A New vintage

Building a brand-new apartment in Mt Maunganui was a bold step for this couple, but the result is a perfect combination of modern convenience and nostalgia.

- Debbie Harrison

Every day for months, Andy Kay would drive past the ‘for sale’ sign in front of a bunch of old flats on Mount Maunganui’s main drag and dream about what he and wife Jane could do with the site. It’s easy to understand the appeal – directly across the road from the beach, the property had ocean views, was just a short walk from the town centre and, as the site of the infamous Blue Dolphin Motel, represented a little slice of history.

A location that good needed to be shared, the Kays thought, so they purchased the block of dilapidated flats and drew up plans for four apartments, including one for themselves.

After living in one of the flats for a year to get a feel for the site, the Kays demolished the structure and started to build the four stylish apartments, each with gorgeous beach views, envisioned by their architect, Tane Cox.

Nineteen months later, the Kays took their pick of four stunning apartments, which look more like townhouses separated by an internal concrete wall. “It works well – we like the feeling that someone is nearby if needed but mostly we just live our separate lives,” says Andy.

THE KITCHEN

For a couple who love to entertain and host, the kitchen was an integral part of the Kays’ open-plan home design. But having input into its layout wasn’t quite enough for Andy – with guidance from staff at The Kitchen Business, he built all the joinery and the unit fronts himself.