Our Place First Edition

O U R P L AC E With David Reid Homes

Our

P L A CE With David Reid Homes

20/21

Give me Shelter: Inspiring Homes from North to South Confident Kitchen Design • Bathrooms for the New Normal • Loving the Landscape

W HEN DAV E DOBBY N wrote his ballad ‘Welcome

Home’ offering an open heart and mind to New Zealand immigrants, he probably never imagined that, just a few short years later, the song would equally apply to Kiwis returning to base en masse, fleeing a world gone crazy with Covid 19.

Our place has never felt so special – or so important.

Being impelled to shelter in ‘our place’ has given us an even greater love of our slice of heaven tucked away at the far end of the globe. Not only that, but spending more time at home has allowed us the opportunity to appreciate what we have, both in terms of our magnificent diverse geography and the spaces we occupy with our family in the day to day. During lockdown, we heard from so many of our clients about how the design of their homes made what could have been an awful, stressful experience really rather enjoyable.

At David Reid Homes, we have been creating houses people love to come home to since 1993 when the 4 — OUR PL ACE

company was established in Christchurch. Since then we’ve grown into an operation with 18 franchises strung the length of Aotearoa, from Kerikeri to Invercargill.

Each business is owned and operated by a local – people who have strong ties with the community, a robust network of contacts in the construction arena and who know the landscape (both physically and metaphorically) of the area.

Design is our focus because, we believe, it raises the standard of living and of lifestyle. We are meticulous in our methodology and take the time upfront to get the concept right. While we do provide a range of plans to inspire your thinking, it is our personalised architectural approach that makes the difference. Good design keys into how members of the household will use the spaces but also into the landscape. Every region has its nuances in terms of what looks right and works well.

On the journey, we guide you in a process that combines architectural flexibility with a commitment

Photography Paul McCredie

Welcome to Our Place

“Design is our focus because, we believe, it raises the standard of living and of lifestyle.” to building to deadline and to your budget. We hope you will find it exciting to work with a team of passionate people in the industry who have the innovation and experience to be successful in their marketplace.

In this magazine, we’ve gathered a group of our favourite recent projects from north to south – bespoke homes that showcase a response that is sympathetic to people and to place. They include the minimalist courtyard home (seen on the cover) that occupies a rare site on the Auckland city fringe that has a bush-reserve backdrop. There’s also a modern barn-like home with an award-winning kitchen, built for a professional couple in Pukekohe with kids about to flee the nest, an urban house in Wellington made perfect for a family recently returned from overseas and a magnificent pavilion-style house for a semi-retired pair who turned their holiday destination into a warm, stylish place of residence when they built on a site overlooking Lake Hayes.

Also included in these pages is a sophisticated threelevel terraced house in a mews-style development in Auckland’s Howick. It was bought by a 20-something first homeowner who is working in the gig economy as a sales rep by day and a DJ by night, so it appealed to him for the lock-and-leave aspect. David Reid Homes sees the growth of medium-density housing as a crucial evolution in the way New Zealanders live. The lifestyle these developments can offer is not a compromise. And our specialist franchisees are focussed on applying the fastidious design detail we bring to stand-alone homes to these projects.

So welcome home to Our Place. It’s a place of discovery but also, a safe harbour. We hope you find something that really strikes a chord. After all, our place is your place too. P Ben Allan Managing Director, David Reid Homes OUR PL ACE — 5

42 10

CONTENTS 10 Make Mine Modernist With mid-century lines, this Auckland home wraps around a pool for summer living all year round

22 Party of Five This family home in Karori accommodates three teenagers and their sociable parents with ease

28 Urban Ease

City style with a relaxed attitude

30 Far Pavilions A trio of gables above Lake Hayes is one couple’s paradise found 6 — OUR PL ACE

38 Together Apart The times are a-changing and although some Kiwis still dream of the quarter-acre, many are discovering that good things come on small packages of land

42 Shed Some Light A little bit farmhouse, a tiny touch French, this new build alongside the waters of the Waikato is spectacular inside and out

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49 French Country Something old, something ooh la la

76

50 The Confident Kitchen

With so many decisions to make, it’s good to be guided by the professionals when planning this vital hub of the home

56 Splash Palaces No longer the poor cousin to the kitchen, the best bathrooms balance practicality with big, beautiful ideas

62 Town & Country The best of two worlds comes together in this home with cutting-edge good looks but grassroots functionality

68 Luxe Lodge Channel your favourite getaway

70 Loving the Landscape Don’t underestimate the impact of outdoor spaces on your lifestyle

76 Shelter in Place Staying safe by staying put was no hardship in this Pukekohe home

ON THE COVER Jodi Wiltshire and 10-year-old Indie keeping it cool in a courtyard house (page 10).

Photography by Duncan Innes.

Sunbrella cushions from Coast New Zealand, Oku tray and Piccadilly carafe and glasses from Citta. The Others Lighting outdoor lantern from Dawson & Co.

OUR PL ACE — 7

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Modernist With mid-century lines, this Auckland home wraps around a pool for summer living all year round

10 — OU R PL AC E

LEFT Jodi Wiltshire and 10-year-old Indie in the sunken outdoor lounge where a fireplace lends evening ambience and skylights keep the connection to the sky. ABOVE With vertical cedar, granite and clean lines, the home is low key from the street. BELOW Labrador-cross Chief is the welcome committee.

Photography Duncan Innes Slides (left) from Father Rabbit.

COURT YA R DS M AY H AV E existed since ancient times

but the California modernists claimed this built form as their own when they wrapped a house around it and inserted a pool. In this home in Auckland’s Westmere, the courtyard is an architectural masterstroke: the blue slash of pool is minimal and cool, a study in geometric precision against a granite wall. But it’s also a touch of human genius. Owners Martin and Jodi Wiltshire have three daughters – Lola (16), Goldie (13) and Indie (10) – and knew this courtyard with its sunken outdoor lounge would be a drawcard. “We’re a social family and wanted a home where the girls would bring their friends so we could keep a distant eye on them,” says Jodi.

The Wiltshires are no strangers to the excitement and challenges of the design-and-build game. As David Reid Homes franchise owners for 18 years, they have built three times. “It’s a big deal building a house – one of the most emotional things most of our clients will do. We understand that because we’ve lived it.” So they expected to rent during the construction phase, they understood the council-consent process and anticipated the myriad decisions that would need to be made but… they hadn’t counted on a Covid 19 crisis. Full credit to the team, F O U R P L A C E — 11

ABOVE American white oak cabinetry is stained dark on the island to team with the Granite Absolute Black benchtop and Orvieto matt tiles on the splashback. Custom-made open shelving above the island gives this space a cafe-like look and the bar stools are from Citta.

12 — OUR PL ACE

THIS PHOTO The pantry is separated from the kitchen by powdercoated steel doors made by Fluid Interiors which allows Jodi to showcase her organisational skills to the full. San Pietro matt tiles here bring texture and pattern to the material mix.

O U R P L AC E — 13

THIS PHOTO The Wiltshires had an existing table sanded and polished to match the dining chairs bought from Citta and the dining area is completed with pendants

by Tauranga designer Matt Macmillan, a rug bought in Turkey and ‘Round and Round’, an artwork by Roberta Thornley.

14 — O U R P L AC E

ABOVE A Tom Dixon pendant is a statement above sofas by St Clements. On the stairwell wall is a large artwork by photographer Maya Vidulich, a good friend of Jodi’s. BELOW Caramelo honed travertine from Designsource makes a minimal but luxurious backdrop to the open-tread stair in the entrance.

because plans were not derailed. “We scheduled 12 months for the project and moved in one year plus one month of lockdown later – on the dot.”

This sloping 960-square-metre site was a rare find for the area. The land is narrow but a generous size and backs onto a bush-fringed creek. The couple sold the little old house on the section to the removal company and set about working with their favourite team to craft a dwelling inspired by the mid-century Palm Springs aesthetic. From the street, the home with its horizontal roof planes looks decidedly modern. The cladding of narrow cedar board runs vertically in gentle counterpoint. In size and appearance, it’s very low key.

“We didn’t want anything ostentatious,” explains Jodi.

Through the front door, an open-tread suspended staircase floats in the entry and Chief, the Labradorcross, gives one and all an ebullient welcome. From here, the design reveals itself slowly – until a corner is turned and the ‘wow’ moment that takes in the courtyard.

Jodi, who has a marketing background, has picked up interior design skills by osmosis. She knew she needed to soften the structural envelope. So while concrete floors, black-framed glazing and white walls in the living areas F O U R P L AC E — 15

ABOVE The couple was thrilled to find this section on the city fringe backing onto a bush reserve and the outdoor living is hugely enhanced by it.

Aquila decking skirts the geometry of the pool which is backed by a travertine wall.

are minimalist, almost brutal, they are not stark. On the fireplace wall, the paintwork has subtle texture that reflects the abundant light that streams through floorto-ceiling glass sliders. A built-in timber ledge that flanks the fire is both a hearth and bench-seating.

Dark-gold squabs are a warming element against a pair of custom-designed white sofas – a brave choice for a family that encourages teen parties. “I had them treated in case of mishaps,” says Jodi. Above, the Tom Dixon pendant is a beautiful golden orb that casts patterned shadows onto the white backdrop at night.

