Marriage of ideas - St Marys Bay

A husband and wife team brought different skills to the design and construction of this home.

10A Harbour St, St Marys Bay.

Jules Minkhorst and her husband Mike van der Wal had worked separately and together on a lot of other people's houses, and wanted to create one of their own.

Jules is an interior designer and project manager, Mike is a master builder who constructs architectural homes.

``We knew the people who lived in the house that was here before, so were familiar with the site and how amazing the views were. When it came up for sale a couple of years ago we grabbed it.''

The house, which Jules says had a shabby 80s renovation, was moved off, and about a year ago excavation began to create a longer platform for this new three-level home.

Constructed from concrete block, solid plaster and weatherboards, the house sits solidly on the edge of St Marys Bay, built to make the most of a spectacular view that takes in the harbour bridge, Westhaven marina, North Head, Rangitoto and the city.

``The most magical time is around sunset,'' says Jules. ``You can still see the outlines of the buildings and boats, and all the lights are coming on.'' The best place to enjoy this is from the large deck on the top level.

Plumbed for gas and electricity, it awaits a barbecue and is big enough for a party. The sitting room that opens on to it provides an indoor retreat, with a back wall plumbed and wired for a bar to be installed if the owner wishes.

The steps on the stairway down to the middle, entry level were originally designed to be closed, but Mike made a design feature of them by opening the spaces between, allowing light and glimpses of artwork to be enjoyed as you ascend or descend.

The middle level contains the master suite - a bedroom that opens onto its own balcony looking out to the view, a walk-in wardrobe, and a bathroom with a walk-in shower and a bath positioned to look past a pohutukawa to Westhaven.

Another bedroom on this level could also be an office. Another flight of stairs brings you down to the sun-drenched kitchen, dining and living area.

Two-metre windows absorb the view, and bifold doors open the space to a courtyard warmed by a gas fireplace. Two more bedrooms on this level also open to the courtyard.

There is another gas fire in the lounge, and air conditioning throughout the house keeps the temperature even. Hush glass shields the sound from the motorway below.

``In the houses I've done for clients it's been easy to put stuff in and hide it behind bits of trim, but here we had to work hard to keep the look simple and lean,'' says Jules. ``At the same time we didn't want it to be a minimal, cold box, we wanted it to be friendly and calming.''

She and Mike have achieved this with a 2.6m-high ceiling that balances the length of the room and allows the incoming light to soften. White walls are offset by dark-stained American oak on the floor, and carpet is inlaid in the lounge floor to demarcate it from the dining and kitchen area.

The kitchen has been kept clean with sheer, handle-less cabinetry.
``It was made by a cabinetmaker we've worked with for years, and people like him were amazing at going the extra mile to give us what we wanted. This whole place is the result of a big team effort with lots of old contacts.''

As for working as husband and wife, Jules grins that the experience has ``had its challenges''.

``The lines of demarcation can get fuzzy, and we've both got very strong wills, but that makes it fun. We either understand why the other person wants something done a certain way, or we fight it out.''

They would like to build another house together one day, but first have to complete their next commissions - Mike is building the townhouse that will share a central wall with this one, and Jules has been asked to do the interior design.

The buyers of 10A can rest assured that their neighbour's place will be in keeping with their own.

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 3

GARAGES: 2

SIZE: Land 400sq m, house 278 sq m plus 110sq m decks and courtyard.

PRICE INDICATION: $2 million plus. Tenders close August 23.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 11:30-12:30pm.

ON THE WEB: www.open2view.co.nz #133780

CONTACT: Jack Atherton, Ray White, ph 021 739 655, 376 2186 bus.

FEATURES: Brand new three-level house with stunning views of the harbour and city. Second living area off barbecue deck on top level, courtyard off living area on lower level. Gas fires indoors and out, and air conditioning. Wired for AV and surround sound equipment. Walking distance to Ponsonby and city.