The tale of how Kelly Edwards and James Macredie came to buy their Parnell house may be familiar to many a would-be renovator. Nine years ago, the family were about to start renovations on their old Mt Albert house when, more out of idle curiosity than any firm plans, they came by to look at this solid 1990s Italian-style home. Their son was an out-of-zone pupil at Parnell Primary, Kelly worked in the CBD, the house was beautifully detailed and finished in the way that builder's own places are.
"We were only halfway down Parnell Rise and we'd decided yes, we'd buy it," says Jamie. "This is so handy to everything, we can walk to Newmarket, Parnell, the Domain and the city, and yet we have more privacy and greenery than we did in Mt Albert. There are tui, wood pigeons, fantails."
Though the layout and finishes may catch the eye of the casual visitor, Jamie's construction engineering background means he was as much impressed by the building's underpinning. Built on a slope behind Trinity Cathedral, the two-level house is anchored by 6m deep piles, plus concrete floors and blockwork on the lower floor and most of the upper level. He says the monolithic cladding, installed in 1995, has never had a problem. The concrete roof tiles have a look of old terracotta.
"The builder/developer lived here. He had a bit of a thing about Italy, but was also thoughtful about the use of the space," says Jamie. This has made for a timeless design, with details such as the granite kitchen bench, classic tiles in the bathrooms, plaster corbel ceiling roses and beautifully engineered steel balustrades on internal staircase and external balconies. The floor plan makes the most of the sloping site, with views to the south.
