Days Bay art deco on display

An art deco home, thought to be the only one in Days Bay, is ‘‘reluctantly’’ on the market after its owners spent 27 years on restoration works.

Real estate agent Stephen Lee said the house of former Wellington rugby representative Tracy Smith and his wife Debs was the ‘‘Queen of the Bay’’.

But its most striking features – quirky furnishing and collectors’ pieces: a restored jukebox, a safe from the Mangaweka bank and a 19th century set of French scales – are not up for sale. Although it is an art deco house, Debs said the theme is a mix of art deco and 1950s Americana.

Debs had overseen the interior design and her husband, who is a builder, did the hard work. The couple have two adult children and Debs said the time had come to move on and let someone else enjoy the home.

Having put so much time and hard work into the house, she said the aspect she enjoyed most was the ambience.

Collecting items for the house has been a hobby for the couple who are owners of a Coca-Cola vending machine, a guitar signed by the Eagles, and a model airplane that was once in an amusement arcade. Then there is the barbershop chair, which like the jukebox and vending machine, was imported from New York.

The property has a QV of $800,000 but Lee said the home should go for double that.

The auction will be held on Saturday.