HIDE AND SEEK

Cute cottage comes with all sorts of surprises behind its front door, writes LOUISE RICHARDSON

PONSONBY 55 Summer Street

Looks sure can be deceiving, especially in Ponsonby where once humble workers’ cottages offer far more than you could ever imagine beyond their picture-perfect front doors.

Take this 1890s weatherboard property for example. Owners Nathan Taukiri and Vivian Bryant were smitten six years ago when they saw how much space it offered, along with the rare advantage — for the area at least — of offstreet parking.

“We’ve updated and refreshed the place and it’s just a fantastic house to live in,” says Vivian. “So, there’s a lot more to it than there used to be.”

The kitchen is bright and modern with lots of cupboards, and the open plan living and dining room opens to a flat backyard, surrounded by the neighbour’s sub-tropical palms.

“We were a little worried about whether there would be enough room for entertaining and I’m pleased to say that there certainly is,” says Vivian.

Nathan agrees. “We’ve had 50 or 60 people here and a DJ on the deck, with no problems.”

There are three bedrooms on the ground floor, along with the family bathroom and a media room for the couple and their two young children.

Upstairs is the master suite with its walk-in wardrobe and bathroom. “When the kids were very small, we wondered about being so far away from their bedrooms, but it was fine,” says Vivian.

What makes the property especially appealing to fashionlovers Nathan and Vivian is the hidden storage throughout the house. Not a single centimetre has been wasted.

There’s potential to open up the basement and add a garage. Says Vivian: “Summer Street is great because it’s quite narrow, so people tend to avoid it unless they live here, or at least drive slowly, and that makes it safer for children.”

Blair Haddow from Bayleys, Ponsonby, says: “This meticulously renovated home offers absolute privacy and seclusion while being an easy walk to Ponsonby or Jervois Road for all the great cafes, restaurants and boutiques.”

“The rare double off-street parking affords the ability to leave the cars at home and walk everywhere, making this property essential viewing.” Auction: November 20 Contact: Blair Haddow, Bayleys, 021 544 555