Open homes
From a bird’s eye view, this house is seemingly simpler than its neighbours. A plain, dark, metal roof folded into an open gable has been positioned at the site’s boundary, as if to let the large, fenceless backyard be the centre of attention. Even a pūriri tree at the back of the property appears at first sight as more mature and complex than the house itself.
Yet, as one gets closer to the intriguing red door in Auckland’s Avondale, some interesting details start to emerge. The mortar between the Gypsy Rose bricks has just a touch of black oxide to make the colour match that of the metal accents on frames and the awnings. There are soldier courses along the whole facade: some subtle patterning underneath the windows and around the top edge of the gable. A protruding window has been encased
