THE WOW FACTOR
A modern home with ‘big sky views’ is a family gem, writes SANDRA GOODWIN
”We wanted it to be modern and we wanted it to wow people.”
The Tetenburgs describe their eye-catching waterfront home as having “big sky views” which stretch from Hobsonville around the harbour and city to Mt Albert. And it’s not just the outlook that’s a knock-out — a friend told them the angular modern home looked like something you’d find in Los Angeles. Siobhan Tetenburg says: “We told our architect Jonathan Smith, who’s now a director at Matter Architects, that we wanted it to be modern and we wanted it to wow people.” Siobhan and husband Tom discovered the wedge-shaped section which spawned their home and outlook by accident in 2005. They lived in Pt Chevalier and were out this way renovating a house they’d bought to rent out when they spotted the 696sq m vacant lot. They sold Pt Chev and moved their family of five into the 98sq m rental house while their new five-bedroom home was being built. Tom and Siobhan project-managed the build, completed in 2008. Siobhan says: “Partway through an ad agency filmed one of those ASB Bank Goldstein ads here, where the American character Ira Goldstein said, ‘I’m here for something called a roof shout.’ “That paid for us to have our front door spray-painted in Hot Chilli red.” They’ve left the property’s front curve unfenced so as not to interfere with their ‘big sky view’, with a low retaining wall near the footpath emphasising the public-private delineation. They enjoy the Peninsula’s sense of community, level walking and proximity to the city, NorthWest Mall and the airport. Their two-storey home has plaster rendered over concrete block, Linea weatherboards and Titan sheeting. Tom says: “We’d been to Fiji on holidays with the kids and liked the way we could open up our accommodation there in different ways, so we wanted that here.” The big kitchen-dining-living room with gas fire in its doubleheight living can open wide to outdoor entertaining areas front or back. The entertainers’ kitchen with stone benches incorporates a big walk-in pantry. Also on ground level are a second living room, a big bedroom opening to the rear grounds which have room for a pool, bathroom, laundry and the internal-access double garage. Upstairs, the master suite with soaring ceiling, walk-in wardrobe and en suite is one of four upstairsbedrooms accompanied by a family bathroom,three of them opening gloriously to front
decks. Most of the ground level has tiled flooring piped for underfloor heating. The Tetenburgs have decided to semi-retire and downsize, freeing up capital to travel. Professionals agent Derek von Sturmer says: “This stunning and spacious home on Te Atatu Peninsula with panoramic views is an absolute masterpiece. You’ll never want to leave home again!” Auction: December 17 Contact: Derek von Sturmer, Professionals, 0275 337 357