In the kitchen, Jodi has captured the sophistication of an upmarket hotel – with a practical slant. Appliances are integrated behind American oak cabinetry and a tiled splashback has brown veining in an urbane twist. Open shelving that hangs above the island would look the part in a chi-chi bar and the design team had to be inventive to insert LED lighting into its base so there was enough light for food preparation. “It’s a great space to have coffee or a wine and also acts as a breakfast bar for the kids.” But where her touch is most evident is in the Butler’s pantry with a toaster, jug and blender on one side to contain the teen-and-tween morning mayhem – and a wine and F 16 — O U R PL AC E

“We’re a social family and wanted a home where the girls would bring their friends so we could keep a distant eye on them.”

THIS PHOTO An Escea fireplace ensures the family can use the sunken outdoor lounge all year round and a stand of bamboo in the planter box will soon sprout up to give the area a more tropical feel.

O U R P L A C E — 17

ABOVE A vintage pink stool is a feminine tone in this generous bedroom where the round mirror from Coco Republic is trimmed in brass as are the bedside lights by Douglas & Bec. BELOW The walk-in wardrobe where, surprise surprise, Jodi has arranged her clothing by type and colour.

cocktail-making station on the other. In between is the open-shelved pantry, where a line-up of labelled jars is so organised it would make Martha Stewart envious. “I have to admit to being a bit OCD,” says Jodi.

Just as well the house allows some separation between generations. While two of the girls sleep on the main floor, Lola has a bedroom and bathroom downstairs with direct access to the lawn and a backdrop of native bush.

“We made the doorways in this lower level over-height and added a side window so the spaces felt lighter and bigger,” says Jodi. For their part, the couple can retreat to their sanctuary on the upper level where there’s a window-seat for reading, a built-in desk for unexpected work-from-home times, an en suite and walk-in wardrobe.

One month after the family moved in, the couple hosted a birthday party for Lola’s 16th. The group of gorgeous partygoers settled into the spaces just as anticipated. Some spilled into the TV room and grassed area downstairs, but soon they were in the sunken outdoor lounge around the fireplace. From their eyrie upstairs, Jodi and Martin kept an ear on proceedings: it felt like the right time to raise a glass to the success of this meticulous and very personal project. P 18 — O U R P L AC E

“It’s a big deal building a house – one of the most emotional things many of our clients will do. We understand that because we’ve lived it.”

Love your lighting Jodi Wiltshire is a fierce advocate of lighting’s ability to make or break a home.

Here she shares her thoughts: • You can never over-do kitchen lighting. That’s not to say you need lots of bright lights, but a range of ambient as well as functional lighting.

Most sculleries don’t have a lot of natural light, so you may want use more down-lights than you would for another space that size. If guests gather in the kitchen include ambient lights that soften the space: we put LED lighting in our overhang above the island.

• Get a detailed lighting plan early in the building process. We always point out how important that is to our clients. You can change it/add to it as you go along, but it kick-starts the process of thinking about your requirements. So many people underestimate lighting - less is not more in this case! It’s important to think of things like: Are you working from home? Where will the kids study? We installed two device drawers in the kitchen that have multiple points/outlets.

• It was important to me to include New Zealand lighting designers in the line-up. We have some special talent, so it’s easy to support them.

LEFT Milas White marble basins, from Artedomus, are elegant and lend a touch of luxe as does the brass hardware from Waterware.

O U R P L AC E — 19

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Party of Five This family home in Karori accommodates three teenagers and their sociable parents with ease 22 — OUR PL ACE

ABOVE The Hagen family (from left to right): Finlay, Freda, Josh, Brian and Grace plus Maple, the golden retriever, recently returned from Singapore where they lived in an apartment. OPPOSITE The four-bedroom home is clad in random-width vertical cedar and specialised plaster on EZpanel.

Photography Leroy James

“ W ELL W E DIDN’ T move here because of the weather,”

says Freda Hagen. That must rank as an understatement of note for this Kiwi family that swapped the tropical heat of Singapore for the coolest little capital in the world: Wellington.

Freda, her husband Brian, and their three children Grace (now 17) and twin boys Finlay and Joshua (15) don’t miss the constant humidity. And although they do sometimes hanker for the big-city buzz, their new home has more than enough to recommend it over apartment living.

It was Freda’s dad, a Wellingtonian born and bred who, working under direction from his daughter, discovered the section in this corner of Karori they now call their own. At 900 square metres it was roomy in size, just 10 minutes from town but most of all… it was flat. A tumbledown Californian bungalow occupied the site.

“I didn’t love the house and it faced the wrong way, but I did love the piece of land,” says Freda. Brian, a keen surfer, who might have preferred living closer to the sea, agreed.

After shivering through a winter, the Hagens realised this project was a bigger renovation than they were willing to take on. They hadn’t built before but now was their chance. “When I left the country 25 years ago, I had never heard of David Reid Homes,” says Freda. But she did some research and was convinced by the aesthetic and the quality of the new-builds she saw. “I didn’t want a kitset or to buy off plans. I wanted some involvement in the design, and I liked the security of working with a company that provided a framework around that and would project-manage the job.”

So the process began to create a family home that had “light, light, light” with big windows to capture the sun and to bring the sense of suburban greenery indoors. F OUR PL ACE — 23

ABOVE Calacatta Supreme engineered stone benchtops have the elegance of marble but are more durable for this busy household. Brushed-brass tapware is a classic counterpoint to the sleek black laser-edge cabinetry while art and decorative bowls displayed on open shelving add the colour.

With three teenagers and Maple, an enthusiastic golden retriever, top of mind, Freda also wanted space and a somewhat bulletproof material palette.

Her brief to David Reid Homes was for a contemporary architectural style: “If I wasn’t going to have an ornate renovated villa, I’d rather go ‘boxy’ and clean-lined so that I could add the character with the Asian furniture and art we’ve collected.”

Demolishers removed the bungalow, salvaging what they could, and the new two-storey 260-square-metre home is sited towards the rear of the section so the living and outdoor areas can face north. The influence of calling Singapore home for several years may not be immediately apparent but, explains Freda, black and white houses (colonial bungalows with dark timber beams and whitewashed walls) are now rare but sought after in that country – and this is reinterpreted here.

24 — OUR PL ACE

The lower level, clad in dark-stained cedar board, looks smart and geometric. The vertical boards are random width to lend texture to the façade which wraps over the garage and a blade wall that hides the living room from the driveway. This downstairs zone has the kitchen and dining room too plus a master suite where Freda finds the walk-in wardrobe a real treat.

To break up the bulk of the form, the upper level is staggered and pushed back towards the rear of the site.

Clad in a concrete-look panel, this floor is painted white and a cantilevered section slices through one corner to hang above the entrance, sheltering it from the elements.

Just beyond the front door, the concrete stairwell is softened by a handrail and entrance screen crafted from pieces of matai rescued from the old bungalow. “My dad removed them from the floor and David Reid Homes worked them into the design; they really add warmth.” F

LEFT The Escea ST900 gas fireplace is a focal point in the living room where Freda has used orange velvet cushions on three sofas bought 20 years ago from Freedom Furniture which she had reupholstered.

Floor-to-ceiling windows bring in the “light, light, light” she asked for and an artwork by Le Hoan, bought in Hanoi, is a reminder of years spent living in Asia.

BELOW The upper level is pushed back off the lower living pavilion which reduces the visual bulk of the home.

“If I wasn’t going to have an ornate renovated villa, I’d rather go ‘boxy’ and clean-lined and add character with Asian furniture and art we have collected.”

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ABOVE At night, shadow patterns made by the Kelly Dome pendant from ECC fall onto the concrete flooring in the dining zone where a table in Balinese Suar wood has an organic rustic feel but the artwork depicting Myanmar’s tattooed Chin women, collected on the family’s travels, is decidedly modern.

If there’s one thing Freda has learnt during the process, it’s this: details count. She’s pleased to have been guided through myriad choices. “It’s those little things you don’t normally think that much about that make the difference. For instance, put the electricity points and light-fittings in the wrong spot and you’ll soon regret it.”

Freda was accompanied to the paint shop, tile shop and carpet shop by the interior designer from David Reid Homes. “It was good to have someone there to guide me as there were so many decisions.” Although she made few changes to the layout of the home, she’s glad she up-specced from standard where she thought it would count (with marble-look tiles in the en suite for instance).

This gal done well because the result is a home that the family has made their own. Against white walls, she’s included elements of colour with orange velvet cushions 26 — OUR PL ACE

on comfy sofas and artwork bought from Vietnam, a reminder of their history. From morning to night, the house embraces their lifestyle – from the time the teenage trio saunter down from their bedrooms sleepyeyed to make smoothies and toast (and some mayhem) at the breakfast station hidden away in the scullery, to the evenings when they ask Freda to move the car out of the garage so they can convert it into their home gym.

Not so very long ago, Brian celebrated his 50th birthday: it was a good opportunity to have friends and family around. The Hagens moved the sofas to the sides of the open-plan living area, the wine fridge came into its own and guests spilled out onto the deck and lawn.

It may sound like a cliché but Freda relished the indoor/outdoor flow. Wellington put on a good day.

You couldn’t beat it. After decades away, the Hagens are home. P

Family-proof design Three teenagers and an exuberant dog meant Freda and Brian Hagen needed a robust home that could roll with the punches of everyday life. Here are their tips to achieve this: • Ensure the floorplan provides some separation between generations so that everyone has their privacy.

In this home, the teenagers are ‘coralled’ in the upper levels which also features their own TV room while the ‘olds’ have an en suite bedroom downstairs.

• A concrete floor (heated) is forgiving of dirt and means footprints and pawprints are easily wiped away.

Learn to be more relaxed with the flaws. “My dad says there are only two types of concrete,” says Freda.

“Concrete that is cracked and concrete that will crack.”

• Extra-wide hallways and an extrawide stairwell mean more room for boisterousness.

• If possible, include a scullery where the kids can use a jug, toaster and microwave to make their own meals without the mess being on show.

Even if that is only pot noodles!

• Carpet the garage so it can be adapted as a flexi room. It might be used as an office, or a home gym, or even a studio space.

ABOVE Carrara silver matt tiles in the bathroom were one case where the Hagens chose to up-spec from standard. The freestanding bath is Progetto Niagara Ellipse from Plumbline.

LEFT In the entry, the screening for the stairs is made of matai rescued from the floorboards pulled out of the original home on this property.

OUR PL ACE — 27

Urban ease Dollops of colour, a dash of fun and streamlined pieces bring family-friendly personality to city living

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1 Radial dining chair, $590, Citta. 2 The Others Lighting lantern by Dedon, $2449, Dawson & Co. 3 Beanbag, $149, Citta. 4 Orb pendant, $639, BoConcept. 5 S2 stool by David Moreland, $410, Citta. 6 Felton Axiss sink mixer, $619, Plumbing World. 7 Bethell bath towel by Baina, $80, Tessuti. 8 Series sofa, $12663, Tim Webber Design. 9 Magma Malachite matt tiles, $99.50/m2, Tile Space. 10 Arnold Circus stool by Martino Gamper, $250, Tessuti. 11 Fruit bowl oak by Hem, $298, Tim Webber Design. 12 Tosca storage box, $44, Paper Plane. 13 Drinking glasses by Monmouth Glass Studio, $75 each, Tessuti.

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Far pavilions

A trio of gables above Lake Hayes is one couple’s paradise found

30 — OUR PL ACE

LEFT Steel tray roofing on the triangular forms is a robust reflection of the mountainous terrain that surrounds the home.

OUR PL ACE — 31

THIS PAGE Ginny and Tony Wilkins love to spend time in the outdoor room where a living wall provides some relief against the dark-stained cedar cladding.

32 — OUR PL ACE

Photography Marina Mathews

W HEN TON Y A ND Ginny Wilkins’ son comes home for university holidays, like any typical young man he heads straight for the fridge. What’s not so typical is the way he gets there: “He skateboards on the concrete floors from his bedroom – and gets annoyed if I put any rugs in the way,” laughs Ginny.

The Wilkins, a farming couple, moved to this idyllic enclave overlooking Lake Hayes in their semi-retirement, to a place they had always holidayed. The landscapes were awe-inspiring and felt familiar but they grew frustrated in their search for a house to buy. Instead, they decided to take the plunge and build, and once they discovered this 8000-square-metre site in a boutique development on a hill facing north, they didn’t hesitate.

“We loved it straight away,” says Tony.

The couple has vivid memories of the only other time they built – a barn-like dwelling on their farm near Gore.

They were just starting out and money was tight so they contracted the construction company to complete the home to shell stage. “We had a small baby in tow and did everything else ourselves, including installing the plasterboard walls,” says Ginny.

This time they had no such intention of mucking in but that doesn’t mean they didn’t want to be involved. F

ABOVE A pendant bought from Queenstown Interiors is a focal point above the outdoor dining table in the lakefront courtyard.

LEFT A fireplace clad in concrete-look tile echoes the concrete floors that are float polished. The jewelcoloured velvet sofa is from Me & My Trend.

OUR PL ACE — 33

In fact the pair is the perfect team: “I’m a practical sort,” says Tony, “and Ginny has a great eye for design. So it was important to us that we felt really comfortable with the designers, builders and tradies.”

A visit to the David Reid Homes showhome at Jack’s Point convinced them they’d found their people. “We were instantly impressed by the quality and loved the enthusiasm of the local franchisees,” says Tony.

The company suggested a number of architects to the couple and they went with Martin Hofman who responded to their brief to make the most of the view and the sunlight. Together they stretched a series of three pavilions 48 metres along the section. The gabled forms are like a mini miner’s village that key into the vernacular architecture of the Central Otago region.

Clad in dark-stained cedar teamed with steel-tray roofing in a charcoal tone makes for a low-key presence that melds with the drama of the bare hills.

Although the section had the right orientation and 34 — OUR PL ACE

a million-dollar aspect, there were challenges. It was fairly narrow and steep so it took longer than expected to establish a stable platform that the engineers were happy with. The David Reid Homes build team guided them through this hiccup. “The builder is a Southland boy so we instantly clicked,” says Tony. One upside was they gained more flat ground for outdoor living. Twelve months later they were in residence: the cats that got the cream.

This is a dwelling that opens its arms to the elements yet also has an internal focus that makes it homely in an instant. The main living pavilion and master suite are set at right angles to the lake and between them is sandwiched a bedroom pavilion that lies parallel to the water. Raked ceilings echo the faraway peaks and bring incredible volume to the spaces. To the north, glazed fronts usher in the gasp of view while to the south, clerestory windows look up to the sharp rise of Morven Hill.

In the rooms themselves there is plenty to catch the eye. “We like to collect art so specifically asked for a F

OPPOSITE The apex above the kitchen rises to 5.4 metres and has clerestory windows to admit the view. Copper Pine Cone pendants are from BoConcept.

LEFT The guest bathroom is beautifully feminine.

BELOW The main en suite has a contemporary black-and-white theme but the same marble floor tiling as the guest bathroom, from Flooring Xtra.

OUR PL ACE — 35

36 — OUR PL ACE

A toast to toasty The Wilkins love how warm this house is and, in this extreme environment, that was a priority. Here are their tips for turning up the heat…

hallway that connects the pavilions like a gallery where we can hang our treasures,” says Ginny.

She was also instrumental in the design of the kitchen, working alongside Rachel Barnes from Ingrid Geldof Design. Here near-black timber cabinetry is offset by a pristine-white island bench in Caesarstone and the handles are hidden along with any mess. “I’m a keen baker so a scullery was a must,” says Ginny, who loves how the copper pendants bring the texture of another natural material into play.

She’s clearly a fan of colour too and is not afraid to use it. Against white walls and those concrete floors, a warm blue sofa peps up the palette and this same shade has been picked up in dining chairs. The mustard-gold tone in a sofa opposite also features on a wall in the main bedroom along with tiles that enhance the en suite.

A judiciously placed mirror in this bathroom reflects the distant frosted peaks so that bathing beauties needn’t miss out. “There’s nothing quite like a glass of Champagne and some bubbles in your bath when it’s snowing outside,” says Ginny.

This is just one of life’s everyday pleasures in this special retreat and it’s no wonder the Wilkins seldom find themselves home alone. The house is built for two and equally for entertaining, and they often have family and friends to stay. Come summer or fall, there’s always a space to engage with, whether that’s plunging into the spa pool to send Jack Frost packing or gathering in the shelter of the sunken fire pit for the chance to throw meat or marshmallows over the coals.

While Tony can only praise the seamlessness and synergy of the end-to-end process, Ginny loves the function and the form of this home. “I can’t fault the design. Every day I wake up and can’t quite believe I am living here.” P

• The foundation is fully insulated using a MaxRaft system. It also has underfloor heating installed within it powered by electricity, which involves a heat exchanger that heats piping full of water and runs throughout the slab. It is thermostatcontrolled to maintain the desired interior temperature.

• Using large double-glazed windows and sliding glass doors made the most of the stunning views while providing highly efficient insulation.

The house is a north-facing sun trap.

• Gas water heating is unlimited and immediate and allowed more floorspace within the interior because there was no need to plan for water cylinders. There are two gas califonts - one for each end of the home.

• Smaller, longer windows on the southern side of the house allow air flow if needed during summer heat.

• You can create a cosier feel by using warm colours, carpets and lots of rugs. Ginny has a slight addiction to sheepskins!

OPPOSITE A fire pit is surrounded by a wall in Otago schist to shelter it from wind and is a favourite with the Wilkins and their 14-year-old cavoodle Monty.

ABOVE The cosy main bedroom features a fireplace and a decorative mirrored cupboard to reflect the view.

OUR PL ACE — 37

Together Although some Kiwis still dream of the quarter-acre, many are discovering that good things come on small packages of land

apart

38 — OUR PL ACE

Photography Tony Nyberg

ABOVE The mews-style development in Howick features three-level homes clad in weatherboard with long-run steel roofing and Pacific Architectural windows. OPPOSITE First homeowner Tyler Christie in the living room where an abstract work by Kate O’Connor sets the colour mood.

MEDIUM-DENSIT Y LI V ING has arrived and Abercrombie Mews in Auckland’s Howick is an exemplar of the form.

For Brett Christie, one-time structural engineer and now full-time David Reid Homes franchisee/developer, the writing is on the wall. As is the low-maintenance weatherboard cladding. And the floor-to-ceiling bathroom tiling. “We wanted to create the David Reid Homes version of medium density,” he says. By which he means boutique multi-housing projects with a heart of luxe.

New Zealanders may not be familiar with the word ‘mews’, a building typology established in well-to-do areas of London when stable blocks were converted into a row of character houses. At Abercrombie, the seven terraced homes all speak the same architectural language. Strung over three levels, the collection of gabled peaks creates the semblance of a village.

Brett is not sure he believes in designing for community – for example using interventions such as common barbecue areas or shared function rooms. He argues, rather, that when you build to a certain standard with a high level of finish in a location that offers such

diverse amenity, community creates itself. “I can honestly see all the buyers here becoming friends,” he says.

So, while you might expect people nearing retirement to snap up the townhouses – “who wants to spend weekends mowing lawns?” – or returning expats to see the value in a low-maintenance property close to public transport, you probably wouldn’t expect to find a 20-something first homeowner taking up residence.

Neither, at first, did Brett’s younger brother Tyler Christie. The advertising sales manager and part-time DJ imagined he’d be living in London by now, working by day and taking his tunes to the people by night. And then Covid 19 came along. Plans changed: “I watched how beautifully the houses at Abercrombie were being built and I could see how owning here would fit my lifestyle,” he says.

Tyler’s DJ gigs take him all over Auckland and, since he also works weekends, he needed somewhere that wouldn’t make a constant call on his time. He got into the development at ground level, buying a 180-square-metre, four-bedroom property with a single garage off the F OUR PL ACE — 39

ABOVE David Reid Homes organised a furniture package for Tyler and interior designer Sarah Christie opted for walls in Dulux ‘Cardrona’ and engineered timber floors in ‘Truffle’ from Godfrey Hirst. The sofa, designed by The Look and made by Lounge Design, teams with a white linen chair.

plans. He also negotiated a wraparound package with his sibling, which included the supply of furniture.

Brett’s wife Sarah Christie was responsible for designing the interiors. “The look we were going for was classic but modern – something fresh and up to date,” says Sarah. “Tyler is a young, happening sort of a guy so we wanted the house to feel like an upmarket apartment.”

Against a backdrop of white walls and dark-stained engineered-timber flooring, they put together a kitchen to reflect a metropolitan spirit. “I trusted Sarah because, having lived in a series of flats, I really have no idea what I do and don’t like,” says Tyler.

Sarah is no fan of plain white kitchens so injected some personality with cabinetry in two shades of grey.

This teams with a white engineered marble benchtop where dark grey veining keys in with the colour scheme.

Handles and tapware in brushed brass are a point of difference that bring a dash of bling to the room.

This open-plan level flows on past the dining area and the living room to a north-west facing deck oriented for evening sun: Tyler can already envision cocktail hour on 40 — OUR PL ACE

evenings when he doesn’t have to head out to hit the digital deck.

Three bathrooms in the home – one on the ground floor and two on the second-floor bedroom level – mean occupants won’t need to fight for the shower. Just as well. “My best friend is already signed up as a flatmate,” says Tyler. Flush shower sills and in-wall cisterns keep everything sleek and easier to keep clean.

And that’s just the way Tyler likes it. Now the furniture has arrived – from couches to curtains and even the microwave – he can donate the ad-hoc assembly of items he’s dragged from flat to flat to the charity shop. On Saturday mornings (okay, let’s get real, closer to-noon), he can relax on the deck with a coffee or stroll around the corner to the village for brunch. He may not be where he imagined he’d be right now, but he’s looking forward to the next step on this unexpected pathway.

“We believe we’re creating something really different here – high-spec homes to meet a growing market,” says Brett. “Medium-density living is not the way of the future. It is happening right now.” P

Medium density: What to look for Brett Christie shares his buyer’s guide for townhouse projects:

ABOVE High cabinetry in Prime Panels ‘Ironsand’ with a woodgrain finish and ‘Dawn Grey’ (the lighter underbenches) gives interest to the kitchen The benchtop is ‘Stat Venato’ from Trend Stone, an engineered white marble with a dark-grey vein.

RIGHT Flush shower sills and European tapware in gunmetal grey keep the three bathrooms sleek and easy care. A round mirror, Broadway LED from Elite, adds some wow.

• Make sure the property and the individual home is oriented correctly for sun not only to enjoy passive solar gain but also for easterly morning light (great for kitchens) and evening light (west) for the outdoor living.

• Low-maintenance cladding is imperative particularly in homes that are multi-level (which terraced houses tend to be). Although you might love cedar or Abodo, a product such as fibre-cement weatherboard requires no painting for around a decade. The last thing you want is to be up on scaffold every two years!

• Although the council has set requirements for insulation and intertenancy walls, if your focus is quality - look for a company that exceeds these. Specification is key so do your research thoroughly.

• Investigate the ownership set-up of the development. Some might be in a body corp – in which case you will have to factor in an ongoing annual fee; others may be in joint ownership where the owners sign to say they will equally contribute to the maintenance of common areas like driveways. At David Reid Homes, most developments do not have body corp set-ups and houses are titled individually.

• Look for future-focussed design. All the townhouses in Abercrombie Mews have internal garage access and an internal lift which makes it easier to turn this into a forever home.

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A little bit farmhouse, a tiny touch French, this new build alongside the waters of the Waikato is spectacular inside and out

this spot is supreme. “You could name it the Waikato River or Lake Ohakuri and neither would be wrong,” explains Hayley Tocker who was drawn to live here on the site of a former wakeboard camp by her then-fiancé Marty.

Marty bought the land while working in Australia as a fly-in electrician on the mines. His proposal to relocate to this rural block in Reporoa meant Hayley had to give up her job as a graphic designer and retrain.

The couple set up their own electrical business and Hayley is one of few women in New Zealand qualified as an instrument technician.

That was some time before this modern farmhouse was built beside the water. For three years, the couple occupied a renovated shed on the nine-hectare property. It wasn’t exactly roughing it, but they dreamed of their first real home.

With practical nous and definite ideas about design, they considered taking on the entire project themselves: “We ummed and ahhed for ages but realised that with our hectic jobs travelling all over the country, we just didn’t have the time,” says Hayley. F

ABOVE This home settles into the rural landscape like a modern barn and has low-maintenance black Linea Oblique weatherboard cladding and a brick chimney and feature wall to add an industrial feel. The roofing is Colorsteel in a Trimrib profile.

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Photography Tony Nyberg

Shed some light

A R I V ER RUNS past it. Or is it a lake? Whatever you call it,

THIS PAGE The warehouse appeal of exposed trusses and a reclaimed brick fireplace in the main living area is softened by white walls and ceilings. The couple already owned the tan leather sofas that fitted straight into the picture.

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THIS PAGE Hayley and Marty Tocker in the French Country-style kitchen where Arborform white satin cabinetry in the Ohope profile is complemented

by Montrase pewter knobs and Delmore pewter cup handles. An island bench in Eurostone Constellation White from Pacific Stone is pristine beneath the vintage-look pendants which were a Marty ‘must-have’.

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ABOVE The flooring is American Oak laminate with an aged patina which fitted with the homeowners’ budget and the rustic style plus, with the addition of underfloor heating, keeps the spaces nice and toasty.

The location deserved a bespoke approach and, when David Reid Homes gave them carte blanche with the design and would guide and project manage the job from go to whoa, they knew they had found their fit.

First, the Tockers worked with their architect on the orientation of the home which may seem obvious now but at the time was a conundrum. The challenge was: how to capture the view from every window without having to hang the building over the edge? Regulations meant they needed to remain 10 metres from the riverbank. Building up a hillside of terraces was the solution. This poser sorted, they moved on to aesthetics, sending in photos of buildings and materials they liked to evolve the design. “It was stress free in terms of figuring those things out,” says Hayley.

Navigating the consenting issues (and there were a few) was more tedious but the couple gave the paperwork over to the David Reid Homes team while they focussed on the finish line. They moved in just after the first lockdown.

Put simply, the house comprises two offset pavilions linked by a hallway. The bedroom pavilion, which

includes an office, is set back while the living-zone one pushes forward to follow the course of the river. The gabled forms, clad in low-maintenance black Linea weatherboard, have their roots in the agricultural building typology. “We wanted the white-trim windows because that is more traditional for a barn,” says Hayley.

One more material – reclaimed brick – has been used to good effect on the chimney and as a feature wall along the hallway. It’s an element that gives some heft to the palette and, somewhat to Hayley’s surprise, works in beautifully. “As far as style goes, I like old-fashioned French Country; Marty’s taste is for hard-industrial, so the brick and exposed beams are things he wanted.”

The interiors are a barley twist of both looks, particularly in the living zone. Unusually, this young couple did not opt for the on-point black-on-black kitchen but went for something more welcoming. They located this culinary hub in the middle of the floorplan, close to the covered patio. It’s not that they’re always entertaining, more like surrendering their kitchen to all comers. “Our house is like a revolving door, with F OUR PL ACE — 45

ABOVE LEFT Hayley’s dad made the vanity top from a slab of macrocarpa. The twin vessels are Athena Sirca Bowls and Mr Marble Bare Bulb pendants from Mr Ralph illuminate the room. ABOVE RIGHT In the shower, Calacatta gloss tiles are a foil for Wood Xtra honey tiles, both from Tile Warehouse.

people coming and going all the time – it’s pretty rare that Marty and I are here just on our own,” says Hayley.

