A stylish Auckland home is proving an international hit on social media, having won the love and support of Australia's biggest house-flipping stars.
The four-bedroom nautical-style house at 15 Shelly Beach Parade, in Cockle Bay, hit the market last month and soon found itself on the Instagram feed of Three Birds Renovations, the design juggernaut business run by former NRL WAGs Lana Taylor, Bonnie Hindmarsh and Erin Cayless.
The Sydney trio’s Instagram account has a massive following and their renovation tips have featured in best-selling books and glossy magazines.
The self-taught designers dumped their corporate careers nine years ago to start turning around tired old houses into high-quality homes, and are known for their chic neutral palette of whites, light timber and marble.
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The company’s Instagram feed posted an image of the Cockle Bay house last week, with Taylor, Hindmarsh and Cayless commenting underneath: “This is the home of one of our talented Reno Schoolers, Natalie.”
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Owner, Natalie Harvey, posted that the Three Birds Renovations’ styling school had helped her create a dream home. “When the Styling School started I knew it was what I need to get the styling of the home right – and help me choose the perfect white! The course helped me settled on my vision of modern coastal and this has really come through.”
Harvey told OneRoof this week that she had built and renovated before, but had decided to create something new that ticked all the boxes. The result was her Shelly Beach Parade home.
“I love Three Birds Renovations and did their Styling School course, so their theme definitely comes through.”
The house is for sale with Bayleys listing agents Angela Rudling and Michael Chi, who currently hold the record for this year’s highest settled sale price.
The women behind Three Bird Renovations: Lana Taylor, Erin Cayless and Bonnie Hindmarsh. Photo / Supplied
The heated swimming pool is edged by an outside living room, a typical Three Birds move. Photo / Supplied
The nearly-new house replaces an earlier property Harvey’s family had owned since 1991, but since outgrown. The two-year build, designed with the help of Pure Architecture’s director Tony Irving, began just as Covid lockdown hit.
“It’s light, bright, open, spacious and warm. In total, concept to move in was two years. Sadly when our previous home was removed off site we went into lockdown, so that certainly added to the stress levels to complete the project,” Harvey said.
The relaxed, boat-house style home features high ceilings, a double-sided fireplace and covered outdoor entertaining areas around the heated swimming pool.
The owners used Three Birds-style pale timber herringbone timber floors, terrazzo tiling in the three bathrooms and top-of-the-line appliances, a butler’s pantry and a large island in the designer kitchen. A generous formal lounge or media room has a double-sided fireplace and window seat and opens outdoors at either end.
Terrazzo tiles add to the beachy palette. Photo / Supplied
The kitchen has sea views, up-market appliances and a scullery. Photo / Supplied
As well as capturing sea views from all living areas and bedrooms, the house makes the most of its seaside location with room to park a boat or jet skis, a gym area, triple garage and handy ‘sandroom’ – the beachside equivalent of a mudroom for changing after a swim.
Rudling said the property was a special one. “Tony Irving really did design a winner here, it’s one of the nicest coastal homes in that price range that I’ve had for a long time,” she said.
“Of all of our local beaches, Cockle Bay is the quietest, most family-oriented. It’s quite a lovely spot.”
- 15 Shelly Beach Road, Cockle Bay, has a tender closing June 28
- Additional reporting Amy Houlihan
