FULL OF SURPRISES
The owners of this Mt Eden home love the idea of children playing in the garden again, finds LOUISE RICHARDSON
When Sarah-Jane Gillies and Jerome Fill realised that they’d lived in their Mt Eden bungalow for more than 12 years, they were quite surprised.
“We’d always moved quite a lot before this, but clearly we’ve really loved it here,” Sarah-Jane says.
What presents from the street as a typically attractive home of the 1920s era, offers a multitude of fantastic surprises behind its facade.
First come four bedrooms, situated on either side of an open, airy hallway.
The quiet, sunny principal bedroom at the front of the house has an en suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. Three further double bedrooms are similarly calm and restful, and the light, bright family bathroom has an original clawfoot bath.
When you get to the rear living area, with its striking white-painted floorboards, the real surprises begin, starting with a huge and spectacular black kitchen.
Sarah-Jane a well-known food and interiors stylist, who works with Jerome in their giftware business, designed it herself.
Not only does it have copious cupboard space and seemingly acres of bench space,
“I love the fact that it’s so much more than you’d imagine once you get inside, and the location is amazing.”
it also features a large, marble central island, which can be heated, and there’s even a bar, along with cleverly integrated laundry facilities.
“It works really well, in terms of layout,” she says.
“If we have guests they can sit at the island with a glass of wine, while I’m cooking.”
Particularly notable are the light fittings, which are repurposed beaters from an old industrial food mixer.
Further on past the dining area, which opens to a side deck, is the living room, which in turn opens to the main deck with its bench, bar fridge and pizza oven.
“It’s really a second kitchen,” says Sarah-Jane.
Below the deck an original internal garage is now a rumpus room and the rustic old, single garage — covered with leafy green creeper — is still in use.
Sarah-Jane and Jerome’s children, Oscar and Poppy, have now flown the nest but when they were young, the back yard with its established fruit trees was a wonderful playground.
And we’re not through with the surprises yet.
Tucked away through a low doorway on the side of the house is Sarah-Jane’s womancave; an adorable little room that’s just ideal for sewing and knitting in. “It’s always been nice to be able to escape down here,” she says.
Sarah-Jane and Jerome travel internationally a lot, for their business, although naturally all trips are on hold at the moment, so they’re looking to downsize to a lock-up-and-leave sort of property.
She says that the time has come for another family to move into the house, which is zoned for popular Maungawhau Primary School.
“I really like the thought of children playing in the garden again,” she says.
Robyn Ellson of Ray White Mt Eden is delighted to be marketing this special property.
“I love the fact that it’s so much more than you’d imagine once you get inside, and the location is amazing, with easy access to Mt Eden Village, the city, Balmoral and Dominion Road.”
She says that people are blown away by the kitchen in particular, and by the amount of storage the house offers.
This includes an attic space reached via pull-down stairs. “It’s the perfect package.” Sale: Auction 29 July
Contact: Robyn Ellson, Ray White, 021 800 891; Josh Powell, 021 905 234