White cabinetry with a picture-frame profile channels a modern-country style, there are engineered-stone benchtops that look like classic marble and a magnificent double oven in white could feed the thousands.

Industrial metal pendants above the island and exposed trusses in white but with black-metal brackets are beneath ceilings lined in grooved weatherboard to bring texture to the lofty room.

To keep costs reasonable, to limit damage by Frankie the Labradoodle with attitude and their pet goat who is wont to wander in if the opportunity arises, but mainly to make the most of the underfloor heating, the couple opted for laminate flooring that looks like aged American oak. “The whole house is geothermally heated from an on-site bore,” explains Hayley. Which means they seldom need to light the fire, except to enhance the ambience for moments of relaxed homeliness.

Warmth and comfort were at the top of the priority list so chunky, rustic touches were on order. Hayley’s dad 46 — OUR PL ACE

turned his hand to making the vanity top in the main suite bathroom from a huge slab of macrocarpa and the dining table, polished to a lovely sheen, is also crafted by this accomplished hobby builder. He also made the wedding ‘arch’ – a triangle of macrocarpa that stands on the lawn where the couple was married.

Hayley and Marty already owned the furniture needed to complete the picture – squidgy tan leather sofas and ottomans that will last a lifetime – and an album of online memories is filling up. Hayley can’t believe the view is accessible from almost every room: “When you come down the hallway and see the lake, it’s the coolest thing.” Watching the float plane fly in with visitors for the nearby Orakei Korako cave and thermal park is pretty special too. Or waking to misty mornings when steam clouds from the geothermals transform the landscape into a fairytale forest.

For his part, Marty is in his happy place when, after a day spent wakeboarding with friends, he gets to set up as barbecue master on the deck and look back at the house they have managed to achieve. The river rushing by. F

THIS PAGE Walls were panelled for a classic effect and Hayley chose the Frenchlook striped linen and a throw in a rich colour, both from Adairs. The cushion with a watercolour landscape was bought from MCF Interiors in Taupo and keeps it Kiwi.

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ABOVE The kwila decking, accessed seamlessly through bi-fold doors, was the last to be finished and there are plans for outdoor furniture to make the most of it.

Feeling the French Hayley is passionate about Frenchcountry style but favours a modern twist.

Here’s how to achieve it: • Colour is important and stark whites or bold shades just don’t cut it.

Warmer whites and pale greys and blues are far more in keeping. Hayley used Dulux ‘Manorburn Double’ (grey) but ‘Duck Egg Blue’ would work just as well. For a white, choose something like Dulux ‘Cardrona’.

• Panelled walls as a bedhead (painted duck-egg grey, green or blue) can be teamed with linens on the bed in classic French stripe.

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• French-country kitchens are antiqued cream or off-white and cabinetry needs a decorative profile, either the picture-frame one chosen here or, for traditionalists, with more mouldings and grooves.

• Marble is de rigueur so try to incorporate it either horizontally (think kitchen benchtops or vanity tops) or vertically – a marble splashback or marble-tiled bathroom.

• Use timber with a weathered appearance, for example aged wooden slabs for tops or barn doors (painted white if you wish to contemporise the look).

French country Combine leather, dark timber and weathered elements with fresh white to uplift the mood

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1 Perrin & Rowe Athenian three-hole sink mixer with porcelain levers, from $995, In Residence. 2 Petite pleated lamp, $199, Ornament. 3 Orokawa limited-edition photographic print by Alex Spodyneiko, from $179/unframed, Sunday Homestore.

4 Boston vintage pendant, $229, Mr Ralph.

5 Warwick cabinet pull 76mm in satin nickel plate, $7.23 each, Mitre 10. 6 Frankie organic cotton duvet, $199; Frankie organic cotton pillowcase pair, $59.90, Citta.

7 Dancing Duo candlesticks, $350/set of 2, Fourth St. 8 Piastrella White Mix tiles, $119.50/m2, Tile Space. 9 Sterling sofa, $4239, Dawson & Co. 10 Wallace Secret Garden Grey cushion, $95, Marthas.

11 Provincial cross-back chair, $199, Early Settler. 12 Vidiri vase, $129, Ornament.

13 Peggy fruit stand by Astier de Villatte, $360, Tessuti.

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The Confident Kitchen With so many decisions to make, it’s good to be guided by the professionals when planning this vital hub of the home

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LEONIE H A MILL , OW NER of Cube

Dentro, an Auckland-based interior design studio, calls the kitchen “the biggest piece of furniture that comes with the house”. She’s right of course. As one of the first four people in New Zealand to receive the NZQA Diploma in Kitchen Design, she’s turned designing for practicality but also for sheer good looks into an artform. Here she shares her thoughts on how to get the best from your designer and takes a closer look at trends you might like to incorporate in your own dream kitchen. F

LEFT The kitchen in this Waiheke home spans the entire length of one wall and incorporates storage, a bar area and space for the TV. Its mirrored splashback allows the small space to feel much larger too.

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Dreams and dollars

Before you have that initial conversation with a designer, make a wish-list. This can include every task you want the kitchen to perform plus ideas on the aesthetic. But don’t be too prescriptive. “Designers do their best work when we have a blank canvas. Clients may have opinions on how they feel the layout could operate but it’s usually better to give us the information about your family’s needs and leave us to it,” she says. It’s also important to know your budget upfront. Dreams inspire both client and designer, but the reality is they will be limited by the space available and by cost. There will need to be some compromise. For example, most people say they want lots of storage but also expect huge appliances to fit into a limited space. “By engaging someone qualified and who specialises in kitchen design, they will try their best to incorporate as much of the wish-list as possible but also know where to splurge and where to save.”

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Organic magic

Natural materials never go out of fashion so strive to include timber or stone somewhere in the design for its timelessness. More recently, robust metals like blackened steel, aged iron and brass with a variety of textural finishes have become very in vogue. So… use metallic detailing such as handles on cabinetry or, for just a hint of glint, inlays of metallic strip on the island bench. “It’s all about getting the balance right,” says Leonie. You don’t want it expressed too boldly.

“Minimal, subtle touches of metal add the glam factor without being too glitzy.”

ABOVE Include timber or stone to add warmth to a monotone palette as it will never date.

What about black?

The days of the white-on-white kitchen seem numbered as black kitchens step into the spotlight. It’s a dramatic aesthetic but Leonie advises, “Trust your designer: it’s their job to make you a little braver.” Her advice for getting the black look right is to incorporate different textures so that the kitchen doesn’t end up looking like a monolithic block. For instance, you could choose matte black soft-touch timber panels for the front of the island bench, roughsawn timber for the cabinetry and team this with the smoothness of a charcoal marble slab as a work surface.

RIGHT AND BELOW Black continues to make the big moves but use various textures to break it up and even unexpected visual devices such as metallic insets.

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Mix up the benchtops

Combine more than one benchtop material to bring more interest to the kitchen (and to save on the budget).

You might be able to use, say, a stone-look laminate as the scullery surface or on the back bench and leave a hero product (an engineered stone, or real raw slate, for example) on the island which is far more on show.

Even within a singular material, mix it up. One kitchen Leonie recently completed featured stainless-steel benchtops in different thicknesses – an industrial 20mm plate for the scullery and an elegant, fine 5mm one in the main kitchen.

ABOVE It made sense in this kitchen to differentiate the benchtop that acted as a table from the workbench and using contrasting colours achieved this.

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Get the light right

Everyone knows the importance of achieving the correct task lighting in an environment where people are likely to be working with knives! But that’s only half the story.

Creative lighting, using LED strip under cabinetry, for instance, can enhance the aesthetics of the kitchen, turning it into an object of beauty in the evenings when the space becomes a point of focus. Sometimes you might want lights to make a statement – think, three pendants over the kitchen bench; other times, you may like to choose a slimline fixture that has the same colour tones as the kitchen so it blends with it. “One aspect seldom considered is the actual colour of the light – be it warm or cool, you want to keep it consistent within an open-plan room,” says Leonie.

Double-duty dining

In smaller open-plan rooms, it can save space to incorporate a dining ‘table’ as part of the benchtop.

Or you might like to extend the bench for casual dining while still maintaining a more formal separate dining room. This is frequently done by dropping down the height of the bench and extending its length using either the same or a different material. But, depending on the layout of the room, it can also be achieved by projecting a table from the face of the island. In one compact villa, Leonie created a ‘cheat space’ by attaching a lowered oak benchtop to the island which was wrapped in beautiful European ceramic. P

RIGHT Apartment and townhouse living is growing to become the norm so save space by incorporating a dining table into the kitchen itself.

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Splash palaces No longer the poor cousin to the kitchen, the best bathrooms balance practicality with big, beautiful ideas

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A N OBSESSION W ITH all white is one trend industrial designer Lucan Donovan has seen fade in the 15 years he has worked at St Michel. Lucan is now head of design at this Auckland-based manufacturer of bathroomware and, while white has been somewhat shelved and the gloss has worn off glossy surface finishes, one thing remains constant: homeowners underestimate the complexities of designing and building a bathroom. “Because it’s a smallish room, they don’t realise how many trades are involved and what it takes to get things right,” says Lucan.

