Wow! What a gorgeously styled and respectfully restored heritage building The Terminus is. From the outside it's a classically restored building with a restaurant and boutique bakery on the ground floor. Entering the lobby of The Terminus you find a stylish modernised restoration; bare brick walls, wood floors, a wide modern staircase leading up to two floors of apartments and even a small elevator.
The Terminus is situated in the heritage district of Dunedin so its within easy walking distance of restaurants, shopping and the Octagon.
Apartment 5 is on the top floor facing east, with fantastic views over the Chinese Gardens and old Customhouse to the sea. From the moment I stepped inside I was impressed with the New York loft-style design and the wonderful light and spacious feeling.
There is a large arch-topped window and french doors leading out onto a juliette balcony in both the living area and the spacious bedroom. They fill the space with beautiful light reaching all the way up to the high vaulted ceiling.
The living area consists of an L-shaped sofa, beanbags and a high-tech TV with sound bar, google chrome box and other "techy" extras. Its a warm and inviting space. There's a small dining table but you'd have to move the sofa a bit to fit more than one person at it.
The kitchen area is a delight. Compact but beautifully designed, there's a large island with two super-comfy bar stools opposite a double sink. The frig has a cool water dispenser and there's a full oven with hob plus a microwave. All the appliances are in excellent condition. The large pantry has a working bench area, plus an array of "extras" like a popcorn machine (popping corn provided), a mini barbeque, a coffee machine etc. Welcoming extra touches include an array of breakfast choices, cooking oil and seasonings, fresh fruit and plenty of tea and coffee provisions. It's a really great little space and we spent a lot of time sitting up at the bar.
The bedroom is really spacious and has a lovely airy light feel. There's a large wardrobe with plenty of hanging and drawer space, a desk with large TV (I found the desk doubled as a great vanity table as it sits right next to the large window), and bedside tables hold extras like alarm clock and wireless speaker. The black-out blinds are brilliant and very effective at holding at bay the early morning sunlight.
Finally there's a good size bathroom with full-sized washing machine and dryer in a corner niche, a mirrored medicine cabinet above the sink that holds extras like ear plugs, panadol and band aids. The "wet-room" styled shower is well-designed, it has an open spacious feel but a well-placed glass partition that stops water splashing all around the room. The towels and bath linen are really soft and lush and the heated towels rail ensures everything is warm and dry when you need it.
Overall this is a well-situated, well-designed and stylish yet comfy apartment, which I have no hesitation in recommending to anyone. Dunedin is a marvellous city and a true hidden gem, there's something there for everyone.