Waimauku: Picturesque and practical

Designed for family living, this rural home offers a stylish retreat that's just far enough from the city hustle and bustle. By VICKI HOLDER.

It's not quite a villa in Tuscany, but it sure looks and feels like it. Clad in soft ochre plaster walls, its dark-tiled turrets tower above the steep pitch of the roof.

Secluded in the quiet rural enclave of Wharauroa in Waimauku, 5km north of Kumeu, it's the perfect home for wine lovers. The celebrated Hunting Lodge Restaurant is only a few minutes away and the award-winning Matua Valley vineyard is also nearby.

This Tuscan-style villa transports the owners just far enough from the city maelstrom to capture the romance of the country mood.

An impressive lichen-scattered rock wall heralds the entry to the estate. Lush native bush embraces the driveway for several hundred metres to screen the property from the road. After a pleasant drive, where visitors are unwittingly scanned by security surveillance cameras, cars emerge in a grassy clearing that was until recently just farmland. Every property you pass in this showcase estate is bordered by well-maintained post and rail fencing with sturdy rock walls at each gate.

The house, designed by Scott McDonald, is halfway up the slope. It turns its back to you as you head down the drive towards the big cedar door of the double garage. Although it's a particularly attractive rear view, the focus when you are inside is north.

The living areas on the ground floor spill out to the sun across a deep balcony through wall-to-wall bifold doors. In this heavenly part of the world there's not a close neighbour in sight. Just the animals grazing on the distant hills and birds that come to inspect the big, ornamental pond full of waterlilies.

Extending from two separate entries opposite one another, terracotta-coloured concrete floors give a casual feel throughout the downstairs living areas and outside on the balcony.

Slightly more formal beside the main entry is the dining area, which is beneath a heavy, steel chandelier suspended from a tall, beamed, cream-coloured ceiling. Between the kitchen and the sitting room, it beckons guests to dine in a theatrical, candlelit setting. Crisp, gold sheers add a sparkle to the windows, and the mood is further spiced by a rich aubergine feature wall on the flip-side of the Jetmaster log fire.

Beyond a cosy sitting room, a spacious study reveals a second entry, which offers independent access to the nanny flat or guest apartment upstairs. Equipped with a kitchenette and bathroom, it's a comfortable, self-contained area.

The kitchen and casual sitting areas are combined in another lofty area with a pitched, beamed ceiling. The kitchen features sleek contemporary finishes with a jarrah breakfast bar above a black laminate benchtop. Pale beech cabinetry combines with the darker tones of jarrah drawers. Tall pantries provide good storage and the Blanco 900mm oven and gas hob are designed for serious cooking. The kitchen looks across a small breakfast area and casual sitting space where children can play when the adults are entertaining guests at the other end of the house.

Conveniently located near the kitchen, the laundry opens through cedar stable doors to a handy washing line. A hot water and linen cupboard is located beside the laundry door.

Upstairs, the three children's bedrooms and the family bathroom are well-removed from the living areas.

The master bedroom suite sits alone in a corner downstairs. Projecting into the view and opening through bifolds to the balcony, it treats the owners to all-day sun and easy access to the kitchen for a quick snack. A dressing room hides behind the bedroom and a fully-tiled en suite to the rear bathes in the morning sun.

Although delightfully picturesque, the house has been designed for family living and entertaining - the layout and finishes make it extremely practical. With its adjoining pony paddock, this peaceful spot half an hour from Auckland treats city folk to a safe and secure country lifestyle without any hassles.

Vital statistics:

ADDRESS: Wharauroa, Taylor Rd, Waimauku.

FEATURES: Gently sloping lifestyle block in secure farm estate; video camera surveillance; north-facing Tuscan-style villa; all living areas open to sunny balcony; four bedrooms; two and a half bathrooms; guest quarters with kitchenette and third bathroom; study; Jetmaster fire in separate lounge; 900mm Blanco oven; gas hob; internal-access double garage.

SIZE: Land area approx 1.04ha.

AUCTION: To be confirmed.

AGENT: Peter Young, Harcourts, Kumeu. Ph 09 412 9976 bus; 021 276 0808 mob.