A newly-painted bach in a multi-million dollar street in Mount Maunganui has sparked controversy with a neighbour comparing the scheme to “mob colours” or a “brothel”, and complaining it could bring down the value of houses in one of the Mount’s most desirable streets.
The small holiday home in Hart Street just a few houses away from the Mount’s famous beach front was painted bright red a few days ago.
But in a street that also boasts multi-story modern mansions the little bach soon had some neighbours turning a similar shade of rouge.
A neighbour, who did not wish to be named posted on Mount Maunganui’s community message board “Can one object to your neighbour painting their house bright red? Mob red with black gates.”
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She said that she had seen the colour swatches beforehand and asked for it not to be painted that colour as it would “devalue our street.”
“I am concerned the colours are associating to gangs and also the devaluation of other houses in the street,” she said.
She told Stuff that she had complained to council but they “didn’t care”.
”They told me to go to see the community police.”
Stuff has asked Tauranga City Council for comment.
The owner of the little red house, Hamilton woman Lyn Buckley, couldn’t understand why her happy holiday spot and its jovial shade had upset people.
supplied/Stuff
The house in Hart Street, Mount Maunganui, has just been painted red.
She told Stuff that while it had been stressful the way some had reacted, she was not changing the colour – which was pohutukawa red, not mob red.
”It’s going to be our holiday home where we have fun, and it’s a bright uplifting colour. We have just redone it and were going for that bright retro feel.
“It’s been so stressful listening to talk of it being like gangs – it’s silly that someone would go to that extent just because they don’t like a colour.”
Buckley said one neighbour had contacted her asking her to change it.
“We are not going to change it. I tried to talk to them and am just gutted that it has come to this.”
Even the local painter Jack Roebuck had copped flak for daring to wield a brightly-hued brush amid the surrounding grey and sand-coloured homes.
He said they “were just doing their job and following the owners’ instructions”, but said some locals had told him that they were very unhappy about the colour.
“Some have been very upset about it and come out venting to us. We are instructed to paint it this colour.”
Bayleys real estate agent Peter Clarke said that Hart Street was considered “one of the Mount’s most desirable streets.”
A swanky street
Clarke recently sold a house behind the red house for $3m, that the owners had purchased for just over $2m in 2020.
“Houses in the street rarely come available, but it’s definitely in my opinion one of the Mount’s best streets. It’s a great location very close to the beach, and there is hardly any traffic and no power lines.”
Hundreds of people in the Mount community joined in the debate with some agreeing it was “odd”, others said you should be free to paint a house any colour you like.
Mount local Anne Harper who lives a few streets away said she got a shock when she first saw it.
“It’s bloody out there. It’s in your face. I didn’t associate it with gangs – that thought never entered my head, just that there’s no accounting for taste.”
Harper said people had been going to look at the red house.
“It has become a bit of an attraction.”
Another local, Tessa Gray, said the colour was polarising.
“I’ve driven past the bach, and people need to be understanding that a small house like this with an orange door and the whole exterior painted bright pink is going to be confronting for some – even polarising. It makes a difference in its setting too. This could be cool in the right environment… possibly an eyesore in another.”
Christel Yardley/Stuff
The streets close to Mount Maunganui and the beach are considered very desirable.
In praise of red
Another neighbour Brendan Heering told Stuff he initially thought the red might be an undercoat, but that he did not mind the colour.
“I will reserve my judgement until it is finished, but I appreciate that it adds personality to the street.”
Surfer Dan Scott who was on his way to the beach said he liked the colour.
“It’s quite retro but I like it. Keeping the dream alive.”
Scaffolders working on the house opposite all said they loved the red look.
“It makes the street pop. Red is a beautiful colour. Look there is a blue house over there and no one is saying anything about that.”
Richard Hale of Tauranga’s Insight Architecture said red was a bold colour for a beach environment but had a sense of adventure.
“It probably stands out because people are used to a more natural palette of creams, greys, and pale colours. But it’s adventurous. Look at the bright houses in Wellington, and the yellow houses in Paeroa.”
He said red was not a popular exterior for residential houses but that more colourful houses were becoming a trend.
“Canary yellow is having a bit of a moment in house colours, but red is very much part of the New Zealand vernacular in terms of red barns and red Doc houses. It might be unusual to see that in a beach house – but it could look amazing too when it’s finished off with landscaping and everything. It’s good to see people being playful with colour.”
