- Two unique Hawke's Bay homes, built by cousins Mark Dawson and George Ashcroft, are for sale.
- The "nautical tree house" and "hobbit hole art house" feature distinctive designs and artistic elements.
- Both homes, listed by Tremains agent Andrew Clark, are sought after for their quirky craftsmanship.
Two unusual Hawkes' Bay homes built by two "surfer dude" cousins more than 40 years ago are up for grabs on the same street.
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The four-bedroom "nautical tree house" with out-of-this-world angles at 21 Gillies Crescent, in Waimārama, was listed at the end of last month, joining the "hobbit hole art house" at 37 Gillies Crescent, which hit the market earlier this year.
Both homes are the creations of cousins Mark Dawson and George Ashcroft, who wanted to build something special for themselves after working on “fairly straight buildings” for their customers.
Ashcroft and his artist wife Marina Richter let their imagination run riot at 37 Gillies Crescent; the retreat has everything from a hobbit cave and art gallery-style toilets to a cathedral playhouse and a fairytale bedroom.
The exterior of 21 Gillies Crescent has a nautical flavour. Photo / Supplied
The inside of the wooden home looks like a 3D jigsaw puzzle or a maths problem. Photo / Supplied
21 Gillies Crescent isn't as colourful but is no less quirky. It's nestled in the bush and looks like a ship emerging from the trees. The inside of the home is a geometric wonder.
Owner Erica Snow, a local hairdresser, raves about the one-of-a-kind home, which she bought more than 20 years ago for $160,000.
“It has so many quirks. It’s wonderfully built and everything’s on an angle,” Snow told OneRoof. “It’s almost like a [3D] jigsaw puzzle.”
The ground floor was originally Dawson's workshop, and subsequent owners used it as a large bar. However, Snow converted it into an additional living space, with kitchen and breakfast bar.
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Snow said she met Dawson after purchasing the home and was surprised he was only 25 when he built it. “He wanted a home with a pyramid and skylight on top,” she said. She has avoided changing the design or colours of the home, telling OneRoof she wanted to stay true to the original design.
She said she was selling the house with a tinge of sadness. “I'm cruising on 60. It's got too big,” she said. “All the stairs, all the traveling, you name it. I love Waimārama and will be very sad to leave it.
“I've brought up three kids in that home, and they've all absolutely loved living there. But they all know I can't keep up with the maintenance while I'm working. I’m on my own and I just need to simplify my life a bit.”
A magical castle adorns the walls of the main house at 37 Gillies Crescent. Photo / Supplied
The house is an "art filled paradise” and the owners’ passion project for more than 40 years. Photo / Supplied
Selling 21 and 37 Gillies Crescent is Tremains agent Andrew Clark, who told OneRoof he's a big fan of homes "with a real point of difference”.
He said 21 would suit a younger buyer. “It’s very earthy. It’s got a lot of charm and character. But it needs a younger buyer to come in with a chainsaw and send a few loads to the dump to tidy up the yard and cut everything back,” he said.
He added: “The house was an architectural feat. You step into the property, and you're just amazed by all of the angles and how he [Dawson] put it together.”
Clark was equally enthusiastic about the craftmanship on display at 37 Gillies Crescent. “We’re talking thousands of hours of work there. With all the mosaics and stained glass. All the buildings are fully insulated, and he just goes over and beyond,” said Clark.
The hobbit cave at 37 Gillies Crescent acts as a functional cool room to store some of the produce grown in the expansive fruit and vegetable gardens. Photo / Supplied
Even the two-storey play house over the sandpit holds some resemblance to the Basilica in the Vatican City. Photo / Supplied
Ashcroft's wife told OneRoof earlier this year that the blue and white American-style villa had evolved over the years, and now included a chalet called Tea Castle Cottage and a self-contained two-bedroom home for the couple's adult children when visiting.
Each of the three properties, which are rented out on Airbnb, are artworks in their own right, with Richter drawing inspiration from Spanish architect Anton Gaudi and Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who transformed Northland’s Kawakawa public toilets into a piece of art.
The couple are now in their 60s and said they were selling to downsize and spend more time with their family.
- 21 Gillies Crescent, in Waimārama, Hastings, is for sale, deadline closing December 11; 37 Gillies Crescent is for sale by negotiation
