As a well-known architect in the mid-1900s, Horace Lovell Massey’s legacy is particularly apparent in Remuera, where he designed homes for a who’s who of prominent Auckland residents, including members of the Caughey, Rendall and Spencer families.
In a shift outside his usual working zone, in 1946, he designed this weekend getaway in Takapuna for the Nathans, whose forebears had arrived in Auckland a century or so earlier and soon becoming very well-known for their involvement in a variety of successful local businesses.
The property’s current owner bought it more than 32 years ago and has slowly added significantly to the original floor area and it now constitutes 341sqm of quietly understated luxury, set on a desirable 1265sqm elevated, landscaped site in Clifton Road, overlooking some of Auckland’s most spectacular seaside vistas with views to Rangitoto and the Hauraki Gulf.
“It was really, quite a small home – essentially just a beach house, designed for escaping from the city,” he says.
Start your property search
“Basically, there was a very modest kitchen, dining room, lounge and three bedrooms. What attracted me was its classic, gracious charm – it’s certainly not one of those modern concrete-slab type buildings.
“While I have enlarged it a lot, I was always very careful to make sure that the changes were sympathetic to the original style.”
21A Clifton Road in Hauraki, North Shore, is on the market for sale by tender closing December 14. The four-bedroom, two-bathroom property has a 2021 RV of $9.15 million and, according to OneRoof data, last changed hands in 1991 for $1.6m.
The owners have slowly added significantly to the original floor area. Photo / Supplied
The 341sqm home, designed by Horace Lovell Massey in 1946, sits on a desirable 1265sqm elevated, landscaped site in Clifton Road. Photo / Supplied
What sets the house apart is its remarkable layout, which encompasses a great deal of living area, including a giant family room at the end of the open plan kitchen, dining and living zone, as well as a separate lounge and a huge, covered loggia, which is perfect for all types of entertaining – encompassing everything from cocktail parties to musical recitals, all year-round.
It leads to extensive patio space, plus a deck with a small, very pretty gazebo.
The kitchen itself is elegant, with white joinery, quality appliances and loads of storage space while the rest of the home includes three bedrooms on the ground floor – the master suite and another two, one of which is currently used as an office.
The fourth bedroom lies on the upper floor, along with a bathroom. Throughout the house, a cool, neutral colour scheme provides the perfect backdrop for family treasures and artwork.
From the outside, tall, imposing windows stand out along with the regal columns that give this lovely property such huge appeal.
The huge, covered loggia is perfect for all types of entertaining. Photo / Supplied
There are spectacular seaside vistas with views to Rangitoto and the Hauraki Gulf. Photo / Supplied
The pretty gazebo sits at the end of a deck. Photo / Supplied
“There’s only me here now,” says the owner. “I’m getting on a bit so it’s really too big for me and I think it’s time to look at something smaller.”
Listing agent Louie Caunter, of New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, says that within three days of its debut on the market he had serious enquiry from potential buyers in France, Canada and the Pacific.
“It’s a great honour for us to be marketing such an excellent home.”
Caunter says that one party told him they’d been looking for something of its scale and calibre in this particular location for over three years and this was the first time something so completely perfect had appeared in their searches.
- 21A Clifton Road in Hauraki, North Shore, is for sale by tender closing December 14
