Damien Taylor's company Taylor Construction has built well over 100 high-quality houses, so he knows what he's doing when it comes to creating luxury homes.
But there's something extra-special about the stunning three-level Orakei home at 101 Aotea St his firm completed just before lockdown.
It is being sold by auction on May 14 by Bayleys agents Gary, Vicki and Andrew Wallace.
"My wife Elise and I designed it for ourselves, and there are lots of personal touches in this house because we thought we were going to be living there," reveals Damien.
Start your property search
For starters, they chose the distinctive Hamptons style for their new abode after falling in love with a show home they saw while living in Australia. This style of home - based on classic houses in a prestigious coastal area of Long Island, New York - has become popular across the ditch, and the Taylors pictured themselves living in something similar when they moved back to Auckland.
"It's just a really timeless look," says Damien, pointing out that Hamptons-style homes - which feature weather-boards, gabled roofs, columns and stone cladding outside and built-in cabinetry, panelled walls, detailed architraves and warm wooden floors inside - have been around for decades and haven't dated.
Builder/owner Damien Taylor added panelling and mill-work details that mimic those of classic American Hamptons houses. Photo / supplied
Damien drew up the designs for the house himself and sent them to his architect, who brought them to life. Sharon Dann of Design Council Interiors provided her expertise when it came to the interiors.
"We included things like a wine cellar and a dining area with booth seats because these were things we really liked. The floors are engineered oak because we've got a dog and we wanted to make sure they were hard-wearing and didn't mark. We put a lot of thought into what we wanted."
A home theatre room complete with a built-in bar and dishwasher was a must-have on the lower level, and so was space for a workshop in the double internal access garage. They were also keen to include a particularly generous and well-equipped scullery behind the designer kitchen, which features an ornate mantle over the gas oven and an engineered stone bench top. They also installed surround sound, CCTV security and central heating in the home.
The luxurious kitchen includes brass handles and taps, ornate stove hood and engineered stone bench tops. Photo / supplied
But as they ticked things off their wish list and construction got underway on the 360sq m dwelling, Damien and Elise realised they were getting a lot more house than they'd bargained on.
"It was going to be really large and we thought, there's just the two of us and the dog, this is a bit excessive. It would be much better for a family."
They've decided not to move into the house, so someone else will reap the benefits of the time, effort and attention to detail they've put into the project. Damien hopes the new owners will love features like the wooden paneling in the stairwell and several of the rooms, and the brushed brass tiles used in the fire surround and en suite shower as much as he and Elise do. He admits he has extremely high standards and is constantly looking for things that could be done better. "But with this house, there is nothing I would have done differently. I think it is one of the best builds I have ever done."
Agent Vicki Wallace of Bayleys says the quality of the materials and the workmanship is exceptional. "It really is an impressive state-of-the-art home, built by a company with an outstanding reputation. "The other thing that is very appealing is the location. "It's in an elevated position in a quiet cul-de-sac that backs on to Bastion Pt and it's just a five-minute walk down to Mission Bay."
Check out the listing below:
