Clevedon: Delightful folly

Compact and charming, this custom-built den on a generous section is far from your everyday home, writes VICKI HOLDER.

Wyn Ryburn lived on a large lifestyle property in Clevedon for many years. She had created a special home, but it was a lot of work, and when arthritis began to slow her down she needed somewhere more manageable. However, she didn't want to switch to anything that was "run of the mill".

She found a generous section on a corner overlooking paddocks in the village, where Nigel Marshall of Marshall Homes created a charming masonry brick English gatehouse-style home for her. Although it's small and has everything Wyn needs within easy reach, the rooms have considerable height and volume and make the home appear more spacious.

"I wanted something solid and substantial that would give the feeling it's been here a long time," says Wyn. Inside, the thick masonry walls are covered in a pale tinted concrete plaster finish, which provides a softly aged backdrop to the colourful fabrics and furnishings. The floors on the lower level are low-maintenance Hinuera stone. Wyn has laid rugs over the stone because she needed somewhere to put them, not to keep the warmth in.

Solid materials keep the house cool in summer, while in winter it's always cosy. "I only need to plug in one heater to keep the whole house warm," she says. "The concrete block also makes it quiet. When the windows are closed I don't hear a thing."

Linked to a garage and attic guest suite by a covered walkway, the main house includes a small kitchen a few steps from the dining area and sitting room downstairs. Up a narrow flight of Hinuera stone stairs is the bedroom and en suite on a mezzanine floor. A second bathroom is attached to an outside wall under the walkway, which provides a convenient stop for visitors who come to the property on garden rambles.

With designer Liz Butts, Wyn has created a home that feels wonderfully French. Imported from France, the long wrought-iron handles on the painted rimu cabinetry in the kitchen create a rustic look to match her antique French dresser. The fridge is hidden behind cupboard doors so as not to spoil the effect. A great effort has been made to disguise the fact this is a modern kitchen, although a sleek Gaggenau oven and gas hob stand out beneath a French provincial-style chimney extractor.

A small archway about half a metre thick leads to the dining room, which has a lofty, pitched ceiling lit by a low-hanging, wrought-iron chandelier. French doors open to the garden, allowing Wyn to gaze at the ever-changing oak trees. Tall, elegant windows in the sitting room look out to the garden.

Wyn sleeps in a romantic hideaway under a steeply pitched roof, where the floors are the natural texture of sisal. Like everything else, the en suite is tiny. Two doors open on either side of a balcony dormer - one to a fully tiled shower and the other to a toilet with a washbasin.

There's plenty of room for storage along this mezzanine level. Wyn didn't like the modern look of built-in wardrobes and chose pretty, free-standing furniture. She has done the same in the spacious attic guest suite to ensure a traditional French country ambience.

In the large garden, Wyn's gardening friend has created year-round interest with mainly foliage plants in shades of green and grey. These are combined with patches of deep red and purple for impact. Euphorbias are Wyn's favourite - their lime green flowers are a joy for many months. She is happy to let them self-seed and pop up in all sorts of places.

The mass-planted garden has a natural flow. Close planting foils the weeds, whose growth is stunted because the soil is not particularly rich. Wyn's gardening friend doesn't feed the garden - she only needs to visit to weed every six weeks.

The paths have a soft, weathered look. Made with slabs of broken concrete, their rough edges are concealed by the plants. Rustic seats made from old totara and over 150 garden ornaments are dotted around, so there's a surprise at every turn for Wyn to appreciate.

Many people admire Wyn's home, which has been designed especially for her, for she thought she'd move in and stay until she "was carried out in a box". But now shes off to Canada to be closer to her family. Someone just like her or a couple will be totally charmed by the delightful folly she has lovingly created. And if they want to create more space, there's every opportunity on this large section.

Vital statistics:

ADDRESS: 6 Mark Williams Plc, Clevedon.

FEATURES: English gatehouse-style masonry home and large gardens; built in 1997 by Marshall Homes; two bedrooms including guest attic; two bathrooms including main room en suite; Hinuera stone floors on lower level; Vistalite window joinery; asphalt shingle roof; voted Most Beautiful Garden in Clevedon's Best St and Garden Competition in 1999.

SIZE: Land area 1500sq m, floor area 125sq m.

AUCTION: 2pm, November 2, on site.

AGENT: John Ryburn, Were Realty, Clevedon. Ph 292 8348 bus; 0274 775 433 mob.