An award-winning house on Waiheke Island's Oneroa is back on the market after six years.
The home at 78 Coromandel Road in Oneroa, listed for sale by Ray White, Grey Lynn agents Keith Dowdle and Mike Simpson with a set sale date closing November 2, won well-known architects Stephens Lawson the NZ Institure of Architects the top award for Auckland in 2019
The owner, Dennis Simpson, who bought the house with his wife Debbie six years ago credits his accomplished holiday home on Waiheke Island with inspiring a sense of spirituality.
A sense of sanctum no doubt prompted by stunning views of Sandy Bay, meticulous design and the couple’s sensitive cultivation of the home they bought six years ago.
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It’s clear when speaking with homeowner Simpson that their place away from the city represents a whole departure from a hectic schedule.
“The feeling you get when you walk through the door – from its elevated entrance you’re met with a cathedral-like outlook – all the Auckland stresses disappear, and in my mind that’s what makes it a superb home,” he says.
The award-winning home has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, garaging for two vehicles plus off-street parking, and was designed by Stevens Lawson Architects. Photo / Supplied
Simpson’s not alone in his response to the house, the judges of the NZIA named it winner of the 2019 Auckland Architecture Award in the housing category.
The couple came across the home, designed by Stevens Lawson Architects, by chance when it was brought to their attention by their son.
After years of searching for a holiday home that even came close to their former and much loved Lang’s Beach bach, it was a prospect that Simpson says involved little deliberation.
“I managed to see the home the day before the official open home, and within minutes I was essentially shaking the agent’s hand – when you know, you know.”
Made almost entirely of vertical shiplap cedar weatherboards, Kotare House has been designed to maximise the site’s views and all day sun.
The interior is formed wholly from vertical cedar panels which deliver a warm and extraordinary effect and living is arranged around the vast lounge, kitchen and dining space. Photo / Supplied
Three bedrooms are set on the second level and offer continuity of the angular appeal that defines the home. Photo / Supplied
Perched over Oneroa Bay, Simpson is from the house and on the water in four minutes, a perk of its position, Sandy Bay is one of the few places on Waiheke you can launch your boat from.
Secondary to, if not on par with the view, is the home’s striking interior. Formed wholly from vertical cedar panels, without doubt, the material and attention to detail in the build are the home’s heroes, which deliver a warm and extraordinary effect.
Living is arranged around the vast lounge, kitchen and dining space which leads to the outdoor entertaining and dining area. Three bedrooms are set on the second level and offer continuity of the angular appeal that defines the home.
Views of either the bay or native bush are taken in from every room. With no grass in sight, and completely at home in its island surround, the home’s landscape is entirely native.
78 Coromandel Road in Oneroa is just four minutes from the water and overlooks Sandy Bay where you can launch your boat from. Photo / Supplied
Within minutes of seeing the home the day before open home, the current homeowner said he was shaking the agent's hands, saying “when you know, you know”. Photo / Supplied
The couple enlisted local and celebrated sculptor Anton Forde, who introduced pieces that set the tone for the property. Simpson says, “He fell in love with the property as much as we did, and he really understood our passion for it.”
Noted for a deep connection to land, Simpson honours Forde’s sculptures with helping to form the home’s unquestionable magnetism.
Agent Simpson says, “With its position in one of the island’s most desired enclaves – it’s close enough to the restaurants, cafes, and vineyards but after all of that, it’s the blissful serenity of Sandy Bay that the owners will appreciate the most.”
According to OneRoof data, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom award-winning home last changed hands in 2016 for $3.5 million and it has a June 2021 rateable value of $4.35m.
