This expansive loft apartment in Emily Place offers a rare kind of inner-city living where heritage character meets gallery-like calm.
The two-level residence is located on the third (top) floor of a historic warehouse building in the Britomart district and pairs arch windows and soaring ceilings with crisp, light-filled interiors designed to showcase large-scale artworks.
Collecting art is a passion of the owner Daniel Varcoe who has relished being able to hang a massive 3m x 2m artwork over the sofa in the apartment’s double-storey atrium. He also commissioned artist Rone to paint on four city-facing window panes.
When Varcoe first bought the apartment in 2015 he was drawn to its spaciousness, loft character as well as the fact that it had two bedrooms, prime location in downtown Auckland and that it had a carpark.
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He was renting something similar in Potts Point, Sydney and realised it was a dream to live in as well as a great lock-and-leave, so when this apartment came on to the market in Auckland he seized the opportunity to buy it as an investment property, before later renovating it with the assistance of Melbourne-based interior designer Carole Whiting.
Since 2019 it has been the base for Varcoe and his partner Kat, who discovered they preferred the lifestyle in Emily Place to that of their former second home in Freemans Bay.
“I thought if we move in and enjoy living here, that’s great. If not, we could always move back to Ponsonby and we never did because we enjoyed living here,” says Varcoe.
“We’ve also loved the fact that it’s a five-minute walk to the gym and a coffee at Amano. Just all those conveniences of living in the city Britomart right there. We’ve got the buzz of the city but are tucked away from it on Emily Place.”
Collecting art is a passion of the owner Daniel Varcoe who hung a massive 3m x 2m artwork over the sofa. Photo / Sam Hartnett
The custom-built kitchen has fully integrated appliances that blend seamlessly into the wall unit cabinetry. Photo / Supplied
The couple also love the history of the Carlisle building which was constructed in 1912 as a wool store and auction house. It was converted into 20 apartments in the 1990s and theirs is one of just three split-level apartments in the building with a Juliet balcony.
Before moving into the apartment, Varcoe and Whiting worked on a plan to modernise the space while being sensitive to the heritage, though that did not include preserving its “90s vibe”.
The interior including the original dark timber roof was spray-painted white to not only lighten the space but provide the perfect backdrop for his extensive personal art collection.
The “oversized” kitchen “which previously dominated the space” was reimagined and custom-built in a dark palette with fully integrated appliances that seamlessly blend into the wall unit cabinetry. This includes a full-size 90cm integrated fridge and invisible dish drawer.
A bar-height, custom-built oak kitchen island with a matching porcelain top doubles as a food prep area or dining table. The staircase on one side of the room provides access to the upper level. Its original banisters were stained black by Varcoe and his partner Kat to match the kitchen renovation.
The apartment’s soaring ceilings with crisp, light-filled interiors showcase artworks exceedingly well. Photo / Supplied
During renovations, the couple added double-glazed windows in both bedrooms, removed the upstairs carpet and laid engineered oak flooring throughout. They also added a bi-fold window in the master bedroom which matches the feel of the lower level Juliet balcony. They also added air conditioning.
“Being tucked away in a little street it’s not very noisy but we really did throw everything at it because we were living in it ourselves,” says Varcoe. “You don’t have to have the windows open in the middle of summer and can sleep in a beautiful cool room.”
They also added a levelling compound to the floor in the lower living area to waterproof as well as add a noise-cancelling layer to the delight of the downstairs neighbours.
The main living area also has a convenient WC under the stairs, while the upstairs bathroom has been fully reimagined in Italian Mutina tiles – in seven different shades of dark blue – which complement the apartment’s monochromatic aesthetic and have been shuffled to great effect.
The bathtub was removed, which made space for an integrated laundry with a fold-out ironing cupboard, and the addition of a galley-style, walk-in wardrobe with Blum electronic Servo-Drive drawers that automatically open and close, and a mirror at one end, which visually extends the room.
The upstairs bathroom in Italian Mutina tiles – in seven different shades of dark blue – complement the apartment’s monochromatic aesthetic. Photo / Supplied
The 109sqm apartment has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a carpark. Photo / Supplied
The couple are now building their dream home on Waiheke and Varcoe says it’s a shame to be selling the apartment but they need to consolidate. “We’ve gone full noise on Waiheke,” he laughs.
As the Auckland CBD evolves, original loft-style apartments are an increasingly limited offering, says Dan McKillen of Apartment Specialists.
“Out of the approx. 20,000 apartments in our CBD, less than 1000 are character,” says McKillen.
“As time goes on and we continue to densify, finding a loft-style apartment of this scale and calibre becomes increasingly rare. Much like other premium assets, that scarcity directly contributes to value; buyers here aren’t just purchasing a home, they are securing a one-of-a-kind property that simply cannot be replicated.”
3G/7 Emily Place, Auckland Central, is for sale by negotiation.
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