KEY POINTS:
APARTMENT 2C, CARLISLE BUILDING,
7 EMILY PLACE, AUCKLAND CITY.
Despite being in the middle of central Auckland, Emily Place is a street that gives the feeling that you could be anywhere in the world. Most of the buildings have been here since the early part of last century and every one is unique. Even their heights vary wildly.
The Carlisle building is one of the oldest in the street and has heritage protection. It was built in 1912 and originally housed a warehouse and auction room for goods including wool and kauri gum.
It was converted into 20 apartments just over 10 years ago, to designs by architects Patterson Co Partnership.
When you walk into the building, you first step into a huge green entrance hall, with a spiral staircase sweeping up to the apartments above. Chandeliers hanging from the roof add a glamorous, 1920s feel.
Inside the apartments, you can see how the architects used the street's global feel to their advantage, taking inspiration from New York's loft apartments. A brick feature wall dominates the main living area and windows stretch from the polished wooden floor to the ceiling, giving a view over the road and up to the park at the top of the street. The developers of the building have retained the original exposed beams, and they peep through the white plaster walls. Owner Maxine says it was these features that drew her and her partner, Michael-James, to the apartment four years ago.
"We mainly came to have a look of it because of that brick wall," she laughs, "But we were impressed with how bright and airy it is."
She says it has been a great place to live. "It really feels like you're living somewhere distinctive," she says.
Maxine says it is common for her friends to use her place to stay after a night out in town and, with the city's restaurants so close, it is often cheaper to eat out than to cook at home.
However, when the culinary urge does strike, the apartment's kitchen is well set-up. It is spacious and flows into the main living area, meaning the cook is never cut off from the rest of the party.
The main bedroom, bathroom and study are down a flight of stairs from the entrance-way. Because the lounge upstairs does not go right to the window, the bedroom underneath it is well positioned to achieve maximum sunlight. "The lounge is above the road and the bedroom is below it," Maxine says, "So you never get people walking right past your window."
The bedroom has the luxury of a walk-in wardrobe which runs through to a large bathroom. On the other side is the huge study, a funky space under the stairs. Maxine says they had big plans to develop it into something more, but never quite got around to it. Maxine says the apartment has been perfect for the time they have spent here. "It's great for two people and has a really cool feel."
Maxine admits they are reluctant to sell but they are moving to Rotorua. "It would be great to hang on to it but that wouldn't be practical for us," she says. "We'll miss it."