EPITOME OF QUALITY
In an ugly duckling to swan story, a dilapidated villa which elicited spirited bidding when auctioned in
2020 has been transformed into an exemplary home with no expense spared.
Such was the owners’ Jill and Mark’s painstaking quest for quality that only the original kauri roof rafters and a couple of original weatherboards remain from the original circa-1910 villa, previously owned by one family for 60 years.
Ray White agent Rachel Berry says: “You’re talking about a total rebuild to fit in with this area’s heritage overlay, in which every detail has been exhaustingly considered. This is a stunning character home with top-of-the-line modern amenity.”
The discerning couple who bought this property commissioned Macfie Architecture, a trusted builder, and Xanthe White Landscape Design to accomplish this transformation.
They wanted to create a beautiful home for themselves, epitomising quality.
Rachel says: “Absolutely everything has been done to an exacting standard. Jill has a real eye for interiors and searches the world to find exactly what she wants.”
Rachel believes this coveted position amongst the Avenues, so close to Jervois’ and Ponsonby’s delights, helped fuel the fierce competition at the last auction. Then this address had an unkempt 116sqm house with three bedrooms, one bathroom and a rudimentary carport.
Now it’s an impeccable four-bedroom,
278sqm residence with an oversized internal-access double garage and an openair park out front. Clever design sees the second level arranged on three sides around a large north-facing courtyard which is the primary outdoor living here.
“When you open the front door, you can see right down the hallway, through a pane of glass and right through the house.”
The four bedrooms are towards the fore of the layout; the ensuited master with walk-in wardrobe and three other bedrooms served by a sumptuous bathroom.
Rachel sees versatility here, as some owners may prefer the bedroom which opens to the courtyard as another living space. The spacious living-dining-kitchenscullery area angles around the courtyard, engineered so that no posts interfere with seamless indoor-outdoor flow.
“This is a stunning character home with top-of-the-line modern amenity.”
With the towering sliding doors open, the lines between indoor and outdoor blur. Inside, a vaulted ceiling soars to 5.3 metres amplifying the living area’s spaciousness.
“This is an amazing home for entertaining. I love that while the dining and living area are open-plan, each has its own space.”
The tasteful kitchen with Super White benchtops and splashback includes two Miele ovens and two Miele dishwashers – one in the scullery, and a Liebherr side-byside fridge freezer.
Downstairs, the garage, a laundry and storage room accompany the media room which offers flexibility for other uses.
The inclusion of what’s been called the ultimate non-tumbling drying machine in the impeccable laundry, an Asko drying cabinet retailing for several thousands of dollars, denotes this home’s quality.
As does its spa-worthy bathrooms,
The owners crafted this home for themselves, but a career opportunity has now resulted in this reluctant sale.
Rachel says: “People who know quality will appreciate what this incredibly high standard of property is worth. It should be noted the current CV does not reflect the improvements.”