Freemans Bay: Shaking out her petticoats

Homes like No 67 reflect the changes Freemans Bay has seen over the years - having gone from highly fashionable to rough and ready, and back to being very much in demand.

This grand, fashionable, old lady of Freemans Bay is all set to dust herself down for another spin on the market.

Part of the charm of living in Wood St, Freemans Bay, is sitting on your front deck of a morning and greeting passing neighbours by name, says the owner of number 67, Patrick Strange.

"It's the community that I'll miss. It's unique. Maybe somewhere like San Francisco has something like it, but it's pretty rare. Most places you spend your life trying to shield yourself from your neighbours but here you know everyone by name, and even though you've got privacy in the back yard you still feel part of a close-knit community."

Number 67 is typical of many of the 120-year-old villas in the street that reflect the changes of Freemans Bay itself. From high fashion to down-at-heel and back again - the suburb is now much in demand. It was once the home of the gentry, who could stroll down to the beach at the foot of Franklin Rd while servants and maids lived at the foot of the hill. Simpler villas like number 67 were probably the homes of the carpenters and craftsmen, says Patrick.

However, with the land reclamation around Victoria Park, the city retreated, the beach disappeared and for much of the 20th century the suburb was out of fashion. Older Aucklanders remember it as a rough and ready sort of place.

"Around the 1970s this house was in four bedsits, with all the verandas built in," says Patrick. No sign of that now. In the 1980s, as Freemans Bay's fortunes rose, the house was converted back into a single dwelling, and when Patrick bought it 14 years ago he carried out a renovation that added a master bedroom and office to the upper storey.

Walk in the door and much of the original villa layout has been retained - note the polished kauri floors and batten-and-board ceilings. The back of the house has been reconfigured to an open-plan layout, with a roomy cedar and glass conservatory providing an all-weather dining and family room. Large doors open to the very private back yard, which is planted in natives.

Rather poetically for a Wood St house, this one has been renovated with an emphasis on timber. The kitchen was put in during the 1980s, and has lasted the distance because it is made almost entirely of solid Australian jarrah. When Patrick installed a dishwasher he matched the cladding to the rest of the cupboards. Floors in the upstairs addition are polished matai. A brick island in the kitchen contains a potbelly stove, which effectively heats the whole house in winter.

There are two bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs. Windows above the clawfoot bath open to the conservatory, and Patrick says you can sit in the bath and be entertained by music or conversation, if you wish.

Also downstairs is the original front room, which Patrick refers to as the snug. Snug it is, with an open fire and book-lined shelving. The ceiling has been lowered in this room to accommodate the office above, and as you climb the stairs the dramatic views are revealed. The office is light and airy, and then several more steps lead you to the master bedroom.

The view from this room and terrace is the highlight of the house. The Sky Tower appears close enough to touch, and on this perfect summer's day the harbour is peppered with yachts and ferries. It's an outlook that will never be built out.

The master bedroom also contains a walk-in wardrobe and en suite.

These latest renovations were designed by Auckland architect Lillian Chrystall, who lives in the same road. At street level, the addition, with its dormer windows, blends in well with the age of the house.

The icing on the cake, of course, is the proximity to Ponsonby Rd. The house is tucked in a relatively quiet side street but is just two minutes' walk from restaurant row, and walking distance from the CBD.

Sales agent Gillian Brodie, of Barfoot & Thompson, says prices have surged in Freemans Bay in the last two to three years, with six properties selling in 2004 for $1 million or more.

"This area sits on the doorstep of the city. Most of the homes have great character and potential to improve, and most have stunning views - fabulous at night," she says.

After 14 years in the street, Patrick, a former chief executive of Mercury Energy, is throwing all his cards in the air with a complete change of lifestyle - he's bought a 120ha sheep and beef farm near Gisborne.

"I've decided to go back to my first love, which is farming. I was a shepherd before I became an engineer, and I've always loved that life. Anyway, farming has become very high-tech these days and it's very much part of the knowledge industry."

Meanwhile, number 67 is one grand old dame of the bay who's shaking out her petticoats for another whirl on the market.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: 67 Wood St, Freemans Bay.

FEATURES: Three bedrooms (master bedroom has en suite, dressing room and terrace with views of harbour and city); conservatory-style living and dining; open-plan kitchen and dining; separate lounge with open fire; two bathrooms.

SIZE: Floor area approximately 190sq m; land area 387sq m.

AUCTION: March 16, Barfoot & Thompson's city rooms. CV $760,000.

AGENT: Gillian Brodie, Barfoot & Thompson. Ph 021 906 811 mob.