Personal touch
Rebuild is packed with the best of overseas, writes
Frank Young quit mowing lawns back in 1978, when he and his wife Barbara sold their first home and lawn in Royal Oak.
He gave his lawnmower to a mate. “I’ve no interest in having another one either,” he says.
Since then, Frank and Barbara have mostly been living in apartments in Asia and Australia, where they raised their two now-adult sons.
They returned to New Zealand in 2002, intending to put down roots at 48A Speight Rd, St Heliers, Auckland, in a house that began life in 1923 as a two-bedroom dwelling, was extended in the
1950s and renovated further in the 1980s.
But their time there was brief — Frank was soon headhunted for another overseas posting.
There began a long-distance rebuild of the house, a project managed by Auckland architect Robin O’Donnell. It was completed in 2010, ahead of Frank and Barbara’s return in 2012.
The result is a home that showcases the best of what they’ve loved and learned about apartment living. “It’s really a lock-up-and-leave home, that we’ve personalised a lot,” says Frank.
Ray White agent Steen Nielsen says the rebuild has maximised sea views. “Forget about gardening and enjoy the pool and spa complex, several elevated and substantial decks, ideal for enjoying life with a glass of wine from your own wine cellar."
Beneath the driveway, the original bluestone retaining wall and concrete buttresses are all that remains of the work required on this elevated site
96 years ago.
The original concrete pad is part of the lower ground floor, while the lobby and study upstairs have been integrated into the 1950s addition.
There are decks on every level. Bedrooms and lounges are on the lower levels and the main living area on the top floor looks north-west to the city.
Wrapped in cedar cladding, the house’s contemporary palette of colours and materials includes Tasmanian oak on the floors, the stair treads in the central stairwell, and in built-in cabinetry.
Frank and Barbara’s apartment-inspired touches range from lattice-front cupboards outdoors that hide rubbish bins, to convenient bath and shower controls and the timer on the fan in the laundry
But the sweetest surprises include a subterranean wine cellar/cool store pantry beneath the front steps and the dumb waiter in the nearby laundry that serves the kitchen.
The rear deck is Frank and Barbara’s favourite outdoor dining spot, looking north across Kohimarama Beach to Rangitoto Is and eye-level with their goldfish pond. A vegetable and citrus garden is up steps behind the in-ground pool.
The couple have spent seven years here, the longest they’ve stayed in one place. Frank calls it the perfect “family crash pad”. Now they’re downsizing to an apartment in Epsom better suited to the two of them.