GAME, SET AND MATCH
ERIN REILLLY finds a modern architerual gem on the site of a tennis court
What do you do when you want to downsize, you love the area you’ve lived in for more than 20 years and don’t want to leave, but you can’t find a house to buy? You buy a tennis court instead.
“We’d been going to auctions and had been beaten several times,” says Wendy. “When we saw this piece of land on the market, we decided to stop being purchasers of property and start being builders of property. So we bought the tennis court, and we built exactly what we wanted.”
Wendy and husband Peter partnered with architect Simon Pirie to create a modern, spacious, light- filled home that’s big on space, style and personality.
“We wanted our new home to be built for us, no one else,” says Wendy. “We told Simon that we needed to fit in our baby grand piano and large dining table, plus we wanted windows on three sides of the master bedroom so air could flow through on hot summer nights. He scratched his head and gave us a wry smile – but he produced the goods!”
Entertaining has always been important to Wendy and Peter. Downstairs, the large, lofty living, kitchen and dining spaces put people first. The TV is hidden away behind wooden doors above the fireplace “so it’s not the focal point of the space”, while oodles of storage and space behind the kitchen keep dishes out of sight while the party continues on.
The living areas seamlessly flow outside to the garden which is very much an oasis for Wendy.
“There are some lovely suncatching spots in the garden which I bask in at various times of the day,” she says. “There are a couple of early morning coffee spots, a ‘ glass of wine after the gardening’ spot, and the patio which has plenty of outdoor seating for later in the day.”
Upstairs features a very large master suite, two other bedrooms which “everyone says are also very large”, and a ( you guessed it) large family bathroom. A ‘ versatile room’ downstairs is currently used as a media room but could easily become a fourth bedroom for extended family, teenage children or an elderly couple.
While the house is special, the locality is something else.
“It’s the little incidental things that really create a community,” says Wendy. “Remuera Road is home to lots of lovely coffee shops and local stores. The Victoria Avenue shopping centre has a lovely little superette, butcher and fruiterer, and that’s just a twominute walk with the dog away. I love our wee supermarket too – they used to throw an annual Christmas party for the community which was certainly a winner in our eyes!”
Ray White agent Steen Neilsen says it’s rare to get that perfectly- mixed cocktail of comfortable near- new home, no- exit street, abundance of space and dream location.
“People who build homes often want to appeal to a broad market so design as many spaces as they can but end up compromising on space and usability,” he says. “8 Chatfield Place will appeal to anyone who wants plenty of space, light and liveability. It’s a dream entertainer’s home with plenty of room to move around and really enjoy it.”
Auction: October 28 Contact: Steen Neilsen, Ray White, 027 557 8336
“When we saw this piece of land, we decided to stop being purchasers of property and start being builders of property.”