Homes of the Year: Cliff-top castle with high-tech makeover

Merksworth Castle was crafted by a master stonemason from basalt quarried from nearby Lake Pupuke. Photo / Ted Baghurst

We look at some of the most stunning homes that were for sale this year

SOLD FOR $2.8M
253 Hurstmere Rd,
Takapuna

Since the mid-1920s, generations of children and adults alike have gazed with admiration at Merksworth Castle.

This distinctive home, poised on the cliff top at Thorne Bay, between Milford and Takapuna, is still as deserving of attention as it has ever been.

Crafted by master stonemason Frank Savidan from basalt quarried from nearby Lake Pupuke, it was designed by architect William Henry Jaine for Captain John Alexander Algie, a Scotsman, and his wife, Penelope. A neighbour of the captain and Mrs Algie, a Mr W. Leaning, added to the fairy tale by building a huge stone throne at the base of his adjoining property.

With magnificent pohutukawa-framed views of the gulf and Rangitoto, the castle would have seemed particularly grand in the less-developed Takapuna of pre-harbour bridge days.

The castle passed down from the captain to Captain Algie's grandson Donald and his wife, Cecil, and their descendants, before leaving Algie family ownership in 2005.

Today, the castle is still grand and much admired. Its parapets and stained-glass family crests imbue this home with character and a special provenance that cannot be replicated in a new building.

However, a recent renovation has given the much-loved landmark an injection of contemporary comfort.

David Gaze and his wife, Anne, bought Merksworth with a desire to make it a family home for them and their four sons.

His company, Gaze Commercial, usually specialises in commercial fitouts, but has completed some residential projects, including the extensive work undertaken to "bring [Merksworth] into the 21st century".

The exterior of the castle has heritage protection, so its appearance could not be altered.

Gaze Commercial enhanced it by sandblasting the natural stone and refurbishing the protected steel windows.

Inside, though, the castle is transformed by the Gaze team, which includes interior designer Jane Pilkington.

Previously segmented spaces have been opened into one large living, dining, and kitchen area. New features include dark-stained American oak flooring.

Mr Gaze is particularly keen on the castle's tech makeover which allows all audio and visual equipment to be housed in one discreet centre.

The castle has two storeys, with entry via the uppermost floor, which is level with Hurstmere Rd.

Flanking the entrance are a formal, carpeted living room to the right and the master suite, with en suite, to the left.

Next to the formal living room is an office.

The spacious main living room has a new granite-hearth fireplace, alongside a charming circular turret dining space.

With a stellar view of Rangitoto through a large picture window, the kitchen manages to encapsulate the overall mood of the castle's restoration and renovation - classic and timeless, but with a contemporary edge.

Appliances include a 1.2m Smeg double oven with gas hobs and a built-in grill, while the main kitchen's on-show marble benchtop is replicated in an adjoining butler's pantry.

A deck off the living area and kitchen has stunning views.

A grand sweep of stairs accessed through another door off the living area leads to a path to the rock pools of Thorne Bay. Look carefully and you can see the edges of a pool built by the captain for his wife to swim in.

In the castle's lower level, there are three further bedrooms, two bathrooms, extensive storage, a separate laundry and what Mr Gaze describes as a "man-cave" media room. There is also a further living area.

He says it is because of a busy life with four boys that he and Anne have decided to spread out in another home. He is justifiably proud of what Gaze Commercial has achieved at Merksworth.

"We went a bit overboard, if anything, but you're inclined to do that if you're doing it for yourself."

The property sold for $2.8 million in April.