Come home to quality
State- of the- art residences are within walking distance of Ponsonby and K Rd, writes Donna Fleming
Murphy McDade believes in quality over quantity. When it came to building on Grey Lynn land that once was home to a demolition yard, his development company, Toorak Properties, resisted the temptation to squeeze as many apartments as it could on the corner site. Instead it constructed just 16 upmarket terraced houses.
“We wanted a boutique development of highquality homes that felt like they were part of a nice community,” says Murphy. “It was important to maximise the space and for people to feel that they weren’t all on top of each other.”
All the terraced houses have their own entrances, accessed via a paved communal area that has been landscaped by Xanthe White using tropical plants. “We wanted it to have a bit of a resort feel, for people to feel relaxed as soon as they come home,” says Murphy.
Waima Residences have been designed by architect Barney Milic to make the most of the sloping site. Eight have four levels each with studio rooms on the lowest levels that have separate access via Monmouth St. These spaces could be used as a home office or business, where visitors don’t have to go through the rest of the house.
There is a bathroom on the lower level, so this room could also be suitable as an extra bedroom, Airbnb, teenage retreat, rumpus room or accommodation for extended family.
The townhouses with the studio rooms on the lowest floor have a tandem garage above that is entered from the development’s parking area further up the hill. The garage is carpeted and, if needed, could serve as another living or work area, or perhaps even a home gym.
The next floor up is the main living area, with kitchen, dining and a lounge that leads out to a balcony. The top floor is taken up with two bedrooms, both with en suites.
The other eight townhouses are set over three floors and all have either balconies or decks, plus two parking spaces each in the parking area. The living/ dining/ kitchen is on the ground floor, the first floor is home to two bedrooms and a bathroom, and the top floor includes a feature that is appealing to a lot of potential purchasers.
“We could have put two bedrooms on the top floor, but instead we decided to have the master bedroom and en suite, and the largest dressing room I think I’ve seen,” says Murphy. “This is not a walk- in wardrobe, this is a whole room in its own right. You could get a bed in there.”
The dressing rooms have built- in shelving, drawers and clothes rails. There is plenty of other storage throughout all the townhouses.
Choosing top quality fixtures and fittings was important, says Murphy. Flooring is plush cut carpeting in the bedrooms, European oak in kitchens and living areas, and Alarti marble in the bathrooms.
The kitchens feature Bosch appliances, including double- door fridges with ice makers and water filters, an island with an Alarti marble top and Italian slate stone bench tops. Sinks are European- style heritage stone and the cabinetry has a stylish high- gloss finish.
Bathrooms are fully tiled with underfloor heating and have generous showers along with Hansgrohe tapware.
All townhouses have security alarm systems, central vacuum and an intercom screen on all levels.
“We have tried to think of everything,” says Murphy. They had plenty of time to put lots of thought into what was wanted — Toorak Properties bought the land 12 years ago, but decided to wait until the time was right to construct homes they hope buyers will really appreciate.
The terraced houses are now ready to move into. “Everything is done, all the new owners have to do is turn up,” says Murphy. WAIMA RESIDENCES, 6 WAIMA ST, GREY LYNN Sixteen completed three- and four- level bespoke terraced townhouses made from tilt- slab concrete with cedar cladding. A short walk from shops and cafes in Ponsonby and Karangahape Rds. A footbridge over the motorway at the end of the street provides easy access to Kingsland and Eden Park. There are views from some of the houses across to Mt Eden. OPTIONS: BODY CORP: $ 2465 to $ 2762 a year. INSPECT: SCHOOLS: CONTACT: ON THE WEB: