The heritage of 132 Vincent St is what enticed Susan Kingston to buy off the plans when the head office of Beca Engineering was being switched from commercial use to freehold residential apartments.
"I am one of those people who can't stop looking at property and it caught my eye that this was the base for New Zealand's most famous engineering firm. It also was pet friendly and I thought that I could have a dog and still be in the inner city and close to all the amenities I enjoy."
Susan moved in around June 2013 after the building had been converted. Changes included glass balustrade balconies, brickwork being removed or painted and a glass ceiling in the atrium. Inside her apartment, Susan chose wall coverings and curtains and added a 3m long kitchen island to the floor plan.
"That changed it from being a cramped kitchen to a cook's kitchen.
"The fun part of moving into an apartment just finished by the developers was I could choose the light fittings. I have an Irish lantern, Italian antique chandelier and ECC lights," she says.
"I love interior design, I spend hours poring over magazines. All my drapes are imported linen with embroidery. The ones in the living room set the theme. As soon as those drapes went up, the apartment went from something sterile to a home."
Her apartment is one level up from the street entrance, four levels up from the basement. It looks out to the plane trees of Vincent St and Greys Ave, and Susan looks forward to weekend lie-ins when she can make a coffee, go back to bed and listen to the birdsong.
Image 1 of 4: This historic building has been cleverly converted into stylish apartments.
"I feel the trees are part of my physical environment," she says.
There is about 60 per cent owner occupancy in the building, and Susan is on the body corporate committee with other owner occupiers.
"The people who live here are basically nice people.
"Even the ones I don't know still hold lift doors open, say hi and treat occupiers respectfully. I've always felt it was a home and not a building of nameless, faceless people. I think its smaller size in part creates that."
Her north-facing apartment has the entry hallway leading to the kitchen and living room, which opens to the balcony. At the back of the apartment are one bedroom and a flexi-use room which Susan has used as a dining room; but it could be a media room or study.
Next are a bathroom, the master bedroom, with en suite, and access to the balcony. Both bedrooms have wardrobe systems.
Susan says the great thing about living in Vincent St is she can walk to work in five minutes and be at the Town Hall or Aotea Centre in 10 minutes from closing her apartment door to being seated for a performance.
Susan is selling her apartment, but she has another property project in mind.