Today’s technologies and innovations have also meant an explosion of choice in product selection. “The variety can be overwhelming, so it’s up to industry professionals to guide the consumer in decision making.”

When putting together the fittings, furniture and accessories that make your bathroom a look-good, feel-good space, ask your interior designer for advice and, try not to do what is obvious. “That’s tricky because when something is done right, in hindsight it seems obvious! It’s all about balancing materials and spatial function. You’ll know when you’ve nailed it.”

Accent on aesthetics

Urban Industrial style has its origins in the New York warehouse and, although Kiwis don’t tend to have access to many of those, we have adapted this aesthetic by cherry-picking features as our own. In a new bathroom this could mean teaming aged engineered timber or polished-concrete flooring with subway tiles in black or white and, perhaps, black-aluminium shower doors to mimic the much-in-favour Crittall steel joinery. Using exposed piping is another way to channel the look. Try a ceiling-mounted rainhead shower or a mirror with a matte black or metallic frame. “Some mirrors even come with attached pipework that extends from the top and the bottom and looks like conduit,” says Lucan who has also recognised a resurgence of Colonial Classicism where cabinetry has a tongue-in-groove or simplified picture-frame profile and half-cup handles. F LEFT Whereas once all-white bathrooms with glossy finishes were quite the thing for their clean and sparkling looks, these days the trend is to matte surfaces and the inclusion of dark-toned features.

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Which colour is you?

When Lucan started designing bathroomware in the mid-2000s, there was only white and three different woodgrain laminates to offset it with. That has changed dramatically. Today’s palette is prolific and yet generally, when people talk about using ‘colour’ in a bathroom, they mean personalising it with a mix of timber tones, engineered stone and metal accents. High-pressure laminates that are hardwearing and not porous have opened that avenue of expression to various shades.

Lucan says dark, solid colours are coming into fashion moving from black and ever-popular grey into deep navy and earthy green. These latter two shades are smart yet take us back to the comfort of nature and look just the ticket on cabinetry paired with walnutty timbers.

ABOVE Don’t forget to make a statement piece out of your vanity which is the only piece of furniture in the bathroom that can be customised in a blend of materials to your style.

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All is vanity

As the only actual piece of furniture in a bathroom, Lucan says the vanity unit can really make a statement – so it’s worth investing to say something special. The move is to bespoke design by blending materials, using different surfaces for the top, sides and front. You might play with matte black high-pressure laminate on the top and sides and contrast this with door and drawer fronts in a light woodgrain. Accent strips of metals such as titanium and gold that sit within the negative detail on the vanity front bring a touch of glamour to the picture.

Popular vanity tops include stone and engineered stone.

Carrara or calacatta marble with dramatic veining give a beautiful effect too. Doors and drawers can sit either within the line of the cabinet’s carcass so they are framed by the sides – or over the top of it for a more homogenous, streamlined look. Wall-hung is the way to go to keep the design light on its feet and look out for special features like a unit with a built-in waste bin.

What’s big in basins?

Kiwis favour basins that are large and deep, but Lucan always questions customers who come to view the range on the St Michel shopfloor. “I think it’s a cultural belief that we need deep bowls for hand-washing clothes or the dog!” he says. Usually there’s a laundry tub these days and so he pushes for a shallower bowl which is more suited to a benchtop vessel and has the upside of conserving water. And, yes, benchtop vessels are still top in the popularity stakes. The style is to combine robustness, so they look like a substantial object from afar, with the refinement of a thin rim.

Time for taps

Chrome was everywhere before black and white tapware was introduced about 2014, launching at the Milan trade fair. “Black took off but white never did,” says Lucan.

Taps that combine matte black material, say for the handle, and a shiny chrome spout (or vice versa) are the latest introduction which gives the customer the opportunity to sample the look without full immersion in it. There’s also a massive move to metallics: brass is almost commonplace now but hot off the press are options for tapware in gold, rose gold, copper, graphite, nickel, brushed stainless and gunmetal black. F

ABOVE Benchtop vessels that look substantial from afar but have a fine rim for elegance are on trend.

RIGHT Freestanding baths are not only luxurious but a focal point. Don’t be afraid to jump into them to test-drive their comfort in the showroom.

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Reflection direction

The passion for round mirrors is unabated but pillshaped ones offer the benefit of generally being more slender (so can fit in smaller spaces) while still retaining that fluid form. Lucan likes mirrors with organic shapes.

“I think curvaceous mirrors take the edge off the sharply chiseled geometry of today’s modernist architecture,” he explains. Look for a mirror or mirror cabinet with a built-in overhead task light if you’d like the aesthetic to match perfectly. Mirror frames in powder-coated black metal are trending with copper and brass as an alternative to lift the starkness of the all-black or all-white bathroom.

Light fantastic

Today’s LED technology gives lighting such flexibility.

A bathroom needs task lighting (one that mimics daylight is great for putting on make-up) as well as mood lighting. This can be integrated into cabinetry (some St Michel’s vanities have built-in lights under the top that gives sculptural appeal in the evening but acts to illuminate what’s in the drawers when they are opened).

Then there is smart lighting to consider. “Some systems allow you to change the temperature of the light from warm to cool or the actual colour of the lighting to create different effects – all achievable from an app on your smartphone.” P

Quick-draw design points • Freestanding baths: Don’t be afraid to jump into them at the showroom to see how they fit your body.

• Tiny but mighty: A separate powder room (basically a flash way to say WC) adds value to a home and now there are designed-to-suit mini vanity units with basins which are only 150mm deep so no excuses not to include one.

• Open storage: It might be on trend, but can you curate your life so perfectly forever? We can all create beautiful pictures on Instagram but it may not translate to your lifestyle now and in the future.

LEFT Plan a powder room into your new home or renovation and you’ll be adding value.

There are now mini vanity units that can sliver into the most restricted space.

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ABOVE Side-by-side pill-shaped mirrors take up less space than circular or rectangular ones.

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Town & Country

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The best of two worlds comes together in this home with cuttingedge good looks but grassroots functionality

LEFT Glossy polished floors reflect the furnishings and foliage in this sunny coffee area. ABOVE Shiplap cedar, schist and Espan metal in ‘Flaxpod’ are used in combination to create interest on the exterior. BELOW The schist wall anchors the home to the land and the landscape.

Photography Mickey Ross

CHR IS LEITH IS a Southlander from farming stock so

he likes to speak plainly. When he and his wife Tracey moved from the region to Wanaka, and decided to build, one of his main concerns was beer o’clock. “I wanted to be able to sit outside and enjoy the Central Otago sun without being blown away,” he says. “If I ended up having to drink my stubby behind glass, I might as well have stayed in Gore.”

No worries there. The home the Leiths designed has both shelter and aspect, open-ness and intimacy. And even though they swapped 10 acres for a 700-squaremetre site, they have achieved the perfect balance of seclusion and sociability.

The gently sloping section in Kirimoko Park appealed because a grassy drainage swale used to channel heavy rain away provided ample separation from the neighbours.

Even so, Chris admits, moving to a much smaller site was “a bit of a shock to the system”.

But the Leiths had holidayed in Wanaka for years so, when the opportunity to buy the local David Reid Homes franchise came up, Chris, a trade-qualified builder, jumped at the chance to reinvent their lives. As such, they needed a place that felt immediately like home but also F OUR PL ACE — 63

ABOVE A sliding barn door separates the stepped-down lounge from the kitchen/dining area. BELOW Dulux ‘Castlecliff’, a grey with a warm undertone, makes the living room more intimate whereas elsewhere the walls are painted Dulux ‘Mt Aspiring’.

captured the spirit of being on vacation. They also wanted somewhere their grown-up children – Tyler (28) and Courtney (21) – couldn’t wait to visit. The Leiths envisioned a home that felt right for just the two of them but could adapt to accommodate the inundation of family in the summer break. “We settled on three bedrooms and a fully insulated carpeted garage,” says Chris.

To craft the spaces, the couple was delighted to work with Aaron Jamieson from AJ Design, the son of old friends of the family. He keyed into their wish for something a bit edgy and different, while Chris, with his builder’s hat on, held the course steady intervening when he thought the occasional weird-and-wonderful concept wouldn’t work.

Such an intergenerational sharing of ideas and experience has produced architecture that is innovative yet practical. It’s texturally rich too: a wall of schist is a feature at the entrance and ties in with the prevailing vernacular in the region. “I had that stone lying around in my builder’s yard for many years; it’s big and solid and grounds the house,” says Chris. But there’s also metaltray cladding with a deep profile painted ‘Flaxpod’ that has the dark robustness to echo the mountainous F 64 — OUR PL ACE

THIS PAGE Ginny and Tony Wilkins love to spend time in the outdoor room where a living wall provides some relief against the dark-stained cedar cladding.

THIS PHOTO LookBack Black tiles with a rusted patina are a talking point in the kitchen which has Black Prime cabinetry and a ply edge detail. The connected table is topped with blackwood veneer, and is a good spot to gather when outdoor dining is off the agenda.

