Stillwater
Grand design
Genelle Pemberton knew she was a lucky woman when her thenhusband, developer Dave Clark, found a country property on the northern fringes of Auckland, and then ensured the new house was designed around her concert grand piano. The couple had developed and lived in apartments, but the former Waikato girl knew she wanted a big house, back in the country when she was pregnant with son Max, now 11. And a place for her music, which has always been a part of her life.
“The original farm had been carved into five acre blocks, they called it Norfolk Downs after the Norfolk pines on the ridge. We overlook the Weiti River and we take the kayaks down there to catch mullet, kingfish, snapper and flounder,” she says.
“I wanted a house where I could see the kids [ second son Toby is now 7] playing from anywhere in the house, but we could shut their area down from noise when we had parties.”
The couple called in architect Brent Hulena to design what they’d planned to be their forever house.
But with both Dave and Genelle now repartnered, the spreading stylish house is on the market.
Hulena’s design 10 years ago would have pushed boundaries, but today is still modern and clean. The u- shaped building has airy glass pavilions wrapped around black basalt terraces that step down to a rolling lawn and fenced paddocks that reach to the river.
The couple had planned for an infinity pool and sunny pool house for the lower lawn, but that was never built.
Instead, landscaper Mark Parsons wrapped tropical style beds around the house and front terraces, leaving space in the back paddock for a helicopter landing spot for Genelle’s pilot father and brothers when they visit.
The house and terrace has hosted its fair share of grand parties both for the family and for friends who’ve asked to hold weddings and significant events. The views across the river and all the way up to Gulf Harbour providing the perfect photo opportunities.
Hulena used a vigorous palette of materials: the black basalt floors continue into the huge great room floors ( heated in winter) and are combined with stacked schist walls that bleed from indoors to out; there are zinc fascias and pre- cast concrete panels that had to be craned in.
The house was built to commercial standards. Sparkling chiselled white Italian granite and shaggy chinchilla carpets, plus some chunky macrocarpa provide softening contrast. At each end of the double height main room are enormous 1500 mm wide fireplaces that toggle from gas to wood- fired, with the kitchen holding centre stage.
Hulena’s signature is the symmetrical rooms off either side of the main kitchen — one is a pantry, the other a huge walk- in wine storage space, both closed off with pocket doors. The entire front wall is commercial- grade glass joinery that slides away in the summer time, and the architect wrapped a bank of high clerestory louvred windows to ventilate summer heat when the doors are shut.
Glass corridors, one beside the front door, another in the living room, provide more intimate glimpses of tropical and native gardens.
Hulena tucked in plenty of practical spaces too — a study by the front door, a kitchen- sized laundry in the children’s wing that has three bedrooms, each with french doors to the garden, and a family bathroom, plus a sunny glass- walled playroom — this room is wired as a top- end media room too.
The opposite wing has guest bathrooms and a guest room that opens to the garden views and afternoon sun. The master suite, not surprisingly, has the luxury of a tub, huge double shower and plenty of closet space, but it is the wall of glass that slides away to the terraces — and that breathtaking view — that makes this the perfect parent retreat.
The decision to leave the family dream behind has taken a while for the couple, but Genelle and the boys are happy to have a new life to move on to — and a new home for her grand piano.