An afternoon tea on a picnic rug on the lawn epitomised everything that Wendy Jones and Martin Horspool, both from Wales, have loved about life on the shores of Whau River in Avondale.
Wendy's cheese and cucumber sandwiches, the lemon that Martin picked for their gin and tonic drinks and the scones and the cream and jam that their guests brought with them by inflatable down the river from Te Atatu was the stuff of memories a year or two back.
"I saw them coming down the river through the binoculars and they could see me coming down the stairs," says Wendy. "It was just one of those fun things you do, as in 'today is the day'. It was neat."
The lawn bordering the mangroves that is home to the pukekos and other birdlife is where Wendy and Martin launch their own kayak for a river jaunt. One of their great pleasures is the view of other boaties and rowers from their lounge-side ground-floor deck and the place where they'll often lie back and relax beneath the night sky.
The water's edge view north and west is from a double-storey villa that was relocated from Westmere in 2006 and which a subsequent owner, a builder, renovated to include new cladding and new services.
When Wendy and Martin bought this house in April 2011, they couldn't believe their luck.
"We thought we knew everywhere in Auckland but we didn't even know this place existed," says Wendy. "I saw the house three times and I kept coming back because I could not believe that we'd found the perfect house ... bay villa, double garage, views ... tick, tick, tick."
For Martin, a printer and sculptor, the garage was a heaven-sent creative space for his internationally renowned "buggyrobot" brand of retro sculptures. It is also near their downstairs lounge/gallery that doubles as an extra bedroom.
Upstairs the bedrooms and their family bathroom lead off the short hallway from the front door and veranda. For Wendy, who often travels on business as regional manager for The Body Shop, the views from the master bedroom are a particular favourite to come home to.
To the left, off the hallway, the loftiness of the wider living area is enhanced by a change of ceiling height and the steps down from the living room into the dining area and the open-plan kitchen.
Throughout, Martin has painted the walls in white, highlighting one feature wall in the dining room in a burnt orange and one in the living room in a soft grey.
Each feature wall is on a different plane, complementing the different views of the sea, the bush and the more sculptural plants high on the bank outside the dining room picture window.
Image 1 of 5: Creative pair could not believe they'd found the perfect house ... bay villa, double garage -- and a river runs by it
Every wall is adorned with artworks alongside Martin's own works, all framed by their eclectic collection of furniture.
Importantly, none of it intrudes into the traffic flow throughout the house.
Their dining area has room for a chaise longue and plenty of space for an easy connection with the cook in the kitchen.
The kitchen has modern materials including tongue-and-groove finished doors and an engineered stone bench, with an upstand that doesn't close the area off.
The aesthetic within this house is as important to them both as is the timber heritage of the villa style. "Being from the UK we really like old houses, but they're not generally built of wood which is why we love the houses here, especially this villa," says Wendy.
Now, with Wendy's widowed mother, Judith, living with them, they're out house-hunting for a place that will be better suited to them all.
