the deck and it's been easy to host parties for more than 100 people because there's so much space.
Sheryl was keen to make the most of a large, flat area further up the slope behind the house, and with the help of her architect brother-in-law, came up with a design that has resulted in two separate parts to the house — the living spaces on the lower level and a bedroom wing on the upper one, reached via an outdoor, covered staircase.
"I always wanted to have two separate spaces, and it has worked really well for us," Sheryl says.
There are three bedrooms in the upper level, including a master that enjoys the spectacular views. This part of the house was built in the 1990s. Features like the cedar window shutters that slide out from wall cavities in the bedrooms are evidence of how carefully everything was considered.
6 Foster Ave, Huia. Photo / Supplied
The bathroom is particularly stunning. Designed by Sheryl's sister-in-law, it has a Mediterranean feel thanks to the mosaics and Italian tiles, and makes the most of the private bush setting, with a glass roof over the huge walk-in shower and floor-to ceiling windows.
"It's completely private, you can't be seen," points out Sheryl. The separate toilet also has a large window — "a loo with a view" — and the bathroom on the living level has a similar style.
Also on the upper level is a flat lawn and a summer house. When Sheryl and David's three children were young it was a great spot for sleepovers with friends.
6 Foster Ave, Huia. Photo / Supplied
The home is full of eclectic touches picked up locally and on the family's overseas travels, like the lounge's antique Murano glass light fittings from Venice and the striking brass handles on many of the doors, including kitchen cabinets, that were hand-cast by renowned Kiwi designer Matthew von Sturmer. The kitchen bench is a large piece of recycled rimu, complete with saw marks.
As well as the main deck that looks out over the bay, there are plenty of outdoor living spaces, including a covered deck with an outdoor fire off the kitchen. The original laundry under the house is used as a wine cellar and storage area, and an old-fashioned railway cabin that has been a playhouse and sleep-out now serves as the garden shed.
Sheryl will miss the scenic location and the much-loved home, but she says after nearly four decades, it is time to move on.
