Ivo and Ingwor Holmqvist have lived in many areas of Auckland since they moved here to take up academic positions at Auckland University in 1972.
But buying out West was never a consideration for the Swedish couple, who have spent 17 of the past 42 years in Auckland, returning twice to live in Scandinavia in that time.
After returning to Auckland in 2008, they were about to buy a house in Northcote, when friends in Titirangi suggested looking at what was for sale in their area.
"We thought that living here would be too far away, but we went home and had a look on the web anyway and found this place," says Ingwor.
After sneaking a look at the outside of the property one weekend, they returned to look through it and fell in love with it.
"We saw the house at 9 o'clock and had bought it by 10."
The Holmqvists were captivated by the Arts and Crafts style of the three-level house, its panoramic views and its beautifully crafted interior wood panelling, which echoes the Swedish aesthetic they love.
They bought the home from the builder who constructed it in the early 1990s for his family.
The builder put an individual stamp on the house, sourcing a variety of materials, including two large, round, wooden pillars that are a central feature of the main living area upstairs.
Perched at the highest point of Lookout Drive, in Laingholm, the light-filled house has almost 300-degree views that take in Lopdell House in the nearby village of Titirangi, Mt Eden, One Tree Hill, Auckland Airport, Glenbrook Steel Mill, Manukau Heads, Laingholm and Cornwallis beaches.
"The house just felt so different. And we knew our furniture would fit in perfectly, so it seemed that it was meant to be," says Ingwor.
The property includes the main house, a Mediterranean-style swimming pool, a two-level self-contained cottage, which the Holmqvists have upgraded and rented out as bed-and-breakfast accommodation, and a sleepout, which they built two years ago.
The upstairs level of the house is bisected by a central wooden staircase and has a pitched, cathedral-style wood-panelled roof.
Image 1 of 8: Handsomely Scandinavian, this neatly crafted eyrie commands an amazing outlook
Tucked into the north side is a comfortably large, open-plan kitchen that faces out to the dining space and to the main living room on the other side of the staircase.
A large, covered deck with some of the home's best views opens off the living room.
The middle level of the house includes a wide entrance hall large enough for a piano, the main bathroom, three double bedrooms and a single bedroom that doubles as an office.
Two of the double bedrooms, including the master and en suite, have east-facing balconies that look down to a lawn and the sleepout.
The lower level of the house includes a large east-facing library and TV room that opens out to the garden, an extra bedroom, bathroom and two storage rooms.
The two-level sleepout, to the right of the driveway as you approach the house, includes an upstairs double bedroom with living room, kitchen and bathroom downstairs.
Among the striking features of the house are its panelled, wooden framed windows, including some with leadlights and bevelled glass.
After spending many happy years living in New Zealand, the Holmqvists are returning to Sweden to be closer to family.
