SANCTUARY IN THE CITY

Private courtyard on the fringe of the Britomart area is a favourite spot, writes DARIA KUPRIENKO

Arenovated 100-year-old Auckland Central building complete with its own private courtyard has been a sanctuary for its owners.

Teri and Chris Solly love how flexible the 113sq m apartment is, demonstrating that recently by turning the double bedroom into a salon for Teri’s beauty business.

The couple have taken a cue from New York studio apartments by putting their bed in the lounge, which opens to the courtyard with greenery and outdoor seating.

The courtyard is Teri’s favourite feature — great for hosting parties, having outdoor dinners, as well gardening on the weekend. The apartment complex is pet friendly.

Since buying the apartment in 2016, the couple added an island to the designer kitchen island to maximise prep space.

The eight-storey apartment block, built in 1925, was modernised and converted into loft-style apartments in 2016.

It has four apartments on each floor, which Teri says makes it a friendly community.

“Rather than seeing strangers coming in and out of the building, I know my neighbours — which is really important to me.”

The bones of 1920s architecture — 3.2-metre-high ceilings and wide staircases — create an airy feeling, says Teri. “The apartment itself has a very open and airy feel because it’s quite large.

“As soon as you close the door, you can’t hear anything, because it’s triple glazed. It’s like you are walking into a sanctuary, which is a real retreat in the city,” she says.

Barfoot & Thompson agent Leo Shin lives in the same apartment complex and says it is unique to the Britomart-fringe area.

“It’s such a healthy building built way back when they were using solid materials,” he says.

The owners say they are sad to be leaving Auckland central area but are looking forward to their new chapter in Northland. Sale: By negotiation

Contact: Leo Shin, Barfoot and Thompson, 027 777 9982