“I suppose you could say that it’s like a small English country manor,” says Tim Sneddon, describing the elegant home he and wife Celia purchased in 2008 in St Heliers, Auckland, close to the town centre and the waterfront, yet incredibly quiet and private.
The Horace Massey-designed property at 24 Lammermoor Drive was built in 1930, using double cavity bricks, and the tiled roof is rustic and mossy, which adds to its appeal.
The home’s previous owners, real estate agents Terry and Diana King, had undertaken a very major renovation and Tim and Celia loved everything about it.
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“They’d put so much thought and care into every single aspect, and they have very good taste,” says Tim.
The entrance lobby has a marble floor, as does the kitchen which is definitely worthy of any international house and garden magazine, with its shining black granite benchtops, panelled cupboard and drawer fronts. The black handles add extra elegance. Beside it is the family room, with extensive built in shelving and an airy, almost nautical vibe.
Also on this level is the gracious separate dining room with a gas fire.
“We’re big entertainers and we’ve found this room to be lovely and intimate. We’ve had some truly wonderful meals in here.
A formal lounge at the front is also a lovely mix of old and newer features. It actually doesn’t feel formal as it’s very warm and cosy – especially in winter, when the gas fireplace is going.
The master suite lies at the end of the ground floor. It’s huge and very sumptuous with a beautiful his-and-hers ensuite bathroom, and an enviable walk-in wardrobe-come dressing room.
“Celia managed to fill that right up by herself, but luckily there are two other wardrobes, which I claimed for my clothes!” says Tim, a former stockbroker, then business owner, who is now retired.
He and his wife met through a mutual love of yachting and Celia was once PA to racing legend, Sir Peter Blake.
The glories of the ground floor extend outside to the sun-drenched patio, via a stunning set of ‘bay’ French doors, and beyond to the pool.
Tim says that he’s a perfectionist and he has the hedges expertly trimmed on a regular basis.
“There’s only a small section of lawn to look after, and I take pride in that too.”
Upstairs there are three further bedrooms, dormer-style, and they’re absolutely enchanting. One has a secret mezzanine, which comes as a surprise when you turn around, and a child would really love it.
The family bathroom is perfectly in keeping with the décor in the rest of the house, and at the front of this storey is a small living room with window seats, bi-fold windows and wonderful views across the suburb, to the sea.
“We have truly loved every minute of living here but it’s a big house for two people.”
He says that while the house has a double garage, reached via Grampian Avenue, just around the corner, he and Celia always walk -often with their little dog, when it comes to doing things locally.
These days the pair are spending more and more time at their Mahurangi property and because they’re only in Auckland for a few days each week, they decided to make the switch to apartment living.
“It’s funny, because our only hesitation when we moved here from Parnell was in wondering if we were going a bit too far out from town, but now we wouldn’t live anywhere else and we’ll still be St Heliers residents in our new home nearby,” he says.
Find out more about 24 Lammermoor Drive, St Heliers, Auckland.