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ABOVE Double-glazed low-E aluminium windows keep things snug in winter while on summer evenings, the west-facing deck is well used. OPPOSITE, TOP A Vetralla II freestanding bath takes centrestage in this bathroom where Corten A floor tiles pick up on the weathered kitchen splashback and Absolute Bianco wall tiles have the look of concrete.

landscape, cedar that wraps its warm tones around the box that is the garage and elements of plaster sheet painted white to provide contrast.

This clan of cladding sets up an expectation of something special and the interiors do not disappoint.

Those who come to share in a spot of renowned Southern hospitality often end up in the kitchen, congregated around the island or seated at the table that slots into it.

Invariably guests comment on the unusual splashback – a wall of large-format black tiles that look like weathered steel. Although it elicits many oohs and aahs and draws people to touch it, one visitor was less than impressed.

“When Tracey’s dad first visited, he asked if we were going to be able to get the rust off the steel,” laughs Chris.

There’s a subtle Japanese aesthetic that runs through the spaces, from the Japanese maple that is framed in the picture window in the dining area to the minimal design of the black-and-timber kitchen and living zone.

A wall mural (a black-and-white photograph of a Japanese lady)has even been used behind the bed in the main suite. “Tracey saw that at a friend’s house and fell in love with it. People either love it or hate it.”

Goes without saying that the windows are carefully 66 — OUR PL ACE

placed for slices of paradise to enter the everyday and there’s only one bedroom that doesn’t get the mountainous landscape as part of the package. But the main lounge area, a step down from the kitchen to follow the contours of the land, is more introspective. This can be closed off with a sliding barn door which makes it cosy. It’s painted Dulux ‘Castlecliff’, a timeless deep grey to add delicious drama and is a relaxed hang-out zone, particularly when the Leiths’ grandkids come to stay.

They love plumping into the shaggy sheepskin beanbags to watch TV as much as their granddad!

In the summer, the room, which seems to float above the garden filled with hardy natives, also has access to the main entertainment deck – sheltered and west-facing to catch the late-afternoon sun. Then the Leiths gather with friends to talk about their day spent boating, mountain biking or hiking in the hills. In quieter times, when the winter fun is over, they might retreat to the spa pool and raise a glass or a bottle to the snow groomers doing their thing up on the slopes of Treble Cone. It’s not a bad place to settle after all. Chris’ fears of downsizing were unfounded. As he puts it: “For a town house, it’s blimmin’ good.” P

Practical pointers Chris and Tracey Leith’s pragmatic design tips focus on where to spend and where to pull back on the budget: • You probably don’t need a house to be as big as you think. Bedrooms at 3.2 x 3.2 metres are ample. Also, create ‘flexible’ spaces, for example by ensuring the garage is well insulated and carpeted so it can become a rumpus room, art studio or even an extra bedroom.

• To be more budget friendly, be selective about where you invest in quality materials. For instance, in the kitchen, use solid timbers on surfaces that need to take the knocks (preparation zones etc) but veneers on the doors.

• A cold home is miserable and will cost in energy bills in the long run. Opt for concrete floors which trap the sun’s heat, use low-E double glazing to keep the heat in and install underfloor heating but offset this with solar. A grid-connected 3kW solar system with a battery helps offset the power this house uses in winter with near-free energy in summer.

• You may be tempted to clad the entire home in cedar but for lower maintenance, try a product such as metal-tray which need only be hosed down once a year.

• Automation is a nice to have but only install it where it’s really useful, such as sensor-operated low LED lighting in the hallway for night-time visits to the loo (the Leiths saved by not having any overhead lights in this area).

LEFT A mural of a Japanese lady is the unconventional backdrop to the bed in the main suite.

OUR PL ACE — 67

Luxe lodge

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Moody velvets, stone and a touch of animal instinct keeps it cosy and contemporary

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1 Ankole Cattle Horn curved bowl, $480, Asili.

2 Firth large lamp, $399.99, A & C Homestore.

3 Pebble Indoor/outdoor Alabaster wall sconce, $845, Coco Republic. 4 Buddy wallmount mixer with backplate, $999, Plumbline.

5 Montmarte occasional chair, $2395, Coco Republic. 6 Atollo lamp gold, from $2510, ECC. 7 Echasse vase by Menu, from $390, Simon James. 8 Icelandic sheepskin, $314.99, A & C Homestore. 9 Ripley 2.5 seater, $3195, Contempa. 10 Brass oil burner, $215, Aesop.

11 Brass knurl divide handle, from $249, Powersurge. 12 Moda Dolcedo herringbone flooring, $191/m2, Forté Flooring. 13 Cushions, from $79 each, BoConcept. 14 Italian stone trivet, $276, Mr and Mrs Ward. 15 Balloon vase, $245, Slow Store.

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68 — OUR PL ACE

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Loving the Landscape Don’t underestimate the impact of outdoor spaces on your lifestyle – they’re the master stroke in the design plan

70 — OUR PL ACE

MULTI-AWA R DW INNING DESIGNER Ben Hoyle of Blue

Gecko Landscapes might employ ethereal and artful ideas when entering competitions at international flower shows (he once made an outdoor room in the shape of a giant waterlily floating on a pond) but in the everyday, he’s usually dealing with solutions that are a little more mundane. Like where to hide the wheelie bins with their bright-coloured lids or how to disguise the clothesline.

Believe it or not, these are issues that Ben, who is based on the Kapiti Coast, loves to get his head around when helping homeowners in the planning stages of their new-builds – and the sooner the better.

Historically, landscaping is seen as an adjunct to the architecture but if you don’t integrate this thinking into your plans early on, you can miss opportunities, both big and small. “Even the orientation of a home on a site can be tweaked to make the outdoors more accessible and useable,” says Ben.

Work as a team

Ben considers the outdoors an extension of the home and often takes his cue from the architecture. “The garden is a reflection of the vernacular inherent in the design; elements such as the style, materials and colours drift out into the landscape.” That makes sense. A modern townhouse may suit a minimalist planting palette; a native garden with grasses might be best for a home in the Otago countryside. But Ben also takes his cue from the owners. Gardens are so individual. If your heart is set on a cottage garden against your modernistinspired dwelling, make that move – just ensure you have Mother Nature on your side. Ben suggests a walk around the neighbourhood to see what works and what doesn’t.

Patience is a virtue…

...particularly when it comes to nurturing a garden. It takes years for one to be properly established. When planning, project at least 10 years into the future. That will affect your choice of plants. You want some things (like shrubs and perennials) that make an impact in the here and now but others like trees that will grow to be the structural anchor of the garden. “There’s no point putting in a range of great plants only to be hacking them all down five years on,” says Ben. Any landscaper worth their salt will point out the pitfalls – for example, a tree with roots that will upend your patio or grow so tall as to shade the neighbour and cause friction, or one that will eventually obscure the view. F

BELOW Trees give your landscaping some structure but when planting them project into the future to avoid any problems the roots or their height might cause (too much shade, for example). Establishing a garden takes patience and foresight.

OUR PL ACE — 71

Be a good neighbour

Because residential sites are getting smaller, not only does every square inch count, considering those around us is crucial. The street appeal of a home has an impact on the immediate community so think about how your front garden fits in with the wider picture. Look at what the neighbours have done, what the developer of the sub-division has included in the public areas and what type of council planting already exists. “Good planting can pull a house into the landscape,” explains Ben. “Those first impressions are so important. As a visitor, they make you want to get out of the car - or not.”

Think ‘best dressed’ for the boring bits

Most people focus on the outdoor entertaining when they approach a landscape designer but do deal with the ‘worst first’ – those necessities of life that have an impact on the outdoor experience. For instance, how will the driveway be incorporated and what will beautify it? Where will people park on the property? Is there space to turn? What about the in-ground water tank (how can that be located judiciously and dealt with)?

The inevitable additions such as clotheslines, rubbish bins, gas bottles, the hose, compost bins, worm farms and outdoor storage all need a practical place to be.

ABOVE How will you create street appeal and a ‘journey’ to the entrance? Here clivia will put on a colourful show in winter while low-growing ground covers have a hint of a Japanese aesthetic that teams with the architecture.

72 — OUR PL ACE

That’s entertainment

There’s a national obsession with outdoor entertaining.

Unfortunately, no-one told the weather gods. These days, architects and designers generally incorporate one or two areas that can be used when the wind or rain sets in, by cleverly planning them into the sheltered lee of a house, areas that are both fully or partially undercover. A landscaper’s role is to make these spaces sing from the practical perspective, so they really drill down into how you use them (do you need a built-in BBQ or a fireplace or both, for instance?) Then they suggest plants to dress the space. “Often you end up with bedroom pavilions adjacent to the entertaining area,” explains Ben. “We work on ways to subtly create privacy so that you don’t have friends looking into your bedroom window.”

Growing your own

Fruit and vegetables that is. Turn back the clock and most Kiwi quarter-acres had a vegetable garden, so the idea is not alien. Having some resilience when it comes to food production is even more appealing, particularly post lockdown. Ben suggests locating a veggie patch so that it is accessible, in raised beds if possible. “If they are too far away, you tend to forget about them and end up with a weed haven at the bottom of the garden,” he says.

Keeping some structure to the vegetable planter is a good idea too, so they still look tidy when not producing.

