A striking home dubbed by neighbourhood kids “the Lego house”, thanks to its large, Lego-brick style stained-glass windows, is up for grabs in Cambridge.
The one-of-a-kind home at 30 Thornton Road, has created plenty of interest over the years, right from when owners Adele Bird and her partner Godfrey Sadler started building their out-of-the-box two-storey masterpiece in 2009.
“When we were building it, we had a few people come in and ask could they buy the unit - they thought it was multiple units. It was quite funny having those conversations with them that no it’s not multiple units, it’s one house.”
The large 335sqm three-bedroom, three-bathroom home on a corner site has been a long labour of love for the creative duo who deliberately took time choosing what went into their home.
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Bird, an artist, and Sadler, a builder and woodturner, knew as soon as they started designing their home that they wanted to use bold colours and create “something that made a bit of a statement without being outrageous”.
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Bright colours feature throughout the home including the large glass-stained windows in the main entrance.
The couple selected the colours from samples at a local stained glass importer and then stacked them on top of each other to fill the large space.
Those brightly coloured rectangles are now a hit with the local kids, some who she knows refer to it as the Lego house.
The large glass-stained windows at the entrance of the home have earned the house its nickname. Photo / Supplied
An industrial feel and bright colours such as purple carpet in the living room are key features of the home. Photo / Supplied
Splashes of colour also appear in the form of purple carpet in the living area, green striped wallpaper in the kitchen and dining room, orange carpet in the media room. Almost every room has a different colour palette ranging from yellow to green to feature walls using patterned wallpaper.
Bird said it’s because she loves colour and has never been afraid to use it.
“Cream doesn’t really do it for me I’m afraid.
“It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but we like to have a bit of brightness and light around the place and play with colour.”
Other aspects of the home have also been carefully planned and the materials carefully sourced.
The steel rails and mesh were used on the safety rails to create a semi-industrial feel. A glass-bottom bridge connects one side of the building to the other. Photo / Supplied
“I think when you are into art and design you are more open to looking at what the options are out there and taking a bit more time to consider what you would really like to incorporate into the home that you are going to live in.”
An upstairs steel bridge with a glass floor links one side of the building to the other, mesh was used on the safety rails on the mezzanine to create a semi-industrial feel and concrete was used instead of wood as flooring on the second level to make it more soundproof.
The concrete blocks and insulation have also helped the home be warm in winter and cool in summer, she added.
The rod garden sculpture was inspired by some public art the couple saw in Palmerston North. Photo / Supplied
Even the sculpture in the back garden, which is a bundle of tall fibre glass rods bunched together, was inspired by a public art sculpture installed on one of Palmerston North’s main streets.
With their masterpiece complete, the pair are now looking to downsize and plan to buy an existing home where they can add their own artistic touch.
Bird said it would be a great home for a family or professional couple who love entertaining as there are a lot of areas to sit in.
“Anyone really, it’s just whether the style will suit them. Someone looking for something a bit different.”
More-Re salesperson Peter Tong said there was nothing else like it in Cambridge.
“It's such an unusual and unique property, but practical in use, ambient in the rooms.”
Tong said it is “brilliantly thought-out” and had three to four different outside spaces including a shade with automatic louvres where people could sit and enjoy different outlooks.
The central location is also a drawcard for people as it is handy from town and across from the lake, he said. “That's part of its beauty I suppose. It's a corner section and the house has been positioned on that section to take advantage of the north-facing privatised area at the back.”
The property is going to auction on August 24 and has a price indication upwards of $2 million.
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