When the owners of this luxurious Saint Heliers home were designing its new incarnation six years ago, they not only personalised the features and floorplan to suit their needs, but considered future families and the flexibility they may require.
The couple had lived at their previous St Heliers property for 25 years, but decided they’d love to move closer to the village. They chose Devore Street for its proximity to the shops, eateries and beach, which are just a five-minute walk away.
With the help of architect Paul Clements, the original home was effectively rebuilt from the ground up. “Our brief to him was that we would like the house dark with white trim, as well as to enhance the width,” one of them shares.
Feature stone inside and out was a nod to the couple’s South Island heritage.
Start your property search
“We also wanted some schist because we come from Dunedin and we used to spend a lot of time in Central Otago. In our first home in Dunedin we built schist walls. The fireplace is Oamaru stone, as the Oamaru Stone Quarry was not far from where my husband lived after he moved there from Dunedin,” she says.
Key living, dining and the well-equipped kitchen zones are all located on the top floor, along with two bedrooms, which includes the spacious master with ensuite. The ground floor offers another lounge, three bedrooms, a bathroom and internal garage access.
“I love living on the first floor. You’ve got the security of being able to leave the bifolds open and no one is going to walk in. But equally downstairs, the areas all open up and being a fenced and code gated section, you don’t have any worries.”
The future-proofing, like the internal lift, has been done subtly and the layout is conducive to all stages of life.
The covered balcony that sits proudly at the front of the first floor is a prime viewing spot.
Barfoot & Thompson agent Aaron Foss says 45 Devore Street is “high quality, low maintenance and the lift is a real bonus”.
“Downstairs there is quite a lot of flexibility as to how people can use the rooms – my husband used one of the bedrooms as his office.”
The property’s elevation affords expansive views of the busy harbour and Rangitoto, which provides endless entertainment.
“There’s always something happening on the water. Two of our grandchildren used to sail at the Kohi Yacht Club and with binoculars we could see the kids out on their boats. I loved watching the storms coming in as much as the sunny days.”
The covered balcony that sits proudly at the front of the first floor is a prime viewing spot, which the owners came to appreciate even more during Covid.
“My husband enjoyed sitting out on the covered deck at the end of the day with a wine watching the sunset. I loved it in the mornings. What really brought it home was in Covid, when the lockdowns started.
“We would sit out there with a coffee and wave to all the people out walking. In our previous house we had no neighbours we could call out or wave to and it made us realise just how isolated we would have been in comparison. We loved that feeling of being part of a neighbourhood,” she recalls.
Key living, dining and the well-equipped kitchen zones are all located on the top floor, along with two bedrooms, which includes the spacious master with ensuite.
The property’s elevation affords expansive views of the busy harbour and Rangitoto.
As expected with a modern build of such high quality, added features include abundant storage, double glazing, and roll-down sunshade blinds. The immaculate garden that envelops the 461sqm site is simple, structured and easy care.
“It’s now six years old so has grown nicely into what it is and it’s not hard work for anyone who enjoys gardening. There’s a shed at the back for all your equipment, so you don’t have to clutter up the garage.”
45 Devore Street in St Heliers, Auckland, is on the market for sale by way of auction on September 25. The five-bedroom, two-bathroom property has a 2021 CV of $4.85 million and, according to OneRoof data, last changed hands in 2016 for $3m.
The homeowner says this has been an incredibly easy, relaxed house to live in. “There are two things I’ll really miss – my walk-in pantry, which I absolutely loved, and my sewing cabinet, which is being listed as a study nook. I had my sewing machine on one side and my overlocker on the other.
“Health has caught up with us so we’re off to retirement village. We would have loved to have stayed there a lot longer.”
Barfoot & Thompson agent Aaron Foss says that the proximity to the village on one of St Heliers’ best streets is a major selling point here, as well as the standard of the design and build.
“It’s high quality, low maintenance and the lift is a real bonus.”
- 45 Devore Street in St Heliers, Auckland, is heading to auction on September 25
