Akl Syd

In Sydney, Simon Devittfinds Derek Henderson in a century-old cottage with a mid-century twist, furnished with art made by friends.

- Natalie Smith

Simon Devitt doesn’t know who designed his house, which sits in a secluded valley in Titirangi, Auckland. The records of the local area are patchy, and no one can tell him if it was a builder with architectural influence or an architect’s design. Though, to an extent, it has never really mattered: the late 60s house has a decidedly modernist influence, with beautifully proportioned windows and a long, lean line. It’s positioned thoughtfully on the steep section, with big windows taking a view of established trees and, in the distance, the lights of downtown Auckland and even Great Barrier Island on a good day.

Devitt photographs some of the country’s best architecture, both old and new, for a living, and his work features frequently in the pages of this magazine. After buying the house 12 years ago, he changed it very little. A decade on, though, it needed an update – so he called on his old friend Jessica Barter of Bureaux Architects. “For me it was about the pleasure of living in the house, because it was already beautiful, and it was always a lovely house to live in,” he says.