SCHOOL ZONES:
Western Springs College, Auckland Girls’ Grammar
CONTACT:
Nic Blackie, ph 021 505 964; John Wills, ph 021 333 053
FEATURES:
*2 OFF-STREET
There's no need for bath time to be grizzle time on sunny days at No21.
The Morris kids, Cooper and Jett, have been like ducks to water around the open-air clawfoot bath their parents had plumbed into their tranquil backyard.
Their mother, Rachel, says: "It's got hot running water so the kids are all over it. Jett washes her dolls in there, too."
The outdoor tub is just part of how the property unfolds in an unexpected manner. From the front Rachel and Scott's home looks like a smart but unremarkable former "statie" polished up, with a front patio, paintwork and a double off-street parking pad secured by an auto-opening gate.
But as you wander through, it unfolds with a lovely sense of tranquillity to serene rear living contemplating lush and level private rear grounds.
"I'm a bit of a greenie and I find it a really lovely outlook. Every morning I just look out there and say a little thank-you," says Rachel.
It was a "just in the nick of time" find for the pair. One month before Jett was born in 2009 they were house-hunting for somewhere with more space than their Ponsonby cottage.
"I'd been just bawling 'I need a house!' and then it all panned out so well," remembers Rachel. "We bought this place eight hours after it was put on the market. We'd been looking for ages, we'd seen enough to know it was right and pretty much everything we needed was done. Plus it had a really calming feeling. The kicker was the backyard. Because our living and backyard are back off the street you never hear cars and you just don't feel like you're part of the hustle and bustle. You could be anywhere. But then if we want to take the kids or our dogs Trucker and Benny to Grey Lynn Park it's just a minute away."
Th family have made the most of the entertaining capability of a rear kitchen-dining-living spread opening out to a covered deck.
"It's been easy to be really social here," says Rachel. "And at the same time it's a great family home where I can be doing something in the kitchen, Scott's outside on the barbecue and we're keeping an eye on the kids in the backyard."
The kitchen has cabinetry alongside a big island housing two ovens, and servery windows opening outdoors. Rachel has operated her insurance business from an office off the living area.
"When Jett was young I could get my work done and still have her there alongside me."
You might find cats Tom-Tom and Chloe sprawled out in front of either the enclosed Metro fire or the open fire warming the living and dining zones. The home also has a DVS system.
The Morris' added the secure parking pad and refreshed the decor. They freed up the clawfoot bath when they renovated the bathroom, installing a sleek egg-style bath in a tiled wet-zone with shower.
Rachel says she's got a hankering for more land by the water but is incredibly grateful for the time they've spent in this home.
