Retro Real Estate

Retro Real Estate: The One That Got Away

Posted by on Feb 28, 2013 | 0 comments

Finally I have a few free moments to write. In between moving and a toddler weaning off his day sleep, there haven’t been very many minutes to myself!

I spied this art deco tiny cottage for sale in the Saturday newspaper and it made me feel a bit nostalgic. I used to part-own it, and in the middle of a messy breakup, was not able to keep it. I always felt sad that I had to give it up. And sure, I may not have kept it anyway being so tiny, but how else would I ever ever ever be able to own a house in Grey Lynn again?

Check her out here, she’s a cutie, although there aren’t many original features left. The listing price band they have her at is $700K+ though – I could have been rich!

My old tiny house

The new owners did a lovely job on the garden

Retro Real Estate: Art Deco in Titirangi

Posted by on Nov 30, 2012 | 0 comments

After a lot of hard work we finally got our house on the market, so if you know anyone looking for a house to buy out our way, send them along to our open home! We have a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 living, and a kitchen-dining area. We also have a wee sleepout/studio as well. It’s been a great house to live in – I can’t believe I’ve owned it for 9 years! It’s taken me from having flatmates, to having tenants, to having a family here. And you can walk to the village, which is a big bonus!

When I got it, the style was a mish-mash of 70s and 80s decorating, so we cleaned it up and now it’s a perfect backdrop for someone with eclectic style. Sadly I lost a couple of arches that were framing the carport (Dad took one out by accident!), but otherwise I’ve tried to keep all the arches in the house (well except the brick arch in the kitchen). It’s bright, light and warm as fully insulated with gas heating and a wood burner.

Sadly it doesn’t come with all my wonderful retro prints!

It’s for sale by negotiation as I hate house auctions – too stressful – with a CV of $485,000. Check it out here.

Our Art Deco house is for sale

The kitchen/dining room – minus the brick arch!

The downstairs living room – can you spot my Lynch?

We’ll be sad to say good-bye

Retro Real Estate: The Brake House

Posted by on Nov 28, 2012 | 0 comments

If you are moving into my area, you could do worse than pick up the Brake House. Built in 1977, it was awarded an Enduring Architecture Award in 2001 – and wow what a house. It is set on 12500m2 of bush, which is split into two sections. The house is set into the bush, so you better like rainforest to live here!

The Brake House in Titirangi – over $2 million!

It was designed by Architect Ron Sang for photographer Brian Brake, from the architect’s website:

It has been described as serene, harmonious and unobtrusive in its deep bush setting. The house is made up of rigid rectangular boxes set out in a straight line on concrete bridge spanning a gully.

You can read more about it here.

It is over 400m2 and has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. And it has what I have always wanted – a tatami mat room! It is gorgeous, so take a peek at the listing here, just to sigh over it.

The tatami mat room

The sellers are looking at offers over $2 million.

Retro Real Estate: Classic Kiwi Bach and Mooring

Posted by on Nov 7, 2012 | 0 comments

This little darling bach is the Kiwi dream! It is tiny but is right on the edge of the water and has its own mooring. How fabulous! I remember seeing it in House and Garden NZ a while back and it is tiny – just 70m2 – and the owners lived there full-time (I think they were setting up a business in Picton). Imagine the commute to work – you could sail there! You’d definitely be living the dream. You don’t even need to decorate it, as it comes with all the fab retro furnishings.

Amazingly for such a small space, it has 3 bedrooms. Actually I lived in an apartment in Tokyo that had 3 bedrooms and was only 60m2. If the floor plan is clever enough, you can get away with a tiny space, especially if not much room is given to bathrooms and kitchens. You also need lots of storage or not much stuff! Time to downsize and live the dream?

They are only asking $345,000 as it is on leasehold land. Even if you aren’t thinking about moving, the decor is very inspiring and worth checking out – you can read more about it here.

The cutest bach on the edge of the Marlborough Sounds

Wake up to this view every day.

Cute wee kitchen

Not much square footage wasted in this bathroom.

Retro Real Estate: 1950s House in Original Condition

Posted by on Oct 9, 2012 | 1 comment

Anyone looking to move in Christchurch? This fabulous mid-century architecturally-designed 1950s house is for sale, and it would be wonderful to see someone who appreciates mid-century design! Imagine it filled with your retro furniture and artwork.

It was designed by architect Don Donnithorne in the 1950s and has 4 bedrooms and 3 living rooms that look in original condition. There is the fab 1950s blue kitchen with its red Formica and stainless steel benches, and grey linoleum. It even has a partly built in diner with a cracked-ice Formica table with chrome and vinyl chairs. I love this kitchen!

Then we move on to the living areas, with wood panelling, brick fireplace, built-in wooden furniture and even the original grasscloth wallpaper – I have always wanted this wallpaper. All the windows are almost floor to ceiling, except for the panelled pelmets hiding the tops of the curtains. The bedrooms all have built-in furniture as well as wood panelling and some original wallpaper. The rooms open out to a simple concrete patio and lawns.

Finally there is an A-frame style studio/teenagers hangout above the garage, in full wood panelling and built-in joinery. It would be great to work from home over there.

It is 190m2 and the section is about a third of an acre. Price is by negotiation, but its rating value is $900,000. You can read more here at its Trade Me listing.

The mid-century house in Ilam with its large garden

The original 1950s blue kitchen with the red formica and stainless benches.

One of the three living rooms – I love the grasscloth wallpaper

One of the four bedrooms with great floor-to-ceiling windows

Check out the studio over the garage – cool!

Mid-Century House Book – On Sale!

Atomic Ranch: Mid-century Marvels

This fab book is only $34 (that’s a $74 discount!) at the moment – perfect gift for the mid-century lover. Get ahead with your Christmas shopping.

Retro Real Estate: 1960s Ranch on the Lake

Posted by on Sep 12, 2012 | 0 comments

This is an amazing 1960s architecturally designed house on Rotoroa Lake in Hamilton. The current residents obviously don’t have a taste for retro, so you can only imagine it at its full potential full of Danish furniture and funky art. And on top of being one of the coolest houses I’ve written about in a while, it has amazing water views. What more could one wish for?

From the listing blurb:

Designed by Bernard Gleeson, 126 Pembroke Street has the tell tale 60′s/70′s features of crisp lines, ceiling to floor windows, the warmth of matai panelling, rimu and cedar joinery and exposed cedar beams. Cleverly positioned on a 1065m2 site, there are stunning water views from almost every room. With three bedrooms, two bathrooms, open plan kitchen, living and dining and sloping ceilings, this home represents excellent lakeside buying…Sliding doors open out onto a deck that will give this home’s new owners yet another chance to enjoy the magnificent and ever changing aspect out over Lake Rotoroa.

It is 220m2 and has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The kitchen and it looks like the bathrooms are original. There is so much amazing original wooden joinery in the other rooms as well. It has wonderful exterior appeal as well! In love with this house, but I don’t want to move to Hamilton…*sigh*

It is going to auction, but the rateable value is $680,000. See more about this beauty here.