Auckland's North Shore is well known for its amazing eastern beaches, but lesser known are its coastal suburbs on the south and west – bush-framed inlets that curve around the upper Waitemata, with westerly views and bush walks through striking mature native trees, including kauri, yet only 10 minutes from the bridge.
When a 5792sq m block tucked above Kauri Point came on the market in 1992, it was one of only a handful on the edge of the reserve released for sale.
The house at 101 Onetaunga Rd in Birkenhead's Chatswood, on is being sold by Bayleys agent Victoria Bidwell for expressions of interest closing June 18.
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The couple who bought it spent two years designing and building an amazing house, finally moving in in 1995. “We wanted three key things in the house – timeless design that wouldn’t be of a particular period, a visually strong structural interior to complement the exterior with an elegant edge,” the owners tell OneRoof.
The result is 550sq m of house that was great with a growing family and all their friends, but fantastic for entertaining friends and family when it has been just the two of them at home. “Loads of fun. But now it is time for others to enjoy it.”
The owners tell OneRoof that they spent the years eliminating the section’s scrub and pine trees and restoring native habitats. The garden, swimming pool and tennis court are now wrapped in punga and native trees, full of bird life.
“The kids could just go through a gate to the bush, we can walk down to Kendall Bay a lovely sandy beach. The walks around here have been amazing during lockdown,” they say.
The house was designed in a U-shape so that all the rooms, and the swimming pool below, make the most of the westerly sun and views.
The design offers exciting plays on scale, using flying rooves and buttresses that compress and expand scale. One owner confesses his love of historic North Shore gun emplacements did influence the design. One of the six bedrooms has its own covered balcony, there are three luxurious bathrooms.
The owners were fearless in their use of materials – white tile on walls, beams and pillars, polished concrete floors, stainless steel built-in cabinets and sideboards - but their use of striking cut-outs and views between rooms and out to the bush achieves the warmth they’d aimed for. Only the den, in a rich ruby red, breaks the mostly white, steel and stainless scheme.
The kitchen was re-done only four years ago, when the couple briefed top designer Morgan Cronin to “go for it”. And he did, picking up their design cues with an enormous stainless steel island, adding plenty of the expected Cronin luxury storage touches.
Bayleys agent Victoria Bidwell, who is marketing the property, says: “This is such a unique and amazing property, with the ambience of a luxury resort. It feels so amazing, it reminded me of the properties in the Hollywood Hills.”
Check out the listing below:
