Character-filled Aro Valley has a colourful new resident. At 92sqm, this newbie is not large, but it has big character thanks to teal timber weatherboards with dark metal trim. If you thought the vibrancy stops at the street front, think again. A fire-engine red front door, cobalt kitchen splashback and vibrant furnishings pop, thanks to backdrops of concrete-block and white walls, and light funnelled through skylights, clerestory windows and bifolds. To ease into the section, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom design had to be long and relatively slender – tricky when it comes to the placement and rhythm of the rooms.

This has been handled with great skill. Towards the street frontage are a roomy main-bedroom suite and a bathroom. At the private back portion of the house are the kitchen, dining and living space as well as a conservatory. Doors open straight onto a private patio with terraced garden. Off the main entrance at the side of the house is a hallway off which you’ll find another good-sized bedroom. The main bathroom is tiled and boasts a standalone bath. Concrete-slab underfloor heating ensures the home is cosy. It’s just one of the future-proofing measures employed. This is also a house that manages to cleverly balance function with a style that’s in keeping with Aro Valley’s distinctive charm and character.