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.
