53 Staincross St, Titirangi, Auckland, home of Donna and John with children Brooke, 4, Jake, 11, and Talia, 13, with Tui the dog. Photo / Fiona Goodall, Getty Images
53 Staincross St, Titirangi, Auckland, home of Donna and John with children Brooke, 4, Jake, 11, and Talia, 13, with Tui the dog. Photo / Fiona Goodall, Getty Images
SCHOOL ZONES:
Green Bay High, Glen Eden Intermediate.
CONTACT:
Brendan Smith, LJ Hooker, 0272 110 002.
The neighbourhood of Titirangi Gardens is an unexpected find. At the end of a winding street of mid-century houses, the cul-de-sac on the cusp of Green Bay marks the start of the Waitakere foothills. It was a surprise discovery for Donna and John when they bought here 12 years ago.
"We'd looked at Titirangi houses set right in the bush," says Donna. "But this is so elevated and sunny. We share a lane with eight other houses, and we're our own little community. It's very safe, the neighbours are fantastic."
The couple bought the then six-year-old monolithic-clad house from an English couple. They were intrigued by the "upside down" build, with living spaces upstairs, bedrooms downstairs but realised it made sense for sun and views. They loved the dramatic pitched roof of the main living spaces, and the huge sunny front deck that overlooked the bush, wrapped around a 70-year-old kauri tree.
At the time they had a one-year-old, Talia, so were looking at the potential of the house for children. There was no back yard for their growing family (Talia, now 13, was joined by Jake, 11, and Brooke, nearly 5) but with fairly major geo-tech work, they cut and filled the sloping back section to create a terraced flat lawn for trampoline and slide, with proper drainage and a spa pool deck. Below, off the garage, is a sunny utility yard for the clothesline. Donna and John also worked their way around the bush section, planting and clearing around the stream, adding bromeliads and a dramatic fishtail palm to the native plants. The smart aggregate driveway was safe for kids' bikes, but also created a great sense of arrival, to drive between trees and then see the house revealed.
Image 1 of 6: Down a little Titirangi lane is a snug bush enclave and an intriguing home. Photos / Fiona Goodall, Getty Images
The house form is a pleasing mix of traditional and modern; cedar trims complementing the warm coloured plaster finish. From the covered front porch, visitors go straight upstairs to the living floor. The wing over the garage has a master suite, with a recently modernised bathroom and walk-in closet big enough for Donna's antique dresser.
A second generous double bedroom is used as a media room for the kids. Donna, who works from home, has a neat study tucked into the curve of the hallway before it opens to the living space. A family bathroom and laundry are also on this floor.
Donna credits the previous owners for the dramatic cathedral ceilings with polished jarrah floors and a fireplace (the family also added two heat pumps and the place is wired for sound, security and TV). Bifold doors from living and dining rooms open to the north-facing deck, wrapped around that precious kauri tree. The kitchen, in a deep plum lacquer is complemented by more timber and has an integrated fridge/freezer and updated appliances, with well-planned storage. Donna and John commissioned a Titirangi artist to make the leafy steel screens at the dining windows and stairwell, a safety precaution when the children were little but also a reference to their leafy outlook. Donna says the spaces, connected visually, work well for entertaining a crowd, as grown ups can be on one deck, kids on the back deck in the spa or playing on the lawn.
The upstairs rooms worked well when the children were small (Donna's office started life as a nursery), but now they have taken over downstairs as their territory. Talia's room was sound-proofed for the previous owners' son's band room, so she appreciates the quiet for sleep-ins. The younger kids have sunny bedrooms on the north side, and there's also a third bathroom down here.
"Green Bay has such a good community here. It's only six minutes to the New Lynn train station where the kids can take the train to their schools in Mt Albert and Epsom. There are great bush walks and a 20-minute walk up Godley Avenue to Titirangi village," says Donna. The family are selling to move closer to the kids' schools. Donna and John hope their sunny spot in the bush will be loved as much by the next family.
