Christchurch-born interior designer Christopher Hall, whose work has adorned the homes of media barons, rich-listers and Saudi royals, is selling his New Zealand bolthole.
The property at 901 Pigeon Bay Road, in Pigeon Bay, was Hall’s Covid renovation project, and the results don’t disappoint. He took a drab mansion on four hectares in the Banks Peninsula with a CV of just over $1 million and turned it into a jaw-dropping trophy home fit for any number of his international clients.
Hall had intended to make Glenralloch Homestead his permanent home, but work has lured him back to the Northern Hemisphere, where he has spent most of his working life, and his beloved home is on the market.
New Sotheby’s International Realty agent Rosa Carter told OneRoof: “Christopher purchased the property as his own private home and completely redid the house. Because he’s done it for himself, the quality of the renovation is almost unmatched.
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“All of his work from Europe, he brought it all back [to New Zealand]. The radiators have been imported from Ireland. All the doors have been imported from Italy. The guest house is completely brand new.
“All of the irrigation and sewage systems have been upgraded. In fact, a lot of the infrastructure below ground is where much of the money has gone.”
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Carter said the fully automated garden irrigation system, radiators, underfloor heating, and the ring main hot water system could all be operated remotely. She said the homestead had been used as accommodation for staff working at the nearby luxury Annandale resort.
The homestead had been part of a larger, 500ha sheep and beef farm that was established in 1843 by a Scottish settler, but was snapped off soon after the farm was listed for sale in 2017. Hall picked up the property in 2020 for $1.165m.
“It wasn’t a renovation and flip project, it was for himself, but life’s changed,” Carter told OneRoof.
The homestead's arts and craft era features have been meticulously restored. Photo / Supplied
The grand home features many of Hall's hand-crafted furniture. Photo / Supplied
What the homestead looked like when Hall bought it in 2020. Photo / Supplied
“Unfortunately, he’s realised that with some big client work, he’s not going to be here for some time and is not going to be able to come back. Hence the sale.”
One of Hall’s most renowned clients is Saudi Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Hall told Home magazine that the Saudi Arabian projects he has worked on for the royal family and other wealthy clients were almost unimaginable in scale. He said he designed compounds with space for “nannies and teachers and basketball courts and that sort of thing”.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Hall was living and working between London, Istanbul, Moscow and Barcelona, and is reported to have owned homes in each.
Glenralloch is for sale either as a turnkey property, fully furnished with Hall’s furniture and fittings, or unfurnished, said Carter.
Each space is a masterclass in international design. Photo / Supplied
The house sports a large outdoor pool, and many other luxury features. Photo / Supplied
The seven-bedroom home, which has eight bathrooms, sports an RV of $1.97m but Carter said it had been set prior to Hall’s renovation. “The price expectation is north of $5m,” Carter told OneRoof.
Hall’s international fame had brought potential buyers out of the woodwork, she said. “There have been expat Kiwis, who are just starting to research what they can buy, but are] not ready to buy right now. We have had interest from Christchurch families who are looking for a weekend and summer house. There has been quite a bit of interest from the North Island.”
- 901 Pigeon Bay Road, Pigeon Bay, Banks Peninsula, is for sale by negotiation
