- Stefan and Leslie Preston are selling their Wynyard Quarter apartment for more than $6m.
- It spans almost 300sqm, featuring two master suites, three car parks, a sauna, and a sophisticated kitchen.
- The couple built a Central Otago home and recreated the apartment’s beloved kitchen there.
He’s the man who brought supermodel Elle Macpherson to New Zealand; she’s the woman who founded Bachcare. And together, Stefan and Leslie Preston are selling their sprawling city apartment for over $6 million.
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The Prestons bought the three-bedroom pad at P03/141 Pakenham Street West, in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, eight years ago. Their children had just left home, and they were looking to downsize from their historic family residence in Parnell, which they had sold for just over $4m.
The customised apartment, designed in collaboration with top architecture firm Architectus, was, at almost 300sqm, substantially more than a typical downsizer.
Stefan Preston in the mid-2000s with Elle Macpherson. The duo were business partners when Preston was CEO of Bendon. Photo / Greg Bowker
Leslie Preston in 2011. She founded holiday giant Bachcare. Photo / Dean Purcell
The couple’s Wynyard Quarter penthouse apartment has 60sqm of decking, complete with an outdoor fireplace, that affords wide views around the city, marina and harbour. Photo / Supplied
The couple describe it as their house in the sky, and they have loved every minute of living there.
Stefan, who worked with the likes of Macpherson and fellow supermodel Heidi Klum when he was boss of Bendon, said the couple had a firm list of must-haves when they kitted out the apartment.
He explains that he and Leslie thought hard when selecting the property; it was one of the earliest residential developments in the revived Wynyard Quarter and, according to Stefan, arguably the best-built, with high-quality finishes.
“We deliberately didn’t choose the end penthouse units on our level because I think you can actually have too many windows – with nowhere to put furniture and display your art,” he says.
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“As it happens, this one is just perfect, with fantastic sight lines.”
The apartment is designed for entertaining and can handle 50 or 60 guests very comfortably.
Stefan is a big tech fan, and his dream kitchen features top-end commercial appliances from Germany, which were specially sized to fit. The layout is carefully considered too, with the necessary equipment for a keen cook, always easily to hand.
“We had to get a variation on the resource consent for the range hood – which has about 20m of ducting – but it really works, there are no food smells, and cooking in there is a real joy.”
Another joy is the custom-built home sauna, where the couple like to sit and look out at the city views through 3m floor-to-ceiling windows, while an outdoor gas fire means the deck can be used all-year-round.
Stefan, a keen cook, specified top-end German commercial appliances for the kitchen. Photo / Supplied
The two master suites each have their own bathrooms, plus there is a custom-built sauna with city views. Photo / Supplied
The living room can host up to 60 people for parties, and has more spectacular views. Photo / Supplied
Two master suites have their own bathrooms, and there’s also a spacious home office. The living area is simply spectacular, with built-in shelving illuminated by LED lighting, and the general atmosphere is quiet and peaceful, helped by having acoustic rubber underlay below wide French oak flooring.
“We have the luxury of three car parks and three storage units, and we’d be lucky to encounter another resident in the elevator more than once in every 20 rides or so!” says Leslie.
The building has a well-functioning committee, an on-site concierge and a pleasant community feel, with a residents’ Facebook group and regular dinners out in the surrounding hospitality precinct
Stefan and Leslie have recently built a new home in Central Otago, and while the exterior is typically rugged, with earthy local materials, the interior design features several nods to Manhattan, New York, where Leslie is from and the couple’s Pakenham Street apartment.
“We loved our Wynyard Quarter kitchen so much we simply recreated it. The only difference is that we replaced the grill with a wok burner!” says Stefan.
The property is listed with New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agents Suzanne Browne and Patrick McAteer.
Browne says that while apartments can sometimes seem a little sterile, this one is anything but.
“It feels substantial, warm, and layered with real feeling – because Leslie and Stefan wanted a true home. It’s also very sophisticated, and somebody who really loves cooking will be absolutely amazed when they see it.”
- P03/141 Pakenham Street West, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland, is seeking enquiries over $6.25m
