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BACKGROUND
WhenJaneandBryanSmith’sfamilyof
fourbegantooutgrowtheirbungalowin
theAucklandsuburbof NewLynn,theysettheir
sightsonTitirangi,a bushcladsuburbfurther
westinthefoothillsof theWaitakereRanges.
“SincemovingtoAucklandfromtheUSin
2008,we’velovedTitirangi,”saysJane.“The
village,thebush,theviewsouttotheManukau
Harbour,anditsclosenesstotheWaitakeres.
Whenwewentlookingfora bigger house, we
zeroedinonTitirangi.”
A particularhomecaughtBryan’seyeonline
andheknewinstinctivelythatthehousewould
betheirs.“Ifthisplaceis halfascoolasit
looks,I thinkwe’regoingtohaveto buy it,” he
rememberssayingatthetime.
Witha lifelongloveof themid-century
aesthetic,Bryanneededlittleconvincingthat
thehome,withitsroundwindows,sunken
loungeandseaviews,wouldbeperfectforthem.
Jane,ontheotherhand,hadherreservations.
“On-screenthelayoutlookedunconventional
andI wasn’tsoldonthe1970sstyle.Butatthe
firstopenhome,wewalkedthroughthehouse
andthelayoutmadesense.Theviewswere
spectacularandthespaceseemedmadeforthe
wayourfamilylive,”shesays.A decisionwas
quicklymade and the property was soon theirs.2 |
THELAYOUT
Thehomeis a stone’sthrowfrom
Titirangivillage,localschoolsandthe
beachyetis stillsecluded,tuckedaway down a
longdriveandsurroundedbybush.
“Weloveitsproximitytothevillagewithall
it hastooffer,buttheprivacyis amazing– the
kidslovetowatchthekereruinthetrees,look
outtothebeach,andspotairplanestakingoff
fromtheairportinthedistance,”saysJane.
Intrue1970sstyle,thehomeis splitover
severallevels,withtwolivingareasflankingthe
galleykitchen;themasterbedroomis upstairs
andtheotherbedroomsdownstairs.Withtwo
livingareastoplaywith,theflexibilityof the
spacereallysuitedthegrowingfamily.
“Intermsof layoutquirks,therearea few,”
saysJane.“Thetwolivingareasareseparated
bythekitchenandnotaccessibleonetothe
other.Atfirst,weusedthesecondlivingarea
asthekids’playroom,andtheotherasour
generallivinganddiningroom,thenweturned
thesecondlivingspaceintomoreof aninformal
familyroom,andmadethemain living area a
more formal, adult space.”yhg| 81R