THE ART OF LIVING

This home has a charming country style in an enviable coastal location, writes

For Peter Knowles, one of the many bonuses of living in Devonport is being able to stroll with his tea and toast down a private path and enjoy breakfast on Cheltenham Beach. A similar delight is sitting on a beachside bench at the end of the day, sipping a drink and watching the sun go down. “The beach is like an extension of our garden, we’re very lucky,” says Peter. He and his wife Caroline’s home is set on a 1052sq m section tucked away down a drive off Cheltenham Rd. It dates to the turn of the last century and is one of the original homes in the area. In the mid-90s, previous owners added a large extension housing the living room, dining room, kitchen and pantry. Peter and Caroline bought it in 2008 and gave it an extensive makeover, including adding an art studio with bathroom and office over the garage. They also enhanced its heritage, adding features like French oak flooring, the dado rail and anaglypta wallpaper in the hallway, and installing a farmhouse style kitchen complete with a granitetopped island and Falcon cooker. “We’ve English-ified it,” says Peter, who was born in South Africa but raised in the UK. The result is a home full of character but functional. It’s also been great for entertaining, adds Peter. “We’ve had some seriously big parties here, with 60 to 100 people. It’s a very sociable house.” The living/kitchen area is exceptionally spacious and opens to a large deck that wraps around two sides of the house and is partially covered by an overhead veranda. The main living area is flooded with light, thanks to a glass ceiling over the dining space and an abundance of windows, including bifold and French doors out to the deck. Two other living spaces on the ground floor also open out to the deck. One is used as a TV room by the Knowles’ children Annabelle and William, while the other is an elegant library/office/music room. Also on this level is a guest bedroom, along with a bathroom with striking marble walls and floor. Huge slabs of marble were used to line the shower. From the entrance lobby there are stairs up to the studio — used by artist Peter — and down to the double garage, which has access to a service area with a shed, washing line and vege gardens. There’s another staircase up to the top level of the home, which comprises three bedrooms and another bathroom. The master bedroom has his and hers walk-in-wardrobes, and a large covered veranda that looks out over the water to Rangitoto Is. “This is a nice spot to have a gin and tonic and enjoy the view,” says Peter. “It’s a great house for family and friends, it’s very private and it’s also very quiet. It’s a really unique place to live.”