When the current owners bought their stately homestead – an iconic Ponsonby landmark which has stood on its prime suburban site since the 1880s – they were drawn to the possibilities it offered, despite having been tinkered with over the years.
“We were convinced that we could restore it and give it its beautiful bones back. We weren’t planning a huge project, but somehow it all just unfolded,” says the owner, who is a designer herself, specialising in textiles.
She and her husband engaged Barbara Webster, an architect who specialises in heritage properties to help them enhance the spaces within the house, removing walls to create larger living areas and installing luxury bathrooms, a generous laundry with ample storage and a true entertainer’s kitchen.
“We have a large family, when they’re all here, with six children between us, and we love to have friends over and cook for them.”
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The kitchen cabinetry is full height to make good use of what was limited space and an Italian marble island adds extra capacity for food preparation. A Falcon stove and other high-end appliances complete the culinary picture, and the owner says that the indoor-outdoor flow to the leafy exterior courtyard works perfectly.
1 Picton Street in Freemans Bay, Auckland, is on the market for sale by auction on April 10. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom property has a 2021 RV of $6.4 million and, according to OneRoof data, last changed hands in 2019 for $5.2m.
“In summer we eat outside all the time because it’s so sunny and sheltered and surprisingly quiet, plus there’s the outdoor fireplace for when the weather’s cooler.”
The current owners hired Barbara Webster, a heritage architect, to enhance the spaces inside. Photo / Supplied
Surrounded by patios, with luscious green easy-care plantings, the property is just moments away from vibrant, bustling Ponsonby Road. Photo / Supplied
Elsewhere, inside, high studs – once concealed above fake ceilings – have been revealed in the living rooms, earthy paint colours have added a cool, contemporary aesthetic and European oak engineered floorboards and quality carpets enhance the home’s sophisticated appeal.
There’s one bedroom on the ground level, which is adjacent to a bathroom and ideal for guests, extended family or even an au pair because it has its own entrance, while three further bedrooms lie upstairs.
“Our bedroom wasn’t particularly spacious, so we took out a wall and incorporated some of a previous hallway to make room for a walk-in wardrobe,” says the owner.
“All the bedrooms have alcoves where the windows are, so we painted these white to make them really stand out.”
The home was built in the 1880s and has a double garage as well as off-street parking. Photo / Supplied
An Italian marble island adds extra capacity for food preparation, a Falcon stove, other high-end appliances and full-height cabinetry complete the culinary picture. Photo / Supplied
Surrounded by patios, with luscious green easy-care plantings the property is just moments away from vibrant, bustling Ponsonby Road, via a handy little alleyway, so the owners have enjoyed being able to walk practically everywhere.
Much as they love the property, a need for more space led to the construction of a new home elsewhere – using lessons learnt from Picton Street, where they both adored the flexibility of the spaces, and cosy welcoming atmosphere.
Listing agent Edward Pack, from Bayleys, says that the home has a “gorgeous” feel to it and its location on a wide tree-lined street is hugely appealing.
“The owners have paid incredibly close attention to detail, and it will appeal to a wide demographic of buyers.”
He says another big attraction is the generous 633sqm section and the fact that there is two-car garaging as well as off-street parking, both of which are relatively rare in Ponsonby.
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