Remuera: Living in cyber space

A futuristic home offers luxury as well as high-tech gadgetry, writes Lucy Richmond.

194A Victoria Ave, Remuera.

You know how it is. Heading down the motorway as you take off for a weekend away, you're suddenly gripped with panic as you wonder if you switched off the stove in the scramble to leave. As the owner of this up-to-the-minute, almost space-age home, you'd have no such worries.

You could be on the other side of the world, and turn the fridge off in the kitchen or the heating on for the swimming pool with your mobile phone, explains the home's owner and creator, architect Wanbin Sun.

He's describing what he calls his electronic servant - a state-of-the-art computer system that controls, well, virtually everything that can be switched on or off in and around the house.

It is one of the many features that give the smart home a futuristic feel. Light sensors switch the lights on as you enter the kitchen and bathrooms, while the kitchen is an ultra-modern combination of white benchtops, frosted glass and stainless steel. In the formal living area on the lower level, the chunky red and white leather sofas and light fittings - which include an enormous stainless-steel reading lamp and a contemporary chandelier suspended in the double-height entrance - could be straight out of the Starship Enterprise.

All the furniture has been sourced from China and is included in the sale.

"I couldn't find the materials in New Zealand to create the look I wanted, so I got everything specially made overseas to suit the spaces," says Wanbin, who designed the property with his wife and business partner, Anita. They sourced the bathroom fittings and textured wall and floor tiles from Italy, and the dark timber flooring from Brazil. Even the commercial-grade, nautical-style staircase, which snakes up a vast, curved wall of glass to the second floor, was made in China.

As well as a dining area, the ground floor manages to incorporate a bar and home theatre system, with an office, utility room, shower room, a fifth bedroom and internal access to the double garage tucked away at the rear.

Bifold doors open to the pool, barbecue area and a small garden, where pebbles and a lawn keep the maintenance down.

Three bedrooms, the main bathroom, the sleek kitchen and a second living space occupy the second storey. Some nifty features here include the gas hob and a sink unit hidden behind sliding doors. There's a dumb waiter to carry the groceries up from the garage or the dinner party food down to the dining area below, and a large gas fire with lights on either side set into the island bench.

A small flight of stairs heads up to the master bedroom, which reveals an en suite that makes you go "Wow". Encased in glass, which is mirrored to protect from prying eyes, you can enjoy a soak in the magnificent oval tub or a rinse under the multi-head shower while taking in the view across the Remuera rooftops to the city beyond.

Wanbin says he wanted the home to cater for modern, lavish family life.

" I wanted to incorporate every element of luxury I could think of, as well as modern materials and technologies."

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 420sq m, house 334sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: Offers expected over $2.2 million. Auction August 21.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1.45-2.30pm, Wed 6-7pm.

CONTACT: Frank Heath, Harcourts, ph 638 6469 bus, 021 334 569 mob.

FEATURES: Architect-designed, three-level, ultra-modern family residence with state-of-the-art home automation system, heated swimming pool, underfloor heating in bathrooms and low-maintenance garden. The custom-designed furniture and artwork is included in the package.