There’s been some interior un-design over subsequent years, but nothing that can’t be fixed. A good house for a 70s era Playboy party.

In his book Design and Living Plischke writes:

Since in a house of this size a separate study can rarely be afforded, the bedroom is equipped with a bed-recess closed by a curtain, and the room is furnished as a bed-livingroom. Far from being a show-piece on the street front the garden is domestic and private. It becomes even more private if the neighbouring houses have similar shaped plans, enabling the bedroom wings of the houses to create enclosed living courtyards. The back porch is not at the back of the house, but at the side. The delivery boy does not have to walk along the whole length of the house, but enters directly from the street front. This arrangement gives the garden still more privacy.

The idea of keeping everything as light and thin as technically possible carries through also in to the interior design. Each chair is made according to its use and purpose. The dining chairs are as light as possible; the reading chair is rather more comfortable. All of them can be easily moved.

The Frankel house circa 1940

The design was said to reference Frank Lloyd Wright’s Jacob house (above), but Plischke was not in agreement.

Sketch by Rodney Wells

The house was used on many occasions under Ballantyne ownership to give concerts. Noel Coward, Fay Compton, Lily Kraus and others performed there. The Ballantynes lived at Coldstream lodge when the 1947 Ballantynes department store fire broke out. Shortly thereafter the property was sold to Clarrie Rhodes – a successful businessman, racehorse breeder & 2 time winner of the NZ Cup - who subdivided, and sold the new Coldstream Court to Sir Robertson Stewart in 1970.

Originally built in 1935, it was rebuilt to plans drawn up by Heathcote Helmore to be a 790sq m home featuring hot water radiators, a concrete foundation, a black and white marble staircase and an 80sq m entertainment room. Coldstream was sold around 1989 to some people with big dobermans and Mercedes cars.

Once again, thanks to Vic for the tip.

Originally the ground level was painted a darker colour to give the first floor the appearance of ‘floating’.

The original periscope roof has regrettably been modified to make it more traditional. The rest of the house looks pretty original and intact. There was an old Fiat 500 in the driveway – extra points for that.

The cottage sat high on Clifton Hill, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Paul Pascoe designed it with large windows, a flat roof, and a sunny brick-paved terrace. It was a sanctuary for Angus and remained her home until 1954.

In 1943 her father, concerned at her hand to mouth existence, purchased a cottage for her at 18 Aranoni Track on Clifton Hill above Sumner. This was her base in Christchurch until she left the city permanently in 1954. The cottage had been built in the late 1930s by the architect Paul Pascoe for his own use. It had a simple modernist design with a low pitched flat roof, big windows and a sunny terrace making the most of the ocean views.

The artist’s cottage, Clifton circa 1945 watercolour and pencil, 240 x 273 mm Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, on loan from the Rita Angus Estate.