AN ACHIEVEMENT OF EXCELLENCE

THIS IDYLLIC CITY RESIDENCE IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF QUALITY ON EVERY LEVEL. BUILT BY SIMON CONSTRUCTION LTD.

WORDS KATHY CATTON PHOTOGRAPHY MICK STEPHENSON

Seamless Stairs

This stunning floating wooden staircase from D.J. Morrison Ltd is a standout feature in the hallway of the home.

‘Millimetre perfection’ would be an accurate way to describe this home. On arrival at the Merivale abode, you might expect high standards due to its location alone, but it’s more than simply a feast for the eyes. This home pushes the bar high in terms of its fastidious attention to detail and exquisite finishings.

The homeowners were not unfamiliar with the task of home building. With seven new builds already under their belts, they had chalked up plenty of building experience over the years. But this home was different. It was to be their forever home.

“I’m passionate about property,” says the homeowner. “It took us two years to find this section. I wanted to get it right.”

So finally, in July 2021, after a lengthy search, the section was found. The previous owner’s home, rich lister Tracy Gough, was demolished, and a blank canvas allowed for a new lease of life to emerge. What the team has created is nothing short of a masterpiece. The house consists of a combination of vertical Canadian Cedar, with shiplap weatherboard running horizontally and overlapping, and a Resene Rockcote masonry plaster system with Cerano Grey finish on the upper level, giving it the precast concrete effect. There’s a grandeur about it, but it’s not ostentatious or exuberant. Maybe it’s the stream boundary at the rear of the property that grounds this four-bedroom home firmly in the present moment. Or the northerly aspect, which creates plenty of opportunity for al fresco dining and entertaining, or simply listening to the local wildlife while basking in the sunlight.

“Coming from Canterbury, I was very conscious of the easterly wind, so we made sure in the design that