Mountain Home Wanted

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31128, 3 August 1966, Page 9

Mountain Home Wanted

"The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND, August 2.

An American wants to exchange his luxury home in California for a mountain property with a stream in Arthur’s Pass. In a letter to an Auckland finance and investment firm, Mr Charles Bello, of Santa Rosa, California, said he and his wife were planning to emigrate to New Zealand.

To enable them to do so they were trying to exchange or sell their home, which is valued at between 80,000 dollars and 90,000 dollars. Called Manzanita House, it stands in an acre and a half of park-like property completely private from neighbours.

The house was designed by Mr Bello on an architectual philosophy that a house must grow in, around and out of the landscape. Accordingly, his house nestles into the landscape and Consists entirely of curves and

arches.- Living space in the house amounts to 2600 square feet and sundecks add 1500 feet.

It is a luxury from its Roman style bath of imported Mexican glass mosaic to the 20 by 34-foot sunken living room, which has a 16-foot open fireplace. The exterior consists of stone, stucco, glass and rough cedar poles. Ninety per cent of the exterior walls are floor-to-ceiling glass, which allows unspoilt views of ferns, rocks, wild flowers and tall trees.