Parnell - Cool for cats

This house in Parnell is the perfect pied-a-terre for people wanting a haven close to the city's hum.

21 Ruskin Street, Parnell.

When Steve met Sally they both had separate homes - his in Parnell and hers some ten minutes away in Epsom.

Now, about three years later, they've decided it is time to move in together instead of the stay-over lifestyle centred around their pussycats, whose lives they did not want to disrupt.

Steve Hale says cats are very territorial and it was easier for him and Sally Jackson to stay over rather than create an unnecessary feline turf war by relocating the pussies to either address.

That's why they've decided to both sell and take the big step of finding a new house for the cats to share, along with their owners.

Steve has been in this Parnell house for nearly nine years - it was the perfect bachelor pad and he made sure with its recent renovation that it has the best of modern facilities.

He says the house was first given a make-over in the 80s with the addition of a large room at that back which is now the lounge.

It's a solid weatherboard structure that, from the well-laid out garden out back, has the appearance of the base of a pyramid - hinting at that whimsy that affected architects back then caught between architectonica and Santa Fe styles.

And it is solid enough for a person with a do-it-up bent to add another storey.

Steve is in the construction industry himself and very fussy, so he employed Nick Edwards Builders to do the work beside designer Andrew Lister, the partner of film maker Nikki Caro, because both men do excellent work.

Does this make it an A-lister renovation? According to Steve, it means the workmanship is without fault and the design is practical.

The kitchen features a stainless steel butler's sink which Steve says can fit an oven pan to be cleaned properly. He likes to cook but thinks small sinks are just silly.

Like all those modern kitchens, it's got a six-burner gas hob, big oven and loads of practical storage. There is also a lighting strip above the granite bench which enforces the difference between cooking and lounging space.

Steve likes a sauna for stress relief so he had one added to one of the bathrooms. This bathroom also has a skylight so one can soak in the tub and see the stars.

He added an en suite to the master bedroom, creating a similar effect to those upmarket hotels in country towns which attract people after the look of the old with the function of the new.

Steve also restored a room into a snug complete with fire and lovely tongue and groove panels. This could be another bedroom.

There's enough garden out the back for someone with a bit of a green thumb - plus a park behind the property with a plum tree that locals gather fruit from. Steve says some people might say it's like having a bach in town.

He's not sad to be leaving - in fact he's looking forward to moving to a home with Sally and the cats - and unlike many in the age of expediency, he's not big on rushing.

That's for sure, says Sally, because it wasn't until two weeks after they met he finally invited her on a date.


VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 2

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGES: 1

SIZE: Land 402sq m, house 200sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: $950,000-plus. Auction October 24.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 12-12.45pm.

ON THE WEB: www.premium.co.nz #PAR5392

CONTACT: Cheryl Whiting, Premium, ph 021 976 221, 303 3369.

FEATURES: Homely worker's cottage with a city-style heart. Snug, sauna, entertainer's kitchen. Has compact garden with studio and backs on to a park.