Labour of love in St Marys Bay

6 Yarborough St, St Marys Bay, Auckland. Photo / Ted Baghurst

6 YARBOROUGH ST ST MARYS BAY

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SIZE: Land 260sq m, house 265sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV $900,000 (before the rebuild). Auction May 14.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 2-3pm.

ON THE WEB: rwponsonby.co.nz/PON20893

SCHOOL ZONES: Ponsonby Primary School, Ponsonby Intermediate School, Auckland Girls' Grammar School, Western Springs College.

CONTACT: Suzie Paine, Ray White Ponsonby, ph 376 2186 or 021 976 008.

FEATURES: A sophisticated and stylish four-bedroom home that dates back to the 1860s but has been extensively renovated in the last 18 months.

Interior designer Neil McLachlan believes that a home should be fun. Relaxing, yes; smart, yes; but above all, fun. And wall-to-wall beige does not qualify as fun.

Neil, best known for his work on television programmes Changing Rooms and Hot Property, doesn't often get total control over a project. Usually he designs for clients, which means someone else gets the final say.

But when he and his partner bought an almost-derelict one-level transitional bungalow in St Marys Bay, partly as a home - partly as a renovation project - there was no need for compromise. They were attracted by the view, which spans the Waitemata from the Harbour Bridge to Devonport, and the location. It was in one of the best streets in one of Auckland's most sought-after suburbs and, unusually for a home in St Marys Bay, the motorway was neither visible nor audible.

Neil believes the house, which now has four bedrooms over three levels, was originally built as a two-bedroom cottage in the 1860s. It was added to in the 1920s and had some unfortunate renovations in the 1970s before being demoted to a dingy flat. The whole place had to be rebuilt piece by piece, but there were a few notable features that were worth saving, including the kauri floorboards and a set of leadlight bay windows.

Neil drew inspiration from the 1920s features in the home to create a style he calls "classic with a twist". It pays homage to the glamour of Art Deco, but this is very much a modern take, designed for the 21st-century dweller.

It has a large open-plan, north-facing living area (including a stylish but cosy separate lounge) that opens out via bifold doors to a courtyard, and through french doors to a veranda.

There's a separate master suite in the new top floor with a balcony that reveals a wide harbour view. On the ground floor are three bedrooms, a wine cellar, a laundry and a garage. State-of-the-art technology, such as the Fisher & Paykel CoolDrawer, is camouflaged as cabinetry, but can be used as a fridge, freezer, wine chiller or pantry.

"It's hard to tell if the house is old or new," Neil says. "I quite like that."

The same is true of its contents. There's a mixture of old and new, but you have to look closely to spot the difference. The double doors at the entrance are from an old pub and the door to the wine cellar is from the old Rotorua library. The decking in the courtyard is broken by a grid of railway sleepers. A leadlight window from an old CBD building, now in the downstairs bathroom, features the words "Wellesley Chambers".

The white-painted brick outdoor fireplace passes for a much older one. The ceiling in the wine cellar is made of new pressed-tin panels from Australia. The light fittings could be antiques, but are mostly new.

The three bathrooms deserve a paragraph of their own. Neil called on the best tradespeople to create masterpieces from tile and marble, mostly in black and white, though the master en suite has touches of colour.

Neil admits he's gone over the top. This is no slap-up renovation, but a pet project he's thrown his best work into. "It turned into a major undertaking. We went a bit bonkers on the attention to detail. I couldn't resist."