Epsom, where the living is easy

72 Mountain Road, Epsom. Photo / Ted Baghurst.

72 MOUNTAIN RD, EPSOM

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3.5

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SIZE: Land 460sq m, house 280sq m (approx).

PRICE INDICATION: $1.795 million. Sale by negotiation.

INSPECT: Sunday 12pm-12.30pm or by appointment.

ON THE WEB: www.barfoot.co.nz

SCHOOL ZONES: Newmarket School, Auckland Normal Intermediate, Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls' Grammar.

CONTACT: Bevan Domett, Barfoot & Thompson Epsom, ph 520 6221 or 021 845 527.

FEATURES: Expansive renovated 1930s family home right across the road from Auckland Grammar, with big deck above in-ground pool and green-belt rear outlook. Includes character leadlights and wood panelling, separate dining and lounge plus extra living/office and large loft living above double garage.

The busy Sweeney family pared down life's day-to-day complications with their move to this expansive 1930s home, literally across the road from Auckland Grammar School.

Jane Sweeney is managing director of one of this country's top PR firms, Porter Novelli NZ, while husband Mark studies politics and history at university. Eight years ago, their three boys' future schooling prompted them to forsake Devonport and long daily commutes.

The couple became accustomed to living with big rooms when Jane was Trade Commissioner for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in Paris in the mid-90s. This gracious Epsom English-style home offered generous living spaces and the foundation for social, hassle-free living. Free from character-compromising alterations, its glorious leadlights and character woodwork provided an elegant base for renovations driven by architect Mike Brewerton and interior designer Peter Reid.

Nowadays, whether the boys have mates over or their parents are entertaining friends and clients, multiple living spaces make for an easy lifestyle. Jane says: "Our family can all co-exist happily because of all this space."

The home's centrality simplifies scheduling. The boys have all attended Auckland Grammar, learning they could listen for the first bell from home and still be at school on time. Newmarket, trains and motorway access are on tap and it's 10-minutes' drive to the central city or a 25-minute walk to university.

But life can't always be uncomplicated, and at this address the "fly in the ointment" was actually a digger in a hole. Jane starts: "Moving from the seaside, we promised the kids a pool." Mike explains, "a three-and-a-half tonne crane dropped a digger into the backyard. But after it had dug out about eight jumbo bins of rock they discovered they needed an even bigger crane to lift it back out". These days the rear 7m-long pool sparkles, surrounded by tropical planting and plenty of lounging space. There's a spa pool alongside under the elevated rear deck.

The Sweeneys topped the existing street-side double garage with a large loft, favoured by this family as a blokey rumpus equipped with pool table and big screen TV.

The home has a statuesque weatherboard and shingle exterior, strikingly painted Aalto "Tuxedo". Entry reveals beautiful hallway and stairwell wooden panelling. The front formal dining room with windowseat is gracious. Two matching fireplace surrounds were custom-made to a French design and this room's fire is gas. Jane's clients include Vodafone, Microsoft, Fonterra Brands and Visa and the separate kitchen allows caterers fuelling client dinner parties to work with ease.

The lounge's matching fireplace surround houses a wood fire, but lovely leadlights are this room's stand-out feature. Restrained geometric designs are highlighted by subtle accents of green and purple. The leadlights grace upper windows and French doors out to the big rear elevated deck, which has housed bands during big parties. But it's the serenity of this generous outdoor space overlooking neighbouring greenery that makes it Jane's favourite spot. "It looks out on to a great big greenbelt that you don't have to look after." The front grounds are landscaped and the boys have Grammar's grounds to enjoy just a few steps away.

Ascending from the entry level, sun reflects through leadlights in the stairwell atrium. Upstairs four bedrooms including the master with en suite join a family bathroom.

Descending from the entry level takes you through a wood-panelled passage-way likely to have once been a telephone kiosk. Downstairs houses the laundry/third bathroom which accesses sizeable under-house storage - and a poolside living room the family use as an office. As well as renovating inside and out and adding the pool, deck and loft the Sweeneys redid the lighting, added central heating and freeholded the formerly cross-leased land.

Now the two elder Sweeney boys have left Grammar, the family want to downsize their city base and get a west coast beach house.