KEY POINTS:
An architect-designed 1940s home was ahead of its time in its use of light and flow.
13 Warrington Rd, Remuera.
The genius of great design is often in its simplicity. Generous spaces that flow into each other, large windows facing north to let in light, doors that open onto a verandah with wide eaves to provide shelter from sun and rain - it all sounds like common sense design now, but back in 1942, when architect Geoffrey Rix-Trott designed this house to be his own home, he was ahead of his time.
Boxy weatherboard and brick bungalows were going up all over New Zealand, with small windows and doors that paid no attention to where the sun might be.
Indoor-outdoor flow was unheard of. Rix-Trott ignored all that and built a long structure of matai weatherboards, stained dark with creosote.
A generous 2.5m stud was further lightened by banks of tall bifold windows, and French doors opening from the dining and living area onto a north-facing verandah.
Matai floorboards run to built-in rimu shelving, drawers and cabinets. Its lines are square and minimal, but beautifully proportioned to create an airy, relaxed feel.
The house received a bronze award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects in 1947, was put on the cover of an issue of Home & Building around that time and has been included in several books on New Zealand architecture.
Rix-Trott lived here for about 30 years, during which time he sub-divided the large section and built his son Tim a home next door. Tim still lives there.
This home's next owner was a Dr Marie Simpson, who, in the 70s, asked the architect to design a second storey for the house. A wooden staircase was built up from the hallway, leading to the master suite.
At the top of the stairs is a room which the current owners, Morgan and Michelle Cronin, use as a dressing room, but which could also be an office.
Next door is a bathroom, and then a large bedroom and sitting area, which opens onto its own terrace. Large windows around this space present a view north down the valley.
You also look into the rear garden, where a lawn with ample room for a pool is edged with a pohutukawa, a maple, a fig and a feijoa, among other established trees.
"Our son Marlon and his friends play hiding games up there, pretending it's a jungle," says Michelle.
She and Morgan had not heard of Geoffrey Rix-Trott when they first looked at the house five years ago, but fell in love with the home's design.
"We couldn't believe that a house like this was here in the middle of much older homes, and it was so modern for its time," says Michelle.
Tucked down from the road at the bottom of a tree-lined driveway, the property has a peacefulness that the family has enjoyed.
"We're also in the middle of a great little community - you can walk to the Remuera or Newmarket shops, and the kids' schools and clubs are just five minutes away."
Morgan is a kitchen designer yet has left this home's kitchen in its original, quaint condition. The cupboards still have their push-button latches. Instead he designed an award-winning kitchen for their beach house on the Coromandel, which is partly why they are now selling this property.
"I made our beach house kitchen really nice to keep my wife motivated to keep going away to it," he grins. "We spend so much time down there now."
They are handing on this architectural treasure with mixed feelings. They have loved living here, but it is now time for a new owner to appreciate its graceful design.
VITAL STATISTICS
BEDROOMS: 4
BATHROOMS: 2
GARAGES: 1
SIZE: Land 1007sq m, house 160sq m (approx).
PRICE INDICATION: Interest expected in excess of the CV of $1.09 million. Auction March 11.
INSPECT: Sun 3-3.45pm, Thurs 5.30-6pm.
ON THE WEB: www.kellands.co.nz
SCHOOL ZONES: Remuera Primary, Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls Grammar.
CONTACT: Pene Milne, Kellands, ph 021 919 940.
FEATURES: Award-winning home designed in 1942 with a second level added by the architect in the 1970s. Separate office, plus another office or dressing room by the master suite. Master bedroom has lounge that opens onto its own balcony. Secluded setting with north-facing views. Mature trees and room for a pool.
