SCHOOL ZONES:
Freemans Bay School, Ponsonby Intermediate, Auckland Girls’ Grammar, Western Springs College
CONTACT:
Andrea Ritchie and Luke McCaw, Bayleys, ph 375 8494 or 021 906 793 (Andrea) or 021 950 145 (Luke)
During her 10-year stint as a producer of travel programmes for the BBC, Clare McIntosh made a show called World's Best Hotels, and stayed in many incredible establishments.
Now some of the top-of-the-range boutique hotels she spent time in have been the inspiration behind the renovation she and her builder husband Nick have carried out on their Freemans Bay home.
"I stayed in some amazing places, and I loved the way they made you feel," says Clare. "That's the feeling I wanted with this house, but with all the conveniences of home."
She has achieved that goal with great success. The transformed villa is stunning -- a clever mix of classic and contemporary, luxury and comfort. The two bathrooms in particular feel as if they've been transported from an exclusive hotel in New York or London. The upstairs bathroom has an enormous walk-in shower with a state-of-the-art monsoon shower head while the one downstairs has an egg bath that looks like a piece of sculpture and Philippe Starck-designed waterfall water spouts.
These very modern touches sit well with the house's original period features -- in both bathrooms alongside the latest fixtures, Nick has used old floorboards as tongue-and-groove panelling on the walls to great effect.
"We went all out," admits Clare. "Everything was done without compromise. But we thought that if we were going to do it, we would do it properly."
The elegant and stylish home they have ended up with is a far cry from the small, tired house they bought two years ago. It had just two bedrooms and the layout was not conducive to family living. However, Kiwi Nick and Brit Clare -- who both come from families of builders and are parents to Tigerlily (4) and River (2) -- could see the potential.
Of particular appeal was the striking view across Freemans Bay to the city. "Because we are across the road from a park we can never be built out, and we won't lose the view," points out Clare.
The house was mostly on one level with one small, impractical basement room, and the couple immediately set about enlarging it. They had the space under the house dug out, so there are now two bedrooms, a bathroom and a large laundry downstairs.
"We dug out over 200sq m of dirt so it was a huge job but it has made such a difference," says Nick.
The entry is now also on this lower level, and a staircase leads up to the original part of the house, which has been almost completely remodelled. Along with the master bedroom (which has a walk-in wardrobe) and the bathroom, there is one large open-plan space, with two living zones, a dining area and a big designer kitchen.
"I love cooking, and I really wanted to have a decent kitchen," says Clare. She got her wish -- the kitchen has top-of-the-range appliances, ample storage space and a marble benchtop on the island.
This part of the house is light, bright and spacious, thanks to the 3.5m stud, two skylights the couple put in and the crisp white walls and floors. Coating the kauri floorboards with a urethane finish was a bold move but one that has paid off.
Image 1 of 5: Herald Homes
25 Wood St, Freemans Bay.
04 September 2014 NZ Herald photo by Ted Baghurst.
The living area at the front of the house has bifold doors out to the veranda and is one of the best places to enjoy the cityscape outlook. The second living area at the rear opens out to a patio and garden. Nick and Clare had the back part of the section terraced, so that steps now lead up to a area of lawn. There's also an outdoor fireplace and a vegetable patch.
Out the front, the garden was landscaped, and a garage was added. The house now has wonderful street appeal, and Clare says they are thrilled with the way it has turned out. But after years of concentrating on their home, they have decided to give in to an urge to go travelling and are taking off on a European adventure before Tigerlily starts school .
"But we will come back to New Zealand, and we'll probably do this all again," smiles Clare.
