When the owners first bought 17 Waiata Avenue, they were looking for a family home that could accommodate three generations. With teenage children and an ageing father who needed live-in support, it was important that there was enough room for everyone. It now on the market with Remuera Real Estate Register agents Terry and Diana King and Lisa Baillie for a price by negotiation.
Now that grandchildren are on the scene, the inter-generational lifestyle continues.
“I didn’t think that we’d stay here long enough to have grandchildren, but I’m so pleased we did because it’s such a wonderful place for children to explore. There are so many nooks and corners for them to discover, both inside and out.
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The house is wrapped around an atrium courtyard, and surrounded by bush. Photo / Supplied
“It’s been lovely to have had two lots of three generations through this home.”
What makes this property most unique is that no one knows it’s there. Hidden up the end of a driveway and virtually surrounded in bush, it’s a sanctuary that feels like it’s a million miles away, yet minutes away from the centre of Remuera.
Only one word truly describes this home: magnificent. Agent Terry King says it doesn’t really feel like it even belongs in New Zealand.
“This house transports you into a different place and time,” King says.
The Frank Lloyd Wright-style house is tucked into bush. Photo / Supplied
“From the moment you open the front door you’re greeted with volume and space. The Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture is the star of the show with its interior atrium, wooden wall panelling and lofty ceilings. It’s an absolute gem of international stature, right here in Remuera.”
With multiple living areas spread across two north-facing levels plus untold outdoor space including multiple decks and a pool, the owners follow the sun around the home to utilise every corner.
Timber and stone details characterise the 1970s-built house. Photo / Supplied
“In the morning the kitchen is a lovely space to be in because of the way the light filters through the trees. We usually go for a walk and find a local café then come home, find a sunny corner and sit down with the paper. The front deck is really nice and open too, and when it gets too hot we can dive back inside where it’s lovely and shady and cool.”
The house's indoor-outdoor living is as modern as today. Photo / Supplied
The outdoors plays an integral role in the story of this property. Through every window (and there are a lot of them) are close-up views of green. In fact, reach out towards the green from the deck adjoining the kitchen and you’ll touch it. And despite being so close to the vibrancy of Remuera Road, the songs of tūī, kererū and kotare are this home’s equivalent to road noise.
The owner record of this home proves that it’s truly something special.
“The person who built this property back in the 1970s was here for 15 years, the second owners were here for 16, and we’ve been here for 20. The fact that we’re only the third owner of such a prominent property is testament to the quality of the build and the neighbourhood, and that feeling of serenity even though we’re so close to everything. It’s just magic.”
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