SCHOOL ZONES:
Ponsonby Primary, Ponsonby
Intermediate, Auckland Girls' Grammar,
Western Springs College.
CONTACT:
Andrea Ritchie, Bayleys ph 021
1778510.
FEATURES:
*Plus offstreet parking. Spacious Andrew Patterson-
designed townhouse in a private lane with
classic style and great space including formal
and informal living, turret study with views to the
water, well-specced kitchen and bathrooms and
plenty of storage. Inner-city rarity of internal
access garage plus offstreet parking.
One gets the impression that John and Ingrid Waugh know what they want. The couple, who have lived in or owned houses all over the world - London, Greece, the Philippines, as well as Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch - bought their elegant Andrew Patterson-designed townhouse on their way back from a beach holiday when they were on leave from London over Christmas 2002.
"This is the longest we've ever lived in a place," says Ingrid. "But this was the ideal location. It was open-plan, north-facing and we knew it would work for entertaining."
Their entertaining demands are heavier than most: after a career as trade commissioner to Europe, John was appointed Honorary Consul General and director of trade and investment for the UK in Auckland, so their home became "the residence".
It is just as well Ingrid loves to cook as their parties ranged from family gatherings to official engagements.
The house, one of a cluster down a shared lane, has a classical exterior. From its double-height entrance, the ground floor leads to a series of elegant spaces - a tiled lobby, with extra tall doors leading to the formal living room in one direction, kitchen, dining and informal living in the other. Split levels give soaring ceilings - mostly done in tongue-and-groove timber.
The formal living has an inglenook fireplace for cosy winter nights. Formal and casual living areas wrap around a sheltered courtyard garden that captures the sun.
The kitchen was one of the drivers of their swift decision to buy. Ingrid had room for her hundreds of cookbooks, loved the integrated appliances and generous benches, plus clever storage - all in dramatic, rich colours.
The house was built in the mid-90s, so in 2008, like many of its ilk, underwent a comprehensive exterior rebuild to incorporate a cavity system (it now has a full Code of Compliance Certificate from Auckland City Council).
During the rebuild, the Waughs replaced the rooftop deck with a gorgeous turret study reached from the fourth of the generous double bedrooms. Sun pours in from all sides and residents now have crow's nest views of Westhaven and the tree-lined valley, completely unexpected for a house tucked away from the road.
The copper and slate roof tiles, a signature of the architect, are handsome enough to last a lifetime. From the roof you can admire Patterson's brickwork pattern on the chimney, echoing the finishes of some of the grand Victorian houses in the neighbourhood. Just recently, the Waughs have repainted, recarpeted and resealed the eucalyptus floors, so the house is completely like new.
Ingrid and John are particularly pleased with their garden refurbishment, in which they've carved out and paved a sunny private terrace, complete with cantilevered umbrella, to extend their entertainingly space. Gardenia hedges and a trickling water feature make this a serene haven. Other parts of the garden have plenty of utility spaces for clothes drying, and thriving vege beds.
The couple have loved the convenience of the neighbourhood, walking to Ponsonby or Jervois Rds. They particularly love the restored Jacob's Ladder and Shelly Beach Rd tracks that lead down to the waterfront and on to Wynyard Quarter and the city, making that part of their regular fitness circuit.
However, as if the entertaining and work life wasn't enough, they have also been running a country B&B. "Euphemistically called a 'lifestyle business'," laughs John. "I don't know if that means we get either the lifestyle or make the money, but we're giving it more attention now, so we're selling our big city house."
