QUICK LOOK
Ashort stroll from the front gate on to the Coastal Walkway. That was the immediate appeal for Anne and John when they first visited 16 Buller St in New Plymouth.
‘‘It was location,’’ Anne confirms. The couple were moving into town from a large rural home and were looking for an address that offered inner-city living and proximity to the coast.
This home is just one street back from absolute seafront and enjoys a view west along the city coastline to the iconic pairing of Paritutu and the power station chimney. Those two features become striking sunset silhouettes on many evenings.
Turn back from the seafront and you find city shops and cafes are almost as close as the walkway; you would hardly need a car when living here.
The home adds comfort to the convenience of its setting. It’s a modern, low-maintenance townhouse built in 2010, one of two independent street-front residences shaped here just along from the upmarket Quarterdeck apartments.
There’s a pleasing sense of separation from the other homes here; a driveway either side of this townhouse gives it room to breathe. It’s clad in a contemporary mix of Linea boards and smooth Titan panels, finished in an easy-on-the-eye combination of soft grey and a subtle earthy shade. And while it’s built to the front of the section with a deck to take advantage of the sunny, north-facing aspect, a full-width Lineaboard wall topped with tinted glass adds privacy and shelter to outdoor living.
Life here is essentially focused on one level off the street, but the design of the townhouse takes advantage of the original slope of the land away from the footpath to provide a basement double garage at the end of the driveway. A lift carries residents quietly between the garage and the living level, opening into the hallway.
Visitors take the glass-bordered path along the side of the house to the front door, which opens into a welcoming tiled foyer. Living areas are to the left across the front of the house, three bedrooms and main bathroom along the hall to the right.
The house was well appointed and comfortable on the day Anne and John bought it, but Anne has since refined the decor with her own well-honed sense of style. It makes a statement in the choice of dark, luxurious carpet in the living areas, hallway and bedrooms, and in the whitewood shutters at all windows, and across stacker doors from the lounge area to the deck. Shutters are practical and look smart, Anne says, noting that they take up less room than drapes and the louvres can be adjusted to control light and privacy. ‘‘I love shutters; they make a house, I reckon ... and they are not like curtains that you eventually have to wash or dryclean.’’
The changes give this home a feeling it could be seen in the pages of a house and garden magazine.
Another change is revealed behind double cupboard doors in the foyer. They open to a cleverly fitted laundry that Anne commissioned, featuring a generous bench and sink complemented by a full-width set of over cupboards. It’s a big improvement on the original simple sink in here.
The lounge area and the open-plan kitchen dining space are given a measure of separation by a vertical partition covered in floral feature wallpaper that has a happily restrained impact with its shades of grey and white.
The white kitchen is set to the back of its open-plan space and offers plenty of preparation space on its peninsula sink bench. It’s a workable design and Anne didn’t need to do much in here, except replace the tap with a flexible, sprayfunction model and add an induction cooktop on the rear bench.
16 Buller St, New Plymouth.
248sqm land; 173sqm home. Deadline Sale on July
14, 2020 at 2pm (No offers prior). Immaculately presented inner-city townhouse, walking distance from city shops and cafes and an invigorating stroll along the Coastal Walkway. Sheltered sunny outdoor living; comfortable, finely detailed spaces inside; sought-after mix of three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Zay Griffith, Harcourts, 06 759-9160, 027 242-2175. taranaki.harcourts.co.nz – ref
NP7508
Open home on Sunday, July 5, at 2.45pm, or by appointment.
Tiles underfoot in the kitchen are heated, as are those in the bathroom and ensuite.
You check those out when you head along the hallway to the master bedroom and two double-sized guest bedrooms. The generous master space can accommodate extra furniture to become a retreat.
Take that lift from the hallway down to the basement garage to another generous space that fits two cars, with room left over for a workshop area. Anne and John have laid carpet in here for added comfort.
Just to the side of the garage is a portion of ground where Anne and John developed a compact vegetable patch. It’s the only work they choose to do outside as there is no lawn to demand attention.
In the lift going back up, you take in the inspirational words scripted on the walls. Among them: Life is beautiful, enjoy the ride. You can do that in this home. ‘‘It’s an easy home to live in,’’ says Anne. ‘‘Relaxing is what you do here.’’