And, if you think your property is not big enough for fruit trees, here’s a solution: espalier trees (including apples, pears and citrus) on wire against fences and walls to create attractive garden rooms and to ensure your own supply of lemons for the G & T. F

BELOW Covered areas for outdoor dining (west is best for evening entertainment) still need to be integrated with planting. In this coastal home, a raised vegetable garden has been located near to the kitchen, which makes it more likely the cook will remember to pick fresh herbs to add to meals.

OUR PL ACE — 73

Ben’s best performers Plant for impact without too much effort: • Anemanthele lessoniana This gorgeous grass with arching coppertinged foliage looks amazing in drifts.

A fast grower.

• Corokia ‘Geenty’s Ghost’ Silver-grey foliage that sits comfortably in any native planting or can be used as a topiary in more contemporary settings. Tough as they get.

• Dietes grandiflora A beautiful clump-forming perennial where tri-petaled iris-type flowers rest atop verdant green sword-like leaves.

• Leptospermum ‘Wiri Joan’ Perfect for ejecting flowers towards the end of winter. Great for difficult bank areas and coastal locations.

• Lomandra ‘Lime Tuft’ A punch of green without the onerous task of maintenance associated with grasses.

Looks fabulous in every season.

• Loropetalum chinense rubrum The ruby-rich leaves of this medium-sized shrub make it pop when accented against green or silver tones. Spidery pink flowers in spring are a bonus!

• Muehlenbeckia astonii The fine interlacing branches of this native give the most interesting character, especially when combined with larger foliage. Top choice in the coastal belt.

• Phormium ‘Emerald Gem’ One of the most compact varieties of NZ flax with generous flowering. Plant this and the tui will love you!

• Sophora ‘Dragon’s Gold’ This dwarf variety of kowhai is a great source of winter nectar. Hedge it, topiary it or just let it do its thing.

ABOVE Talk to your landscape designer about the role of lighting in your garden. New LED technologies have opened up a world of possibilities.

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See the light

Recent advances in LED technology have made outdoor spaces far more liveable and lights can be used for functionality (strip lights under stair treads for instance) but also to amp up the ambience. This said, we spend far more time indoors than out. “Lighting can also turn a garden from a dark void into a wonderful space to look into,” says Ben.

Repeat after me: there’s no such thing as no-maintenance

Sadly, when it comes to organic, living matter, some form of maintenance is part of the territory. Work with your landscape designer to choose what is best for the climate (no tropicals in Otago, for instance) and the microclimate that is particular to your garden. If you simply visit the plant store to pick up a trailer load of plants and bung them in, you’ll be back the next year to replace what hasn’t worked.

Ben is keen to educate clients about the “right plant, right place” philosophy. “When you have the right plant for the location, your inputs are less. Which will make you love your garden more and means you are more likely to look after it. We all lose heart when these things get away on us.” P

DRYDEN.CO.NZ

Shelter in place Staying safe by staying put was no hardship in this Pukekohe home

76 — OUR PL ACE

The Hamills are busy professionals and Brendon has a 17-year-old daughter who pops in and out at whim. “We designed the home around this with places to spend time together and areas for separation,” says Brendon. They were also at that stage on life’s journey where they needed space for lots of ‘toys’.

The house, which was finished right on schedule just before Christmas 2019, has a T-shaped footprint with the open-plan living, dining and kitchen area facing the view and three garages tucked in behind this on the southern end. The bedroom wing, set at 90 degrees, runs east to west.

“This plan meant that the house wraps around to shelter the evening courtyard,” says Brendon.

Although it might be tempting to spend most of their time in the alfresco zone, inside is superbly connected to the environment too with acres of glazing and a picture window in the living room F

OPPOSITE Brendon and Leonie Hamill couldn’t help but enjoy working from a part of the living room with a view through the immense picture window.

BELOW The L-shaped plan of the house sets up a private outdoor area which is sheltered from prevailing winds.

Photography Tenille Rudsdale/Vanilla Images

THER E’S NO DEN Y ING lockdown 2020 was tough but for Brendon and Leonie Hamill, there was a silver lining: it allowed them the luxury of time to settle into their freshly minted home on Pukekohe Hill and see how it functioned under extreme circumstances. It passed with flying colours.

To be fair, that was not unexpected: the combination of a spectacular location, a layout that embraced their lifestyle and many sumptuous features almost guaranteed it.

The couple had bought the section – a generous 1000-square-metre site with a view north to Rangitoto and an aspect all the way back to the city – in 2016.

Brendon is a franchisee with David Reid Homes and Leonie runs her own interior design studio, so they were well equipped to envision the type of place they needed.

As a first step, they took out some paper and began to sketch.

OUR PL ACE — 77

ABOVE The custom-designed kitchen features ‘Carbon’ Prime wood veneer cabinetry, brass detailing and integrated Fisher & Paykel appliances including the all-important wine fridge.

RIGHT Brass penny round tiles from Tile Depot and Buster & Punch pendant lights provide a dash of drama in the scullery.

FAR RIGHT A black-andwhite palette and undercabinet LED lighting makes the laundry a little bit special.

78 — OUR PL ACE

that rises four metres into the apex of the gabled roof. Brendon: “The house was cleverly located on the site so there are no issues with privacy, but we were also mindful of not blocking the view for the property behind.”

This neighbourliness extends to the material palette. Vertical cedar weatherboards used for cladding are stained Resene ‘Pitch Black’ which key in with the dark-brown exterior of the house next door but still have a sense of individuality. A black corrugated-steel roof gives the dwelling a monolithic robustness akin to a shed and is a nod to the agricultural history of this area.

Leonie picked up on the barn-like theme − but only subtly − in her design for the interiors. Rough-sawn weatherboards on the entrance wall, a window seat and

the rangehood in the kitchen are followthrough elements. But mainly the finishes are a contemporary riff on a classic black-white scheme with walls in Dulux ‘Cardrona’ providing the yin/yang contrast.

Although the bathrooms, with their resort-like opulence and marbled tiles, would be vying for top honours, the jewel in the design crown is most definitely the kitchen. “A kitchen is the biggest item of furniture to come with the house,” says Leonie. “But it’s more than that: it’s a piece of art.” Dramatic in black, the angled island bench has brass inlays which are echoed in the brushed-brass tapware and elegant brass handles that came back from the UK with Leonie on the plane. “I convinced my friend to put the seven kilograms of hardware into F

ABOVE LEFT Brass Dowsing & Reynolds handles were used as luxe details on the cabinetry.

ABOVE RIGHT In the living room, a custom-made artwork is in keeping with the colour theme and the round side tables echo the circular pendants from BoConcept.

OUR PL ACE — 79

“We designed the home with places to spend time together and areas for separation.”

80 — OUR PL ACE

THIS PAGE Full-height tiles turn up the luxury in this bathroom as does the brushed-gold tapware by Phoenix Vivid.

his luggage,” she laughs. She’s adamant they are a statement worth the effort.

For his part, Brendon loves the glimpse of the scullery that can be seen when seated at the dining-room table. Three pendant lights reflect onto a feature wall of shimmering brass tiles that lend the glamour factor to a practical space where the couple can hide any mess while entertaining. “We put the hob into the island bench instead of on the rear wall so that the cook didn’t need to turn their back to guests,” says Leonie.

Such well-considered design moments are what allowed them to appreciate the long days of lockdown. Leonie was thankful for the study nook tucked into the hallway near the kitchen from where she continued to run her business. And Brendon’s favourite moments include

retreating to the media room at the end of the day, a snug space painted Resene ‘Baltic Sea’ with a built-in fireplace where he could watch TV without disturbing the rest of the family.

At Christmas time, the pair filled their picture window with Santa and his elves for the kids in the neighbourhood to enjoy and, once the man himself had visited, spent lazy summer afternoons with friends around the barbecue on the deck. On New Year’s Eve, they lay in bed watching from afar as the fireworks display in the city centre spattered the sky with colour and light.

Of course, they had no idea then what upheaval 2020 would bring. They feel incredibly fortunate that this home on the hill became their everyday escape from the world. F

ABOVE The Raymor freestanding oval bath invites a long soak at the end of the day.

OUR PL ACE — 81

ABOVE A built-in desk with ample streamlined storage makes for work-from-home happiness.

Making a home office work Brendon and Leonie enjoy the flexibility of working from home, and share their tips on crafting the perfect space for productivity…

82 — OUR PL ACE

• A lot of people turn a spare bedroom into an office. Not only is that wasteful but it makes the occupant feel disconnected from the household. Sometimes that’s a good thing but often locating a study nook closer to the action and/or the view is a better option.

• When building new, factor in a small area (just 2 x 2.5 metres) for a study nook. Even an extra wide hallway or landing will do.

• Build in a desk – and keep it simple. A floating shelf long enough to fit two computers side by side is ideal. And because

there are no legs, the look is streamlined and more practical.

• Don’t forget to include storage to hide all that clutter – files, the printer, etc – which is particularly important if the nook is part of an open-plan area. Keeping storage off the floor by using overhead cupboards, will make the space seem larger.

• Good task lighting is crucial.

Use LED strip lights above the work surface, installed beneath the cabinetry, as you would in a kitchen so there’s no need for a desk lamp.

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