COUNTRY HOME WITH HISTORIC LINK TO CITY

Space, views and Smith and Caughey’s staircase were listed in the brief for this country home,

Fiona McIntyre had always loved the understated elegance of the staircase at Smith and Caughey’s department store in Auckland, so when it came to building the family home in Rodney, she wanted a replica, balustrade and all.

The brief from Fiona and her husband Jason to architect Ron Saxby about eight years ago was for a country lodge-style home, lots of entertaining space, a long driveway to ensure privacy, and big views across the valley and farmland.

The staircase fitted perfectly into Fiona’s vision. “The balustrades were really interesting because every second bar had a twist, and that suited the style of this house,” she says.

“And as it turned out, the people we contracted to make it for us had actually made the Smith and Caughey staircase, and they were thrilled to be asked to do another.”

The scale and design of the staircase fits perfectly into the 605sq m home and it’s high on Fiona’s list of her favourite things about it.

“It sounds odd but I really love the driveway. It’s one of my favourite elements of this landscape because with all the trees planted down it, it changes with every season.”

The 21ha block on which the house is built was part of a dairy farm, and Jason and Fiona have planted many specimen trees here, including London planes and liquid amber.

The driveway to 273 Forestry Rd, Waitoki, encircles a stone-edged circular water feature as large as a swimming pool, and yes, says Fiona, they have been known to swim in it. “It’s a big area, and it’s shallow, so it warms up really well. It’s like a giant paddling pool.”

Inside the house, she likes to spend time in the dining room, which has a 5.4m-high ceiling. Jason made the 12-seater oak dining table himself.

He also made the bespoke light fittings which hang over the pool table in the games room, which features a timber sarked, pitched ceiling.

For quieter gatherings there’s a home theatre with a 150-inch screen, and a formal lounge with a gas fireplace.

“We deliberately didn’t put a television in that lounge, so it’s more of a reading area,” Fiona says.

The master suite is another serene area with lovely views. It has a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite which includes a spa bath, twin showers, and two matching granite basins on a long, wall-hung vanity. The house also contains four more bedrooms and two full bathrooms.

Unusually, downsizing is not the reason for selling this property, which is on the market for $5295,000.

Fiona and Jason have every intention of having a new home almost as big as this. “Jason has lots of hobbies, so maybe the house might be a little bit smaller and the workshop a little bit bigger,” Fiona says.

The major difference will be the location — the new home will overlook the sea.

“This has been the most amazing home and we have loved it, but the sea is calling us and we’re going back to what we really love.”