Elegant & Timeless

The owners have enjoyed a 40-year-love affair with the land on which this house stands and had a strong desire for a home to enhance the tranquil views of the harbour estuary it overlooks.

The result is an elegant home with a warm Mediterranean flavour which sits in harmony with its location, thanks both to its unique design and colour scheme. Resene’s colour Stonehenge on the solid plaster masonry and aerated concrete brick exterior complements the rich terracotta of the barrel roofing tiles which in turn highlight the appealing roof lines.

The driveway leads to the impressive front entrance with its 2.4 m high solid cedar doors. From the entrance hall with its soaring ceiling, visitors are immediately drawn into the large, open plan living area with its formal dining, casual lounge and kitchen and full length laminated windows framing the estuary views and opening onto a paved deck.

The formal lounge has a snug feel with concealed lights in the atrium ceiling giving finger-tip control from soft and subdued to bright. Folding shutters in one wall open to allow natural light from the hallway, as well as a water view from the stairs.

This is a home for entertaining so includes a vertical cavity slider opening from the kitchen, with its extensive granite benches, into a more casual living area, warmed by a large open fireplace and topped by a vaulted ceiling of Leyland Cyprus milled by the owners.

A wide, light and airy staircase leads to the upper storey accommodating the master bedroom, ensuite with two tiled showers and second living area complete with kitchenette.

The owners wanted a home which `breathed’ with fresh air circulating no matter what the weather. This has been achieved by careful design and the extensive use of vents and opening windows, a number of which have sensors to automatically close them if it rains.

Constructing this home posed many building challenges but all were successfully over come by close consultation with the owners, the architect, and thanks to the ingenuity of the building team.

While not dominating its location, the home has a sense of permanence in the landscape and a feel that it will be enjoyed by generations to come.

“We talked to people who had built with Mike and Kathy and they all said how easy they were to work with and how they listened to what clients wanted. Mike is very calm, no matter what. Nothing was too much trouble for him and his team, who consulted us whenever decisions had to be made. They also listened to concerns we had, and accommodated changes we made along the way. Kathy was also excellent to work with. We couldn’t have wished for a better team to build our house.”