St Heliers: A gem

Oozing original character at every turn, this historical darling of a home is a rare find, writes VICKI HOLDER.

Peeping over the stone wall, a home on the ridge in St Heliers invites admiration for its quaint, storybook Arts & Crafts style.

The previous owner was so taken by Colwyn, he spent 15 years regularly knocking on the door asking whether he could buy it. Finally the owner relented and it changed hands.

Staying in the same ownership of the proud Englishman who lived there with his family for 45 years, the house has changed little, apart from sympathetic alterations made as necessary concessions to modern living.

Designed as the perfect home by Canadian architect Sholto Smith, Colwyn was a romantic gift to his second wife. It was completed in 1925, and because it was the architect's own house it was furnished with extraordinarily rich, hand-crafted detail that has been beautifully preserved. Smith died at this home in 1936, but the house stands as a living memory of his architectural vision.

Every room is full of character with simple leadlight windows, elegant yet understated pendant light fittings and carefully turned steel door hinges and latch handles.

In a sensible layout for entertaining, the big timber front door opens into an entry foyer and stairwell between the well-proportioned, nicely balanced formal lounge and dining room spaces. The dining room has solid, whitewashed walls and built-in seating beneath the window.

The lounge features dark-stained Oregon timber panelling. It manages to avoid looking dark due to the amount of light that pours in from both sides. Rich paisley curtains add warmth to the leadlight windows. The piece-de-resistance is the brick and Oregon timber fireplace that sits between built-in shelving on the far wall. As a testament to Smith's affection for his wife, he had an inscription carved into the mantle - a passionate verse from Shakespeare - which stands out as clearly now as it did when the Smiths enjoyed this room. It reads: 'Being your slave, what should I do but tend upon the hours and times of your desire.'

Both living rooms are enhanced by doors (added by the previous owner) that open to a rear terrace, which is designed in a style that Smith might have envisaged if he were alive today.

Other additions include a garage and a pretty but small kitchen, laundry and breakfast area, which was probably built in the 1950s. The breakfast area now spills out through french doors to a rear terrace. It would have been sacrilege not to have opened the room up, for the sweeping harbour view across the enormous terraced garden is truly magnificent.

Upstairs, the bedrooms feature the level of detail lavished on the living areas with tongue-and-groove-lined wardrobes and charming fittings. A third bedroom was added and the details carefully copied from the original steeply pitched rooms on the other side. From the exterior it's almost impossible to tell that this is not the architect's original design, for great pains were taken to match the proportions and materials.

At the same time, a second bathroom was added to a corridor that leads to a room-sized loft above the garage. The space was never lined as it was merely used for storage, but it would be easy to finish it off to create a fourth bedroom for a bigger family.

The large garden behind the house is one of those beautiful old-fashioned delights that you rarely find so close to the city. Rolling down across a huge lawn to an orchard at the end, the original design is still in place with flagstone paths and low rock walls close to the house. The expansive garden allows uninterrupted, never-to-be-built-out views of the harbour with the original garden shed standing to one side.

Surprisingly forward-thinking for its era, this immaculate piece of Arts & Crafts architecture on a magnificent site has survived as a sensational piece of Auckland's heritage.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: 187 St Heliers Bay Rd, St Heliers.

FEATURES: Original Sholto Smith-designed home built in 1925 as the architect's own home; huge garden with harbour views; exceptional character includes leadlights, timber panelled walls, light fittings, joinery and latches; formal living and dining with separate kitchen; sympathetic addition includes garage; three bedrooms, master with walk-in wardrobe; two bathrooms; log fire in lounge.

SIZE: Land area 1,575sq m.

AUCTION: 1pm, July 5, on site.

AGENTS: Leila MacDonald and Bob Gordon, Barfoot & Thompson. Ph Leila 630 5488 bus; 021 928 926 mob; Bob 575 5880 bus; 025 759 025 mob.