David Blanchard's daughter Cris, 12, has to be one of the luckiest girls in Auckland. Two years ago she somehow persuaded her parents to move from the country house they'd spent 10 years lovingly building, to a bigger country spread so she could have a horse. That she finished up with one of the biggest and best teen bedroom suites in Auckland was a mere bonus.
"At least we're in the dress circle of Coatesville, and she only has to trot the horse down the road to pony club," says David. "So I didn't have to buy a horse float and all that palaver."
However, what the family may have saved on trucking has been more than made up for by the top-to-toe rebuild that David and his wife undertook on the solid but dated 1980s spread.
Like all smart buyers, the Blanchards spotted solid construction under the post-modern trims and awkward layout, but apart from the stylish gabled roof of a couple of the wings, and some solid masonry, there is barely anything of the original 430sq m house left.
The couple have a superb eye for detail, and luxurious taste, so everything was finished to the highest standards, with a team of designers closely supervised by David.
Architectural designer Grant Bindon completely redesigned the house, more than doubling it in size, interior designers Trinity Design supervised the entire fit out including cabinetry and furnishings, while landscapers re-did the gardens.
The family lived in the house through the build, decamping overseas for a few weeks and then living in the pool house when the main house reached an unliveable stage.
The first job was to rework the awkward floor plan.
The Blanchards wanted a proper entrance, that signalled to visitors they were arriving somewhere special (as if the gracious, tree-lined avenue winding up to the house wasn't enough).
The solution was to insert a spectacular double height atrium between the five-car garage and the main house.
Now, with its 3m glass door and sculptural staircase of brass and travertine, with a view through to a reflecting pond, the dazzling entry has achieved their aim.
The remodel of the main house included adding an entire entertainment wing that mimicked the existing living-room wing.
A generous hip roof connects two smaller gables to create the upper-floor master suite, while the pool house follows a similar, satisfying symmetry.
All through the house there are views to the garden and pool, or back to more contemplative spaces.
Entry to the living room is framed by a glass lit wine room -- stacked with bottles of champagne, David says, to remind people they are there for a great time -- and storage cupboards galore.
Image 1 of 11: A daughter's desire for a horse grew into a monster project in the dress circle that has changed a home from top to bottom. Photos / Ted Baghurst
The huge kitchen is wrapped by the cathedral ceiling, a wall of dark stained oak and brass cupboards and a central waterfall island of rich dark stone.
The Blanchards were aiming for a European look, themed around rich dark stone, oak and brass, with timeless materials.
They carefully delineated formal areas (a glass enclosed dining room, the huge new sitting room) with old-school parquet-style oak floors, while wide, dark stained boards mark out the more casual spaces and luxurious carpets cosy up the bedrooms.
Tucked behind a hidden door in the entertaining kitchen is a full second kitchen, complete with Gaggenau and Sub-Zero appliances.
Outside the couple re-designed the pool to fit with the symmetry of the wings, reshaping a hill behind with a feature waterfall and pond, lining the boundary with olive trees and lillypilly hedging.
The re-levelled lawn creates a fenceless ha-ha to the paddock where daughter Cris' pony lives (there's a tennis court on the other side of the property).
The pool room has a semi-open great room for the barbecue, outdoor fire and drinks bar.
As well as the guest room out here, the couple installed a Four Seasons-quality day spa, with a sauna, steam room, and a full gym.
With so many living areas, the couple and their decorators settled on an opulent black and gold theme throughout. Dramatic light fittings from ECC, more drama in the stone fireplace wall of the formal living room, a variety of marbles and stones used in the children's en suites, guest bathroom and the couple's own en suite, and feature ceilings of meticulously matched cedar, they have layered interest through out the house.
Many touches, such as the brass bathroom fittings, the closets and his-and-her office desks, were customised for the house. The second half of the new entertainment wing includes a tiered media/theatre room and a great games room to kick back, while on the front is a covered porch, perfect for the swinging daybed the couple had copied from one they'd enjoyed in Antigua.
On the other side of the house, above the garage, is the kids' music room, great for the sleepover crowds. As well as the two childrens' rooms on the ground floor, there is also a guest room and a laundry big enough for two washers and two dryers. Storage is discreetly tucked everywhere.
Upstairs is the parents' domain: an enormous master bedroom (two double beds joined together, the padded headboard stays with the house) with juliet balcony overlooking the pool, huge his-and-hers wardrobes and another spa-quality bathroom. The upstairs bar has a dramatic under-lit onyx servery, a balcony to the garden and, off it, a secure panic room.
Both David and his wife have so relished transforming the house that she is now consulting the interior designers; both are proud of their work and enthused about their next projects.
They had planned this to be their long-term house but with their older son away at boarding school, and David's business sold, they fancy a new lifestyle with a city apartment and buying a big boat.
So after a brilliant summer in the house (the pool house was well-christened for David's 50th ), it's time to move on.
