St Marys Bay: Checkered history

What was once a house of ill-repute has shaken off its shady past, writes Penny Lewis.

17 Melford St, St Marys Bay.

The view from this home on the sunny slopes of St Mary's Bay is wonderful, but it's doubtful that gentlemen callers here in the late 19th century would have paid much attention to the harbour vista.

Current owner Anthea Baker-Shreeve says a neighbour told her the house used to be a brothel back in those days. Apparently the separate entrance off the front porch into what is now a home office used to be the madam's quarters.

The house has come a long way from one of ill-repute to a comfortable and spacious family home. Set over three levels, it is deceptively large given its appearance from the street.

Anthea shares the home with husband Simon Shreeve and her sons Joshua, 14, and Luke, 12. She's an interior designer with Property Plus who also does home-staging and helps her clients clear their clutter. Her own handiwork is evident at home, where the best of old and new combine.

With a single garage discreetly tucked to one side, the house opens up from the central entrance hall into a generous open plan space, which includes the main living area, dining room and a modern kitchen. Your eye is drawn to the view outside, which stretches from the harbour bridge to Takapuna and the Sky Tower. From the deck here you can also see two marinas, Westhaven in the foreground and Bayswater in the distance.

When Anthea and Simon bought the house two years ago, a lot of major renovation work had already been done, but the couple realigned some walls, repainted and generally made it a fresh, clean space. "We've really up-speced it as much as possible," Anthea says.

Their quest for top quality fittings can be seen in the guest space on the same floor as the kitchen, where Anthea opted for Osborne & Little wallpaper in the bedroom and Philippe Starck bathroom fittings. The home office with a colourful past is also here.

The home's upper level is dedicated solely to the master suite. Immediately at the top of the stairs is a sitting room, which looks out to the view and opens on to a deck through French doors. "We call this the Koru lounge," Anthea says. "Anyone under 15 needs a boarding pass to come up here." The bedroom, walk-in wardrobe and en suite are up a step and separated from the sitting room by a partial wall to capture the vista.

Ideally set up for a peaceful co-existence, the boys' domain is on the ground floor, where there's a spacious living area that opens on to the garden, as do Joshua and Luke's bedrooms. The ground level also plays host to a bathroom, laundry and wine cellar that is big enough to store extra mattresses for when the boys' friends come to stay.

Although the garden outside is not large, the lush lawn is level and all the hard retaining work has been done. Simon and Anthea say there are even concept plans available for a swimming pool.

Anthea says she loves old houses and is more than a little enthusiastic about renovating. "I love to give old houses a good birthday and put the character back into them in subtle ways."

While the family has loved being in this neighbourhood, it's not moving far. The next challenge for Anthea is a rambling villa in Herne Bay.

Vital Statistics

BEDROOMS: 5

BATHROOMS: 3

GARAGE: 1

SIZE: Land 286sq m, house 258sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV $1.05 million (2002). Auction November 3.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 12.15-1pm, Wed 12-12.30pm.

CONTACT: Heather Lanting and Marty Hall, Ray White Ponsonby, ph 376 2186 bus, Heather ph 0274 394 124, Marty ph 0274 500 168.

FEATURES: Three level north facing home with decks and landscaped garden, three living areas, wine cellar, room for a pool, stunning views to the harbour bridge and Westhaven Marina.