SCHOOL ZONES:
St Thomas School, Glendowie College.
CONTACT:
Tanya Kwasza, Mike Mattson and Lorraine Garnett, Ray White, 021 593 939 (Tanya), 021 666 171 (Mike) or 021 655 154 (Lorraine).
AUCTION:
June9.
When Kate James and her husband, Kristian, first saw their St Johns Park home four years ago, one of the things they noticed was its colour.
"It was very brown," recalls Kate. "Brown wooden ceilings, dark brown beams, brown walls ... there was a lot of brown going on."
But the couple also noticed that the house was full of lots of lovely light, thanks to the proliferation of large windows, and that it had fantastic views over Auckland, sweeping from Mt Wellington across to One Tree Hill. Plus they loved the unique 1980s character of the multi-level home, including its soaring ceilings.
These were all features the couple had been looking for in a first home, so they were able to overlook the colour scheme. They've since redecorated in more neutral tones, creating a stylish, modern home. They even took the bold step of painting the sloping wooden ceilings white.
"I wanted to do that from the word go and my husband was dead set against it," says Kate. "It took years for him to finally agree to it and when he did I almost had a change of heart and wanted to leave them as they were. But I'm glad we did -- it's made a big difference. The house feels a lot more contemporary."
When they bought the house, the couple had recently returned to New Zealand from London, and the cedar home was the antithesis to apartment living there, with its abundance of space, light-filled rooms and large, sunny garden. They've done lots of landscaping, including putting in wider steps from the patio at the rear of the house up to the expansive lawn area. The patio has been ideal for entertaining, as has a balcony at the front of the house and a deck at the side that is enclosed to create a sheltered courtyard.
Image 1 of 5: Contemporary, light-filled 80s home has many living areas and levels so children and grown-ups can find their own space
"We like the fact that we have the choice of lots of different areas to go to," says Kate.
The same can be said for inside the house. The layout over several levels provides different zones for the family, which now includes daughters Heidi, 5 and Isla, 2. The girls have tended to play in a space alongside the dining area, just a few steps down from the lounge, which is the grown-ups' hang-out spot and opens out to the front balcony and back patio.
The kitchen includes another living space with a built-in window seat where people congregate. Kate and Kristian recently put in a brand new kitchen, with sleek cabinetry, a spacious pantry and bi-fold windows that open out to the side deck.
Kate can enjoy the view while she's cooking, and when Kristian barbecues, it's easy to pass food in and out the windows.
Stairs go up to the next level, where there are two bedrooms, including one with double doors out to the patio, and a powder room. On the top level of the house is a master bedroom with an en suite, the bedroom the girls share, and the family bathroom.
Kate and Kristian had plenty of plans for other improvements they could have made had they been staying, but they've seen another house that has piqued their interest so it's time for their next step up the property ladder. Kate adds, "But this is our first house, so it will always be special to us."
