SCHOOL ZONES:
Westmere School, Ponsonby Intermediate, Western Springs College.
CONTACT:
Marc Collins, Custom Residential, 0274 485961.
AUCTION:
Sept 25, on site, 11am.
When Angela Beddek and her husband bought their Westmere bungalow it had its back turned to the beautiful open spaces of Coxs Bay Reserve over the fence.
"It was a typical 1950s house in that it was built to the road and not the view," says Angela. "So we turned the layout around."
Though they bought the property 11 years ago, they waited several years before transforming it. The project included adding a master bedroom suite, entry foyer and garaging at the front, reconfiguring the layout, and putting in a deck, patio and, more recently, a swimming pool.
"You wouldn't recognise it from start to finish," says Angela. "We stripped it down to bare walls inside and remodelled it.
"We have completely redone the gardens, especially out the back where there was no deck; just grass and an old garage."
They also added plenty of storage -- including a lined attic space accessed from the hall -- and installed ducted heating.
Today, the bedrooms are at the front of the house. The master has an en suite and walk-in wardrobe, and opens out to a courtyard that is screened from the street by hedging.
"It's lovely to sit out here privately and quietly in the late afternoon or you can just open the doors and let the breeze in," Angela says.
The timber floors in the extension at the front of the house have been matched to the original flooring.
"They actually came out of an old Auckland pub," says Angela. "If they could talk they would have some interesting stories to tell."
Image 1 of 7: This property has been turned around in more ways than one. Photos / David Rowland, Getty Images
Further down the hallway are two more bedrooms -- one set up as an office and the other occupied by son James with a feature wall of funky retro wallpaper.
A separate laundry has access to an outdoor utility area that can also be reached via a rear garage door, making it somewhere that can provide more parking or boat storage.
A deep spa bath takes pride of place in the main bathroom, which you pass as you enter the open plan living-kitchen-dining area.
Angela says they bought their country-style kitchen second-hand and the kauri cabinetry fitted the space almost perfectly, requiring minimal adjustment apart from adding a window over the double sinks.
French doors open out to the deck, which steps down to a patio set up for outdoor entertaining.
From the patio you move on to the heated in-ground swimming pool. The pool cover is cleverly stored in a bench seat at the end of the pool.
Angela says when they redesigned the back yard they made sure to leave enough grassed area for a trampoline or swing set.
They also planted peach, lime, lemon and guava trees, while port wine magnolia and canton lace provide screening along the fence line.
"Even though you have houses around you, it is lovely and private out here," says Angela.
With two dogs, the family also appreciate having access from the back yard to the reserve, with its vast spaces and winding walkways.
Angela says the central location has made life easy for everything from going shopping to eating out.
With James getting close to finishing high school, Angela says they are selling and looking forward to the next chapter in their lives. They just haven't worked out what that might be.
"We don't know what we are up to next; we just feel like a change."
