SCHOOL ZONES:
Alfriston Primary; buses to Kings and St Kents.
CONTACT:
Jill Franklin, Barfoot, 021 684 111.
AUCTION:
4 February.
*plus carport
Take the busy motorway to Redoubt Rd in Manukau, drive a short distance and within minutes arrive at a rural getaway with tranquil designer gardens and sea views.
This is the home of Keith and Marilyn Lawson, who are moving on after 24 years in their architecturally designed haven.
The successful business couple have enjoyed the privacy, the ample room, the views, the baa-ing of the sheep next door and their beautiful home of stained cedar on the outside and high rimu sarked ceilings inside.
The location has been fantastic, they say, because one minute you're in the city; the next you have horses and sheep.
The airport is handy, the city is handy, the botanical gardens are handy, as are mountain bike trials and good walking trails.
Keith, 63, and Marilyn, 61, are childhood sweethearts who describe themselves as between careers. They ran a successful business but took a look at their lives when they were caught up in the Bali bombings of 2002.
Says Keith: "We were outside the Sari Club 30 minutes before it blew up and so a year later I sold the company."
He estimated he only had 500 weekends left until he was 60 and they wanted to have some weekends during the week. Keith looked for a part-time business before deciding that was like being a little bit pregnant.
"There's no such thing, and the way we do things, we're either in or out, so we did other things and the journey's been interesting."
Selling their home, where their two sons grew up, has been a long decision but the couple has bought by the sea in Whangaparaoa.
If she could, says Marilyn, she would take the bronze water feature from her peaceful garden with her, but given it's cemented into the landscape, it's staying.
The garden was designed by landscape designer Cilla Cooper, an old friend of hers from teacher's college days.
Marilyn wanted a nice, easy-care garden and this one has curved walls and a mini-maze with seating -- and the water feature.
"I bought that fountain for Keith for his birthday, because he bought me a leaf blower," she says.
Image 1 of 5: Set in exquisite yet easy-care landscaping, this peaceful abode nestles into its sprawling site, offering flexible family living and entertaining options
"I thought, 'I didn't want a leaf blower' so I thought 'blow you, I want this', so then he had to pay to put in a pond and everything."
Keith says he liked the house because of the exposed rimu ceilings.
"You know, it was unusual, to get these cathedral ceilings and the sarking."
Next to the lounge is not just a spa pool, but a spa pool room. With its lovely rural and sea views, this space was often used to host their sons' rugby friends.
And there is a huge family room, bigger than the lounge -- many a party (at some, there have been up to 160 guests) have been held here.
Upstairs is the master bedroom, with en suite and private balcony, and more bedrooms with attic-like sloping walls.
Marilyn's favourite place is her kitchen with maroon cabinetry -- she chose the colour from a bottle opener -- including double pantries and a seating nook near a pot belly stove.
Keith loves the triple garage where one garage opens to another and then out to a spot which could be used to park a boat.
He makes furniture in the garage, including little chairs that he gives to Pillars, an organisation which mentors children who have parents in jail.
Although the Lawsons have adored this house, Keith says somebody else deserves it now and he and Marilyn are looking forward to putting their own stamp on their new property.
