Martin Bell and Maryjane Heather, owners of legendary Kiwi furniture-maker, Rose and Heather, love their little corner of Auckland's Ponsonby so much that they’ve owned three houses there, all within 100m of each other, over the course of 30 years.
24 Trinity Street, which they bought in 2003, was by far the biggest challenge and in the years since they’ve made some very dramatic changes.
“It was a lovely old villa, built-in 1899, which had been in two flats,” says Martin.
“We were drawn to it for a number of reasons, but by far the biggest one was the spectacular ceiling in the lounge.”
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That ornate patterned ceiling, a foot higher than the rest of the ceilings in the house, was enhanced further by painting it silver, a process which took Martin three days of hard work.
“It was definitely a one-timer,” he says, adding that Maryjane loves shiny things.
The couple extended the house at the rear, a process which involved a lot of engineering work, designing and constructing its suspended ceiling, with no corner post. This achieves the effect of mixing indoors and outdoors seamlessly once the floor to ceiling glass doors are retracted.
The back yard is level and very private, with a swimming pool and lots of greenery.
Elsewhere in the house are three double bedrooms and the master suite, with its own bathroom and walk-in wardrobe.
The formal lounge is complemented by the large family room next door.
“As a family, we always had plenty of space here,” says Martin.
Having a garage is an added bonus for the new owner because they’re somewhat of a rarity in the Avenues area where villas were built long before motorcar ownership became widespread. It has internal access and includes a laundry and wine cellar.
“That was another big engineering job, having to excavate the basement,” says Martin.
The couple have a beach house north of Auckland and they plan to spend more time there now that their two sons have grown up and largely left home.
He and Maryjane have spent a few years building their business in Sydney, but this year they’ve decided to focus on the local market, where Rose and Heather furniture has been prized for many years.
When asked what they’ll miss most about the house, he says it’s the fact that it’s their very own sanctuary.
“In this busy world, there’s nothing like coming home, taking off your shoes and simply relaxing.
“That’s exactly how this house feels to us.”
Agent Blair Haddow from Bayleys in Ponsonby agrees with Martin and Maryjane.
“This is an extraordinary home, injected with personality and style that reflects the lives of my wonderful clients during 18 years of ownership,” he says.
“The return veranda frontage, elevation and double car garage make this one of the best-looking villas in our area and with so many features and benefits this is truly a rare opportunity and not to be missed.”
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