The couple who commissioned this striking four-year-old architectural home worshipping restful views wanted to live somewhere more exciting after selling a traditional Victoria Avenue home.
This home, which architect Wendy Shacklock won a regional NZIA award for, nestles in an exclusive end-of-road position above Orakei Basin’s reserve. This locks in its tranquillity, privacy and majestic views over the basin to the city skyline beyond, twinkling with lights nightly.
“We’d always appreciated beautiful architecture and we didn’t want to sell our place to buy something similar,” one of the owners says.
“This home is exciting to live in. People love the different views and the architecture, with the high ceilings and other interesting features. We love entertaining and you can host 120 people or more here easily. But it’s also an easy place to live, warm and sheltered with beautiful light.”
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The couple bought the parmesan wedge-shaped 2273sqm section at 76L Lucerne Road in Remuera at the end of 2014 after their friend and architect Shacklock assured them she could work with and contour its site. According to OneRoof data, the property sold for $2.645 million in 2014.
It is now for sale and heading to auction on June 9, with listing agents being Steen Nielsen, Thomas Farmer and Simon Siddells of Ray White Remuera. As of June 2021, the property has a rating valuation of $8.9m.
As of June 2021, 76L Lucerne Road in Remuera has a rating valuation of $8.9m. Photo / Supplied
One of the couple’s few stipulations was having all the living flow out to one flush level of outdoor living. After a considerable planning and consent process and an 18-month build by Precision Construction, the couple moved in in May 2018.
They’d been delighted with Shacklock’s design, which cantilevered the 401sqm home dramatically towards the water.
Yet it conceived the ground floor of the building as a continuous landscape that flows from the living areas out to the level expanse of an outdoor room, terrace, heated swimming pool and lawn.
Natural finishes blur interior-exterior boundaries. Raked ceilings lined in a blanket of golden ash timber soar over much of the home.
Concrete features include a fireplace textured by its formwork and beautifully polished concrete floors warmed by underfloor heating.
Architect Wendy Shacklock won a regional NZIA award for her design of 76L Lucerne Road in Remuera. Photo / Supplied
Raked ceilings lined in a blanket of golden ash timber soar over much of the home. Photo / Supplied
Rather than slicing into grandstand views over the basin with a deck, Shacklock imbued the lounge adjoining the kitchen with an open-air option via a bank of automated sash windows.
The bespoke kitchen with Gaggenau appliances and scullery neighbours a high-ceiling living-dining room opening out to the loggia. This outdoor room is perfect for long, relaxed summer evenings or delicious winter warmth beside its crackling fireplace.
The restful mezzanine-level master suite with ensuite and his-n-hers walk-in wardrobes wakes to the views, enjoying pleasant separation from the bedroom wing.
Two bedrooms within it open outdoors and admire the view. One of them is ensuited, there’s a sophisticated bathroom and there’s also a third living room (with fourth bedroom potential).
The home has three bedrooms, a third living room with potential for a fourth bedroom, three bathrooms and a double garage. Photo / Supplied
A striking floating staircase anchors the mezzanine, the main level – which also includes an office space – and the oversized internal-access double garage below, bolstered by off-street parking.
Beautifully landscaped grounds include a gently terraced kitchen garden and there’s a path nearby to head down to the basin to walk or kayak. Three generations of their family lived here during lockdown, endorsing the property’s versatile appeal.
The owners adore what they’ve created here but a previously unanticipated change of direction means they are committed to selling.
Agent Nielsen says: “This home is an architectural wonder. And as parts of Remuera face losing their views through intensification, the importance of it having its tranquillity, privacy and magnificent views future-proofed by its end-of-the-road position above the Orakei Reserve cannot be underestimated.”
