Having started life as a typically small weatherboard bungalow a century or so ago, 16 Johnstone Street in Point Chevalier, Auckland, now presents as a cool and contemporary 305sqm modern home, set on a 696sqm site, and retaining many of the most vital original character elements.
Owners Xenia and Cameron had admired it from afar for years and when it came to market, they jumped at the chance to purchase and upgrade it.
“Basically, we gutted and reconfigured the whole thing – in a project that took 18 months to complete,” she says.
Their team included architect Kirsty Addison, of Mitchell Addison, and Scott Todd, of Your Build, and other talented tradespeople. The lounge and kitchen were situated upstairs which meant there was none of the indoor-outdoor flow that Kiwis have come to love – and expect – so the new design saw them relocated to the ground floor in a big open space which also incorporates the dining area.
Start your property search
The designer kitchen enjoys the luxury of a scullery and also on the ground level is a flexi-room which could be used as a bedroom, rumpus, studio, office or media room, plus two bathrooms and a coat room, all with the added bonus of three-car garaging.
Upstairs are four bedrooms, another two bathrooms (including the master ensuite) and an office, as well as a second sitting room, where the couple enjoy hanging out with their children.
“Cameron says that it’s an easy house with plenty of places to lose your family in, when you want to,” says Xenia.
“Basically, we gutted and reconfigured the whole thing – in a project that took 18 months to complete,” says one of the homeowners.
The home is just minutes from Point Chevalier beach and Coyle Park.
16 Johnstone Street is on the market for sale by deadline closing August 21. The five-bedroom, four-bathroom property has a 2021 CV of $4.3 million and, according to OneRoof data, last changed hands in 2020 for $2.912m.
The home has extensive decking and patio space outside and rain-sensor louvres allow for year-round rest and relaxation, while the pool and back lawn, surrounded by established sub-tropical landscaping, are a magnet to the couple’s three children and their friends.
Xenia says that she simply can’t imagine a better place to bring up a young family – just minutes from Point Chevalier beach and Coyle Park, while Auckland Zoo and Motat are in the nearby neighbourhood.
“I think the thing we’ve loved the most about living here, at what they call ‘the pointy end’ of Point Chevalier, because it’s so quiet and private, is summer nights when we – and many of our neighbours – grab our dinner plates, cover them with tin foil and wander down to the beach to sit and eat while the sun is setting.
The homeowners hired architect Kirsty Addison, of Mitchell Addison, and Scott Todd, of Your Build, to transform the bungalow into a cool and contemporary 305sqm modern home.
On the ground floor is a flexi-room which can be used as a bedroom, rumpus, studio, office or media room.
“It almost feels as if you’re somewhere in the Mediterranean,” says Xenia.
Rachel Berry, from Ray White, who is marketing this special property, says that buyers are consistently commenting that they wish Auckland had more houses of this size and quality – not to mention the fact that it’s been completed to a very high standard and requires no more work whatsoever.
“It’s everything a family could possibly want, with a level section, outdoor living and the beautiful light-filled interior. This renovation has been beautifully done with lots of very thoughtful touches, including the children’s own cloak bay, and huge amounts of storage. There are truly spaces here for everyone.”
- 16 Johnstone Street in Point Chevalier, Auckland, is for sale by deadline closing August 21
