Designer lifestyle in South Taranaki

Land is the foundation for a rural lifestyle, and the 3.6 hectares (about nine acres) of pasture at 17 Lower Duthie Rd promised a great lifestyle setting 12 years ago. Picture-perfect views of Taranaki Maunga were a visual bonus.

All that was needed was a suitable home and that happened promptly. Construction of a spacious new residence, wellappointed stables, and a large shed for storage and workshop duties turned the blank canvas of land into a refined rural retreat.

Its owners have enjoyed the property they created here ever since, and it is only work and family influences that are now drawing them away. New owners will certainly appreciate what they have built here.

Location is appealing - this address is just a dozen or so minutes from either Eltham or Hawera, and a little more than 20 minutes to Opunake.

A pristine presentation greets first-time visitors to this property at the corner of Lower Duthie Rd and Skeet Rd. Post-and-rail fences mark the fixed paddock areas and the driveway leads in to sweep around a teardrop-shaped lawn to the house.

To the left are the storageworkshop shed and the stables, finished with quality claddings of cedar, battens and stained and painted panels - no basic iron sheds here. And a look inside the stable building reveals the continuation of quality, with four large stable boxes, a tack room, and a vet/wash bay.

Quality steps up again, of course, when you turn to the house.

The formal entry makes a statement with schist pillars supporting a gabled welcome. Those pillars are just one of the home’s impressive features, according to its owners. You find out the others once you step through the door into the foyer.

Double doors lead from this space into the open-plan kitchendining-family room. A formal lounge is adjacent through a large sliding glass door.

That detail is secondary to the impact of the view out the wall of windows and sliding doors across the front of the living areas, where Taranaki Maunga rises gracefully in the distance. No need for pictures hanging around here - the mountain is its own artwork. The exterior doors open out to a curved timber deck, protected in front of the family area by another gabled roof extension, and in front of the kitchen and lounge doors by glass verandah roofing - all supported on more schist pillars.

In front of the deck is a huge lawn area. With outdoor entertaining like this, it’s easy to imagine this home comfortably hosting a large gathering of family and friends, for anything from a barbecue to a halfway serious game of cricket.

The designer kitchen is set to the back of the living areas, striking in its rear-cabinet finish of deep-red gloss paint, with a contrasting white island bench with substantial timber supports and a black granite top.

Cathedral ceilings feature in the dining-family area, while in the adjacent formal lounge, there’s the raised area of a coffered ceiling to add drama and height.

The hallway from the foyer to the home’s four bedrooms is lightfilled with the first half of its back wall featuring floor-to-ceiling windows.

The bedrooms all open out the other side to enjoy the same striking mountain views as the living areas.

An office opening off the foyer could also provide a fifth bedroom if new owners want that.

The master bedroom at the end of the hallway is a huge space at 3.4m by 6.9m and boasts a proportionately generous ensuite and walk-in wardrobe.

The large family bathroom, and internal access to the integrated triple garaging, are both found along the hallway. Above the garage is an impressive 40sqm of ceiling storage.

The property is being marketed as the ultimate lifestyle package, and the list of features and specifications would have to justify that description.

Agent:

Phone: Email: nz