Ask John and Kerry-Marie Callander what they love about their architect-designed home in Hobsonville, and the answer is a little surprising.
“I love the master walk-in wardrobe,” says Kerry-Marie. “I love the garage,” says John.
They hasten to explain why. Kerry-Marie likes clothes and fashion and previous homes she’s lived in have not had big dressing rooms. John likes cars and motorcycles so the double-plus garage suits his passion.
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They bought the house at 38 Bannings Way in Hobsonville 10 years ago, attracted by its great location and the quality of the build. “We liked the solidity of concrete walls and floors, all copper spouting and piping, and the quality fixtures and fittings throughout,” John says.
The house is specifically designed to take advantage of the coastal outlook, and the abundance of windows means there are numerous vantage points from which to admire the marina and harbour views. It’s also close to shops, public transport, schools and leisure activities, yet it’s private and quiet.
Like everyone who visits, they were also blown away by the signature stained glass window above the foyer. It’s a work of art that spills blue and green light across the staircase and down into the foyer.
“Everyone who sees that goes: “Wow!”, Kerry-Marie says.
The size of the house was another attraction for the couple. At 479 square metres it has four bedrooms spread over two levels, three bathrooms, a spacious laundry, an open plan living space with chef’s kitchen, full sized dining area and adjoining lounge with access to an entertainers’ deck.
The configuration of the living spaces to capture the views and the sun but avoid the prevailing winds has given it a smart, contemporary look, and Kerry-Marie appreciates the fact that it has lots of angles and doesn’t look like a box.
The kitchen for example, is slightly raised above the level of the dining room, and has a cleverly designed triangular counter adjoining the bench. It’s a favourite sitting spot for visitors to chat with the cook while enjoying the view. John and Kerry-Marie renovated this space when they moved in.
The dining table sits beneath angled roof windows which have the feel of a conservatory, and there are similar windows in the lounge. Elsewhere in the house skylights also capture the sun and light.
“Because all the rooms are big it’s a great house for entertaining,” Kerry-Marie says. “It works really well for big celebrations so we had my 50th here, with lots of guests and people staying.”
“Plus a band, and a marquee,” John adds.
There’s an additional spacious sitting room at one end of the upper level, and the master suite at the other. It has its own sitting area and an elegant tiled ensuite with double sinks, a spa bath and a walk-in shower. There’s another area on the ground floor level which h could be converted to a self-contained granny flat.
Outside, there are easy-care, sub-tropical garden areas with several specimen palms surrounding the house. The garden was already established when Kerry-Marie and John bought the property, and they asked a landscaper friend to give it “a bit of a tweak. Now it’s the perfect garden for those who want low-maintenance requiring not much more than a good tidy-up once a year.
Find out more about 38 Bannings Way, Hobsonville
