103A Wharf Rd, Te Atatu Peninsula. Photo / Getty Images
103A Wharf Rd, Te Atatu Peninsula. Photo / Getty Images
Like its owners, this Wharf Rd house is a relative newcomer to Te Atatu Peninsula. The single storey, three-bedroom, 1960s weatherboard place arrived on the site via a removal yard in 2006.
The people who owned the 1000sq m property back then wanted to subdivide it. They moved the house they'd been living in to the rear of the property and sited the transported house to the front. Job done.
The current owners were living in Sandringham in 2010 and although they wanted to stay there, prices were skyrocketing. So they focused their search further out.
"We'd never really been here (the peninsula) before," says the current owner. "But we knew someone who was living here and when we came out we liked it. And it was still affordable."
The couple and their two young daughters wanted a home with four bedrooms and room for grandparents from out of town to stay.
The renovation gave them a whole lot more living for a lot less than the cost of buying a four-bedroom home at the time.
They insulated and double-glazed with aluminium windows throughout.
As well as heat pumps they installed dual-linked HRV systems.
By pushing out towards the front garden, they extended the living, opening it up to an expansive, sunny north-facing deck with a sunken sitting area in front of an outdoor fire.
103A Wharf Rd, Te Atatu Peninsula. Photo / Getty Images
Entertaining with barbecues, a glass of wine in hand, is easy here in summer, they say.
A big, open living space with silvered timber laminate flooring reaches across a dining area to a new white, clutter-free kitchen where they can stand at the big bench and keep an eye on the action. Much larger than previously, it has loads of practical cabinetry and a walk-in pantry gives extra space.
The owners were inspired by minimalist Scandi style. The pale blue/grey of the walls with white highlights on the window joinery and ceilings creates a cool, calming ambience — the perfect backdrop for elegant contemporary furnishings and favourite possessions.
Three spacious downstairs bedrooms — the children's rooms and a guest room — remain virtually the same apart from plush grey carpets.
A new unit in the laundry created a tidier space that suits the couple's well-organised aesthetic.
103A Wharf Rd, Te Atatu Peninsula. Photo / Getty Images
But the piece de resistance in the renovation was the large adult sanctuary upstairs.
"We wanted to create a space for us that's away from the kids and the chaos."
With an impressive walk-in wardrobe and a chic, light-filled en suite, it's a warm and relaxing escape. It even boasts distant views towards Hobsonville.
The couple have loved living in Te Atatu Peninsula with its harbour walkways just around the corner.
They say it's a great place to bring up children, with good local schools and a strong sense of community.
As the call of the rural life beckons, they're planning on moving to a place where there are massive lawns for kids to play on.
103A WHARF RD, TE ATATU PENINSULA • 4 bedrooms, 2 bathroom, 1 parking spaces. • Land 451s qm. • Inspect: By appointment or at the advertised open homes. • Schools: Peninsula Primary School, Te Atatu Intermediate & Rutherford College. • Contact: John Vujnovich, Harveys, 021 922 044, oneroof.co.nz/1194198
