Parnell: High and mighty

Five flights of stairs will keep you fit in this New York-inspired apartment.

2 Augustus Tce, Parnell.

Graham and Annie Beattie ride their matching Vespas into their garage.

He goes downstairs to the new, booklined study with its leafy outlook, to continue reading the 208 books he has been through so far this year (he is convenor of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards judging panel). She goes upstairs to paint in her studio. Her work is plainly inspired by her job working in fashion designer Trelise Cooper's Parnell shop - or maybe it's the other way round?

Graham and Annie's distinctive Brent Hulena-designed Parnell apartment is five storeys high and one room wide, with a rooftop terrace. Its unusual shape refers to New York's Flatiron Building, and also to the splinter of land on which it perches.

Developer Gary Groves was obviously so taken by the Flatiron Building that the kitchen bench is also iron-shaped.

"We're in the regular-shaped bit of the building," says Graham, showing me the square end of the bench.

The pair say they tend to stand at the tall bench having a few drinks with friends before heading out to one of the 60 or so bars and restaurants a block away on Parnell's main street.

The large living and dining area, which includes the kitchen, is on the fourth level, above the guest bathroom and bedrooms (one of which is currently used for painting). Under that is the garage, and the study is right at the bottom of the building.

A dumb waiter takes groceries and suitcases up and down, but visitors use the stairs.

The Beatties say they love the way that at the end of a night entertaining, guests go downstairs to their room and they go upstairs to the master bedroom.

"It's very private. No one can hear anyone else." This layout would also be excellent for teenagers, they say.

"It's a wonderful kitchen. When we looked at it six years ago, the developer lived here. He built it for himself to live in. It's all Phillipe Starck fittings," Graham says.

Above the stainless-steel oven are windows looking over Fraser Park.

"I love the way when you stand at the kitchen you have the harbour behind you, and you can see it in the reflection in the steel," Annie says. Turn around and you can see across the ports to the sea.

All appliances are hidden behind the same dark, stained wood from which the sculpted bench is made.

Even the stereo is hidden in chocolate-coloured cabinetry, and speakers in the wall channel music to different levels.

The three top levels have balconies with increasingly splendid views.

The guest bathroom is quite something, but the master bedroom's bathroom is even better. There are limestone walls and a basin made of wavy wood fronted with glass to keep the water in.

Sliding doors create a passage to channel guests up the stairs to the rooftop terrace.

From here you can see Rangitoto and Waiheke islands off to the right. On a spotless day you can even see out to the Coromandel Peninsula.

The Beatties partially roofed it and put in a canvas awning so it can be used on hot days and when it's raining. They also built a massive Italian stone bar - which stays because it would take a crane to remove it - with cupboards underneath for essentials like a bar fridge and binoculars.

"We've had opera singers up here. When we first came here [New Zealand tenor] Simon O'Neill sang 'Bless this house'."

Up there, the house's security system comes into its own. A camera positioned at the front door sends images up to the roof, so the Beatties can let in guests by pressing a button, rather than running down the stairs.

The front door also has a child-proof lock to stop their grandchildren running out onto the street, and the property is keyless and gardenless.

"It's very easy to lock up and leave," they say.

The couple, who spend increasing amounts of time at their beach house, have decided to move back into another townhouse they had rented out, which is smaller.

"This place is so lovely, and so big, but we just don't spend enough time in it."

Vital Statistics

SIZE: 182sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: Interest expected over $950,000. Auction May 11.

INSPECT: By appointment.

CONTACT: Suzanne Brown and Amy Olsen, Bayleys, ph Suzanne 021 830 096 mob, Amy 021 878 435 mob.

FEATURES: All-weather rooftop terrace 'blessed' by international opera singer, main bedroom and guest bedrooms divided by large living area, views, large study, close to bars and shops, keyless, gardenless.