Resort lifestyle at home

Life at 7 Princes St in Hawera embraces the character and the contemporary.

This home has its origins as a modestly sized bungalow of the 1930s and celebrates that era with its roughcast front exterior, original timber and leadlight windows, and striking decorative plaster ceilings and art deco detail inside.

Later owners extended the ground floor at the rear to create spacious, contemporary living areas and an integrated single garage, and then added another storey to gain two more bedrooms, one of them the large, well-appointed master suite with its own balcony and a pleasing mountain view.

Behind the house, an in-ground swimming pool was installed as the centrepiece of the outdoor living area.

Spencer and Michele recognised the appeal of both the character and the improvements here and bought the property three years ago.

‘‘It was a great house, sociable and with a nice flow and layout with potential for add on and change if required.’’

They say the home’s best features span the eras: ‘‘The beautiful ornate ceilings in the older part of the house and the swimming pool area and indoor outdoor living.

‘‘It’s a relaxed and enjoyable place to call home; cool in summer and warm in winter.’’

The character starts on approach, with the shelter of the deep front porch.

A brick pillar supports the outer corner of the porch, at the back of which is the front door and its panel of privacy glass with a sidepanel of leadlight in a geometric pattern.

Inside, along the welcoming foyer-hallway, you find a formal lounge at left and two double bedrooms at right, all of which feature the ornate plaster ceilings. Stairs rise from the middle of the foyer to the master suite and third double bedroom, while an office, separate laundry and main bathroom are located at the end of the hallway.

Glazed French doors open from the foyer into the lounge where you find a dramatically curved brick fireplace as a backing for an efficient gas heater. Small windows sit up on the wall either side of the fireplace and are filled with more geometric-patterned leadlight.

That same geometric leadlight glazing fills another set of glazed French doors off the foyer area, which open into the newer openplan kitchen-dining-family area.

The kitchen is a classic presentation in black and white, with polished timber floors to add a warming accent. It looks across the driveway to the outdoor entertaining area.

The dining-family area opens through bifolding doors to a sheltered deck area outside the kitchen and steps that draw you across to the pool area.

It’s easy to see how the combination of swimming pool, timber decks, and pergola protection will work to create relaxing summer times out here with family and friends.

It’s a safe space as well, with fencing making the property secure for children and pets.

Spencer and Michele have enjoyed planting out the grounds in their time here, including the young willow that’s becoming a graceful feature of the pool area.

A job relocation is the only reason for leaving this home.

‘‘Otherwise we have loved it here.’’

Bayleys consultants Greg and Lorraine Brunton are marketing the property, which they say is ‘‘an amazing property that delivers where it counts’’ and offers pleasing proximity to central Hawera shopping and services.

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