KEY POINTS:
1/23 GRAHAM STREET,
AUCKLAND CITY.
When Christopher Francis moved into his apartment in early 2006, it was the generous size and the city location that initially attracted him.
"I can't stand little apartments," he says.
He's able to walk to his office in the CBD, and the bars and restaurants of the Viaduct Basin lie virtually across road.
This spacious three-bedroom apartment in The Galleries, a low-rise complex of 28 residences, has been the ideal bachelor pad for Christopher. The central pedestrian courtyard, dotted with potted palms and from which the individual apartments are reached, can be accessed only via two locked gates. This feature, coupled with the secure basement carpark, offers a high degree of security and privacy.
Once inside, a long entrance hall provides a sense of arrival into the open-plan living area where white walls are offset against toffee-coloured carpet.
"It's always so warm in here because it's directly north facing," says Christopher.
Sliding glass doors open on to a paved outdoor terrace where a further outer layer of glass doors extend the living spaces, while affording protection from the elements if necessary.
The main room is dominated by a glossy black three-panelled door which slides across to reveal the master bedroom. The master has an en suite bathroom accessed through a walk-in wardrobe and also opens to the terrace with a glass safety rail.
The gleaming door can continue sliding towards the left to obscure the built-in wall of shelves if a streamlined look is desired. A similarly versatile pair of doors, in a matching finish, on the other side of the kitchen slide apart to reveal a compact office space, or close to uncover six vertically-aligned storage cubes either side.
Two other bedrooms, with built-in wardrobes, are situated at the other end of the apartment. Christopher, however, has colonised them for other uses. One is designated for managing piles of laundry and the other houses a portable sauna. "Not exactly standard," he laughs.
A pull-out pantry and integrated refrigerator are incorporated within the kitchen's sleek white cabinetry with recessed rectangular handles. Blending with the Tasmanian oak floor is an island of stainless steel with a linen finish, an extra-wide Ariston oven and five-burner gas cook-top.
The well-equipped kitchen has been under-utilised during Christopher's occupancy. "I don't really cook," he says. "But it's the sort of place where I can have a lot of people around for drinks before we go out." In the bathrooms, white mosaic wall tiles contrast with charcoal grey floor tiles with a satin finish.
Dual square basins are inset into a chunky vanity of American walnut with tall twin mirrors and stainless steel accessories. The apartment also features a guest powder room and designated laundry cupboard.
Mosaic detail is a design theme that is repeated throughout the spaces. As well as the bathroom tiles, there's also a subtle shimmering mosaic effect behind the kitchen's glass splash-back. And the complex's entrance foyer boasts a stone feature wall in a grid-like relief pattern.
An on-site manager ensures the smooth-running of the property and the apartments are virtually maintenance-free.
Christopher is now looking "for something a bit more suburban, maybe a townhouse".
He'll miss the lively location, the easy living as well as the lock-up-and-leave factor. "It's just a really good inner-city pad," he says.