SCHOOL ZONES:
Parnell District School, double Grammar
CONTACT:
John Greenwood, 021 970 077, David Rainbow, 021 923 364, Libby Greenwood, 021 937 470, Bayleys.
Just as the Urry family has grown and changed so has their Parnell home of almost 32 years. Chris and Sally Urry have raised four children at their Takutai St home, which has been extended and renovated in various stages along with improvements to the large grounds.
Their three-level brick and tile 1930s home has been all that children Hannah, Charlie, Maddy and Tom have known through their lives although it has changed a lot in that time.
Charlie, a builder, describes the family home as "a huge work in progress for a number of years" right down to the upgraded foundations.
"With all the work they've done, Mum and Dad have kept the character of the house as much as possible but moved it forward with the times."
The result is a house ideally suited to family living with many different living spaces -- indoors and out -- as well as guest quarters and a floodlit tennis court.
With all four children going to nearby Parnell school -- often barefoot and eating toast on their way there in the morning -- the house was a natural congregation point for all their mates -- especially with a tennis court that could also host games of cricket and rugby.
Most of those gatherings were sanctioned by Chris and Sally although Charlie recalls during his sixth form year that his parents were surprised to return home one night to a party of about 120 people.
The next day, feeling the worse for wear, Charlie planted out the trees that now form a hedge on the northern boundary.
That hedge is neatly clipped, as are all the others that form borders and delineate the outdoor spaces and paths, the product of some major landscaping works that included retaining walls as part of the terracing at the back of the home.
The tennis court was upgraded from asphalt to an artificial surface although the Urrys stopped short of putting in an infinity pool overlooking the tennis court.
On the main living level the recently renovated kitchen and dining room space flows through to a family room with open fire that has grandstand views over the tennis court.
The family room and the office beside the front door open out to a terrace from which you step down to a sheltered outdoor dining area with open fire.
On the other side of the main level, a formal lounge with open fire and adjoining dining room have views out over Hobson Bay.
Charlie says prior to the kitchen and family room spaces being created, this part of the house was the focus of family gatherings including dinner parties and Christmas celebrations.
Hannah says at big gatherings the table would be extended from the dining room into the lounge. Charlie says when the lounge and dining room were refurbished as more formal, carpeted spaces the kids were discouraged from using them.
Downstairs, the guest quarters have a bedroom with en suite and a lounge that has been set up as a media room. On this level there is also a large laundry, storage rooms and the double garage.
An elegant, curving balustrade takes you from the main level to the top floor where there are four bedrooms and two bathrooms, one an en suite for the master that is accessed via a walk-through wardrobe. There are lovely water views from this level, particularly from the bedroom on the northeastern corner which has windows following the curve of the wall.
With their four children getting on with their own lives, Chris and Sally are looking to simplify things and are moving north to Sandspit.
