CONTACT:
Donald Gibbs, Ray White, 021 2693517 or (09) 308 5517
PUTTING that little bit of distance between themselves and the CBD meant Paul Branks and Nick Wolfe could buy a more affordable and slightly lighter apartment.
They found the place they would call home for three years in a conversion project on Newton Rd and bought in May 2011. The building was changing from motel units to 31 boutique apartments and Paul and Nick signed up, opting to do the internal renovations themselves. The outside was also revamped.
"We were looking for something larger than the city offered, something reasonably priced and still close to life," says Paul. "It was a decent size, centrally located and had a car park. It's still close to everything -- Ponsonby, K Rd, Queen St, the motorways and our work in Remuera and Mt Eden."
From the street entrance at 121 Newton Rd, they are on the ground level but from their apartment windows they look down two levels to Diamond St. Directly below on this side is car parking.
"Also, this level has a concrete ceiling so we don't hear any of the neighbours," says Paul.
They painted the internal walls and ceiling in white, crisp against the subtle shades of the laminated floor.
The bedroom, with Diamond St outlook, is in Dulux Oriental Bay Half and the Peter Hay kitchen adds a bold splash of colour, its red cupboards and grey benches complemented by the reds and greys in the living room's poppy curtains. The colourful LEDs on top of the cupboards look especially spectacular in the evening.
"You can adjust the colours, the speed and intensity of the lights depending on your mood," says Paul. "It's best at night because the lights bounce off the paintwork."
They also changed the layout slightly as the original motel kitchen was tiny and now their larger kitchen with island bench makes it an easy space for preparing meals and entertaining.
The storage cupboard was upsized by pushing out the door and a sensor light was added. The bathroom is tiled and has shower, vanity and toilet.
The living space's large floor-to-ceiling window ensures a decent supply of natural light. "It gets the sunlight from about one o'clock on and we can watch the sun set over the Waitakeres." Basque Park is just a stroll away down Diamond St.
Image 1 of 3: This stylish little beauty is close to everywhere but without the cost of the CBD -- and comes with an ultra-modern lighting system
"We have finished the apartment to a high standard because we were thinking we would stay here forever. We like the lookout and it's so central and walkable."
They are selling to move to Central Otago, intending to retire. "We have bought a place there," says Paul. "That's the plan but we might be bored in six months and want to work."
They imagine their apartment will appeal to first-home buyers or perhaps investors. "There are mainly owner occupants here and all different age ranges and quite a few different ethnicities. And people have cats and dogs."
