She’s an internationally renowned interior architect whose work has been celebrated in Elle and Vogue magazines. So it’s little surprise that Penny Hay had plenty of ideas when it came to renovating the attractive beach cottage she and husband Sam Yates bought in 2012, across the park from Cheltenham Beach in Auckland's tightly-held North Shore suburb of Devonport.
The outstanding house at 13 Oxford Terrace is being brought to auction on July 29 by Bayleys agent Victoria Bidwell.
While it still presents to the street as classic Edwardian dwelling, behind the façade is a stunning modern family home, lovingly designed by Penny in collaboration with Fearon Hay, the practice where she collaborates with brother, architect Tim Hay.
“We always work very well together with lots of creative synergy so it was a really exciting process,” she says.
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Penny and her brother Tim Hay removed all the interior walls of the original villa, retaining original kauri floors and beaded ceilings. Photo / supplied
The original villa’s interior walls were all removed, and the resulting space was arranged into formal and informal living areas set around central fireplaces. The whole area is sunny and bright, with a neutral colour palette and simple, stylish furnishings, including ECC lighting, while kauri floorboards provide a pleasing connection with the home’s past, and access to the garden and courtyard is easy.
Penny says that the link between the old and new needed to be done carefully and sympathetically which is where the sensation pavilion kitchen with its adjacent internal courtyard proved an original - and very-successful concept.
Interior architect Penny Hay's work has appeared in international design magazines and books. Photo / supplied
Sleek and streamlined, most large kitchen appliances have been discreetly integrated, and Penny says that the simplicity pleases her very much. As a designer she is well-known for her clean, minimalist style and clutter isn’t her thing.
“As a young family, with our sons, Petey, 7 and Sebastian who’s 18 months old, this has been ideal for us, because it’s so quiet, private and safe,” she says of the courtyard itself. Large bifold metal doors enable seamless indoor/outdoor flow and the exterior rendered brick walls are covered in ivy while citrus and fig trees add a Mediterranean flavour. The courtyard has a fireplace and the family dines outside all-year-round.
Living and bedroom wings are arranged around a tranquil courtyard. Photo / supplied
“It’s incredibly peaceful and tranquil,” says Penny.
Beyond the kitchen is the bedroom and bathroom wing.
The kitchen pavillion, connects the original villa to the private bedroom wing, wrapping around the courtyard. Photo / supplied
“It made sense to put these rooms - which tend to be the most personal parts of your home, together in one place.”
The bathrooms are stone-tiled and all four cool, airy bedrooms open either to the courtyard or to the wraparound veranda.
Both bathrooms open to the outdoors. Photo / supplied
Turning to the garden, Penny says that she and Sam have planted around 100 trees and the home’s surroundings are lush and green.
There are three outdoor showers that beachgoers can rinse under and as well as easy access to the sands, the home also has marvellous views to the beach, North Head beach and Mount Victoria.
Penny and Sam are about to start a new project for themselves and their boys and feel confident that new owners will appreciate all the love and care they’ve put in here.
French doors from the bedrooms also open to the courtyard. Photo / supplied
“It’s a unique property and there is nothing else like it at all,” says Victoria Bidwell of Bayleys, Takapuna.
“You’ve got the combination of incredible design and the most high quality materials available.
“The owners have covered off absolutely everything and of course the beachside location is superb.”
The house is across the road from Cheltenham Beach. Photo / supplied
She says that interest is coming from a wide cross-section of people.
“There are ex-pats coming home – and locals too and everyone who sees it is just blown away.
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