CONTACT:
Gary and Vicki Wallace, Bayleys, ph 0274 988 585 or 375 6820 (Gary); 021 988 585 or 375 6835 (Vicki).
AUCTION:
March 9
When Michael and Mary Fitzpatrick bought a Parnell cottage four years ago that had, to put it politely, seen better days, their intention was to renovate while honouring its heritage.
They've done that in spectacular style, but along the way they have also built a second dwelling on the propertythat cleverly manages to both contrast with and complement the cottage.
The two homes are a unique fusion of rustic and semi-industrial styles that work perfectly together.
"We did it for us, not with anyone else in mind," says Mary. "I guess you could say our tastes are quite eclectic."
She and Michael share a passion for design but it is Michael, who describes himself as a "frustrated architect", who has been the driving force behind firstly the renovation of the cottage then the construction of the house.
He had a very clear vision of what he wanted for the kauri cottage, which was built around 1860. Preserving the character was of vital importance -- when he had the building re-piled, he even requested that the very subtle lean should not be fixed. "It's part of the character of the place."
The walls were stripped back to the sarking, which was then removed, cleaned up and replaced, but with the unpainted side facing out. The floors and ceilings are pretty much in their original condition and the side of the fireplace even features scraps of wallpaper that date back several generations.
The cottage has an open plan living/dining/kitchen, a main bedroom and a secondary one currently used as an office, and an updated bathroom. Two sets of French doors open up to a private courtyard with an outdoor fire.
Much as he loves the cottage, Michael quickly realised it wasn't going to be big enough for his and Mary's needs but rather than ruin its character by extending, he got council permission to build the second dwelling.
Image 1 of 12: Cute cottage now has a gorgeous young neighbour. Choose one or take both
Bureaux Architects turned his ideas into reality, and the resulting barn-style, two-storey house is a design triumph.
Painted black, it is unobtrusive. "You hardly notice it from the road," says Michael.
Inside, the match-lined wooden walls used so effectively in the cottage are replicated in the garage and an upstairs living room Michael calls his "man cave".
"Although it is a separate building, that helps to connect it with the cottage," says Michael.
A striking feature of the house is a black wall that separates the dining area from a hall way. It looks like painted wood but is in fact concrete, with the timber effect achieved by pouring concrete into a wooden moulding, and then removing the wood.
It's clever features like this that make the house so special. There's a focus on texture -- from the rough wooden walls to the smooth marble kitchen and bathroom bench tops and while Michael says he wanted it to feel "uber-modern and cool", he made sure he linked back to the history of the site.
There are two bedrooms upstairs -- including the master with a large en suite and balcony looking out over rooftops to the city -- a family bathroom and Michael's spacious man cave, which could easily be a third bedroom.
Downstairs, the open plan living and dining areas open out to a private and sunny courtyard with an outdoor fire, stylish water feature and peach tree that dates back about 60 years. When Michael and Mary's daughter, model Anna Fitzpatrick, married radio DJ Jay Reeve, the reception was held at the newly finished house. A marquee was put up in front of the garage, where there's room to park several cars, and there was plenty of room for guests in the courtyard.
Sitting outside, it's hard to believe the house is just a stone's throw from Parnell Rd.
"I love being able to just pop around the corner to the vege shop or a restaurant, and it's so easy to hop on the Link bus into town -- I never drive there," says Mary.
Both the new house -- known as the Black Barn -- and the cottage, called Aoteoroa, are for sale as the Fitzpatricks are embarking on a new adventure renovating two floors of a commercial building. They can be bought separately or as one.
