Remuera: Empty nest nirvana

An apartment designed with baby boomers in mind oozes class from floor to ceiling, writes Penny Lewis.

5/86 Remuera Rd, Remuera.

Moving to an apartment is an attractive prospect for baby boomers who often find their family homes too large or too time-consuming to maintain once the children have left home.

Moving to the right apartment is crucial though - people who are used to a good standard of living don't want to downsize to a small, gloomy box.

It's this discretionary market that Robert Giboney of RJ Developments had in mind when he sought to build on the site he'd owned for seven years.

"Maybe it's because it's my age group, but I wanted to construct a building with a select number of high quality apartments in it. There seemed to be little else comparable in the Parnell and Remuera area. So much here is high-density," he says.

Robert commissioned Colin Leuschke of Leuschke Group Architects and Dominion Constructors to fulfil his brief.

"I wanted an architect with a longstanding reputation. Colin is highly regarded and I knew his firm would have the resources I needed. They designed Princes Wharf. Look at the complexity in that building."

From the road, the apartment building appears contemporary, but its design is intended to have appeal for a long time to come. Its scale allows it to sit harmoniously among the heritage buildings in the neighbourhood.

"We wanted it to be modern, but not too minimal or leading edge. We want the design to have longevity," Robert explains.

Longevity has also been sought with the quality of the solid masonry construction and high-end fittings. All appliances in the apartments are Bosch and all lighting is from ECC Lighting. Even the shared lift has been specified for its German engineering.

Three of the building's six apartments have already been sold, but the impressive sub-penthouse, which takes up an entire floor of the building, is still available. Walk through an elegant foyer and in to the open plan living and kitchen area and you're immediately struck by how warm and sunny it is. There's also a sense of spaciousness from the generous 2.7m stud height. There's a gas fireplace in the living area, as there is in all the other apartments here.

While the floor area of the sub-penthouse is more house-like in its proportions, there's also the benefit of paved terraces outside. Many of them are covered and they effectively increase the living area. The third bedroom in the house can also be a second living area. It has a cavity slider to open up the room when needed.

The views from this home are breathtaking - you can see the top of Mt Eden, look down the road to Newmarket and the vista sweeps across to the Waitemata harbour and beyond. Even when you get out of the bath in the master en suite you can look out and see beautiful old St Mark's church across the road. Bayleys agent Joneen Smith says that at night the lights of the Sky Tower and other buildings ensure the view is just as compelling.

Vital Statistics

SIZE: 183sq m plus terrace of 82sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: $1.85 million.

INSPECT: Sunday 2-3 pm.

CONTACT: Libby Butler, ph 021 950 662 or 520 8888, Joneen Smith, ph 021 464 557, Bayleys Remuera.

FEATURES: Leuschke-designed apartment, expansive north and west facing terraces (much of it covered). Quality fit-out with ECC light fittings, Bosch appliances, gas fireplace, under-floor heating in the bathrooms, landscaped grounds and comprehensive security. Privacy for each apartment and just a short walk to Newmarket shops, theatres and cafes. Dual access from Belmont Tce, with two visitor parks. Two storage lockers.