Dress-circle appeal, views and sun

Saturday, March Privacy and panoramic views don’t always go hand-in-hand, but they are a perfect pairing at 28d Glen Almond St in New Plymouth.

You get the privacy in the home’s seclusion down the shared driveway at the end of this premier cul-de-sac.

No concerns with through traffic in this quiet street, long recognised as a sought-after neighbourhood and one of the city’s dress-circle settings.

While the address was certainly considered an advantage when David and Kathy first visited almost five years ago, it was the family space available in the 1930s bungalow that initially attracted them.

The views were a bonus, surprising them with their first steps into the kitchen-dining-family space. The site’s elevation allowed the room’s huge picture window to frame a view that embraced the mountain peak to the south, the green slopes of Windy Point to the west, and the Sugar Loaf Islands and Port Taranaki to the north.

It got even better when they walked through to the sunny deck on the far side. The view across Devon St West below them and down to the port and the offshore islands was captivating.

Kathy recalls the moment. ‘‘It was stunning. I said ‘That’s a milliondollar view. We’d be stupid not to buy this place!’.’’

They weren’t stupid. They bought it.

The house wasn’t perfect; it had been rented for some time and needed TLC and an update to the important services of kitchen and bathroom.

Which is where David stepped up with his background in fine joinery. He put his skills to work re-arranging some of the interior space to create an ensuite bathroom for the master bedroom, and crafted custom oakfinished wardrobes for that room; replaced the ageing kitchen with a sleek, highly specified new design; added finely detailed timber features to complement the home’s original character; and upgraded the northfacing deck with glass panels along its edge. The house has also been repainted inside and out.

A visit begins with the parking area and double garage set near the end of the driveway. The path winds in from there, through appealing established grounds to the main entry off the rear deck. On the way, you note impressive palms planted by previous owners: short ponytail palms lining the garage, taller more-graceful nikau further along the path, and a striking lineup of sturdy yucca to the side.

The traditional shingle-gabled frontage of the bungalow has a wide timber deck to welcome visitors to the main french-door entry. This opens through a foyer to the kitchen-diningfamily space and that impressive picture window.

The proximity to the kitchen means the entry deck is often a focus for casual barbecues. ‘‘We had last Christmas out here,’’ says Kathy. ‘‘It was cooler in the heat of the day.’’

The kitchen is David’s finely finished design of white cabinets, dark granite benchtops, black sink and tap, and gleaming stainless appliances. Adding a rich dash of colour is the back panel of sapele mahogany he fixed to separate the granite bench and white overcupboards. Kathy admits it’s been handy having a joiner in the house.

To the side of the dining area, a brick fireplace accommodates a woodburner insert that keeps this space cosy in cooler months. The brick chimney section rises to meet the bungalow’s original plasterpanelled ceiling, patterned with the warmth of rimu battens; a finish you see throughout the house.

Along the hallway are the home’s four bedrooms, family bathroom, separate toilet, separate laundry, formal lounge, and an extra room that could become a fifth bedroom, an office or a second living area. Both the lounge and that extra room open through french doors to the sunsoaked, sea-facing deck.

The master bedroom has that ensuite created by David’s imaginative repurposing of space. Another luxury touch is the ensuite shower’s blue-grained marble wall tiles.

The spacious lounge reveals more original character, especially the built-in, leadlight-detailed rimu cabinets set side of the recess where once would have been a fireplace. Today’s lounge enjoys the radiant warmth of a freestanding woodburner in a bricked corner.

Character continues overhead with more rimu battens and an ornate plaster rose. A window to the side of the french doors features more intricate leadlight design with green and red glass detailing.

David added extra character in here and in the next room, crafting inlaid timber floor features as an alternative to the more common ceramic tiles at each of the french doors opening to the deck.

On the deck, Kathy points out the walkway on the other side of the low concrete boundary wall, that takes you down to Devon St West. ‘‘We can walk into town from there, or up Lorna St to Base Hospital.’’

Harcourts consultant Zay Griffith sold this home to David and Kathy and is now marketing it for them following their decision to downsize with children having left home.

‘‘This is a really good family home, with different rooms that offer great flexibility.’’

Its prime position allows views to the mountain and port, Zay says, and also an easy walk down to a choice of four schools. ‘‘It’s a real family find!’’ www.taranakidailynews.co.nz