KEY POINTS:
A beautifully preserved example of 50s interior design is tucked away in a suburb of villas.
52 View Road, Mt Eden.
The vagaries of the property market can sometimes work in a buyer's favour. Eight years ago Lynne and Andrew Iten made an offer on this house the day they first saw it, but it was not enough.
Six weeks later however, the market had quietened to the extent that the owner called them back and asked if they would still like to buy it.
The couple were thrilled - they knew their collection of 50s furniture and art would fit perfectly into the cosy brick and stucco bungalow.
"It doesn't look spectacular from the outside," says Lynne. "We came down the drive and thought `Oh yeah, whatever', but we walked in and thought `This is good.'"
Down a right of way, you enter the house across its pale orange paved terrace that faces north to catch the sun. Inside the front door you step onto rich red matai floorboards that run through the house.
The wall of the living room on your left is made entirely of ribbed glass, a panel of which forms a sliding door. This classic 50s design feature is repeated throughout the house in windows, doors and cupboards.
Large picture windows, which allow light to pour through the house, are recessed deeply to allow room for shelving and cupboards beneath them.
"These houses were designed as first homes for families in the 50s," says Lynne. "The architects wanted to eliminate extraneous furniture, so provided lots of built in cabinetry and storage."
The wall between the dining room and the kitchen acts like an old fashioned dresser - there is even a double sided cupboard to link the rooms.
Another original design feature maintained throughout the house are stylish fluorescent lights. With their cool aluminium casings and clever positioning, they show how this lighting form deserves to come back into fashion.
The living room fireplace has been made more efficient with the installation of a Jetmaster, and the original built in electric heater in the dining room still pumps out the heat in winter, says Lynne.
Andrew was impressed with how the previous owners had renovated the house in keeping with its era. The kitchen cabinets are relatively new, but have been designed with a 50s aesthetic. The bench is still stainless steel.
Three bedrooms, the bathroom and a sweet sunroom are on the other side of an L-shaped hallway. Built-in drawers and mirrors are a feature of the bedrooms. Bifold windows in the sunroom allow the breeze through in summer.
There is a sheltered back yard, and a garage that has served time as a sleepout for owners who were happy to park on the off-street pad.
Andrew and Lynne have loved the house's proximity to so many attractions - shops, cafes, parks and the CBD.
"We can walk to Mt Eden, Dominion Road or even into town and catch a bus home," says Lynne.
But it's time for a change, and Lynne wants to try living near the sea. They're off to a lofty 80s townhouse in Herne Bay, where they think their furniture collection will also fit just fine.
VITAL STATISTICS
BEDROOMS: 3
BATHROOMS: 1
GARAGES: 1+
SIZE: Land 1/3 share of 1455sq m, house 132sq m.
PRICE INDICATION: CV $650,000. Auction December 7.
INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1-1.45pm, or by appointment.
ON THE WEB: www.open2view.com # 141705
SCHOOL ZONES: Auckland Boys; Auckland Girls; Mt Albert Grammar; Mt Eden Primary school and Kowhai Intermediate
CONTACT: Rawinia Matthews, Unlimited Potential, ph 0274 353 489, 631 0022 bus.
FEATURES: Lovingly preserved 1950s brick and stucco house, renovated in keeping with its era. Jetmaster fire, sunroom. Off-street parking for three cars so garage could be a sleepout/office. Walking distance to Mt Eden, Dominion Road and minutes from the CBD.
