Keeping it country

A rural outlook and room to grow their little family were priorities for these enterprising newbie builders

THERE’S LITTLE NEED for artwork in Laura and Shaun Andrews’ new home. The rolling hills of Matuku Farm Park fill the windows with lush landscapes − bucolic scenes fit to grace any masterpiece.

The young couple, who moved to Hawke’s Bay in 2016, revel in the incredible sense of spaciousness that multiple connections to this backdrop brings to their first home. After six years of living in a one-bedroom flat, the freedom is exhilarating.

Chickens were part of the picture when they imagined their dream lifestyle and this 3000-sqm block with a glimpse of Lake Runanga could accommodate a whole brood. But the Andrewses, who own a solar installation company, are content with just three, enough for fresh eggs on weekends enjoyed on the breakfast patio, watching on as the wilder birdlife returns to the restored wetlands.

Since the pair work in the building industry, they felt qualified to recognise excellent build quality and a premium service. “But to us this was still a massive investment,” says Laura. “We really needed to feel comfortable.” Local David Reid Homes franchisee Warren Jardine listened and understood.

The brief was for “a Laura and Shaun home”. “We didn’t want cookie cutter, or the boxy group-house feel,” says Laura. Regular meetings gave them their wishlist: unique elements and materials that spoke their design language.

With solar at the top of their list, correct orientation on the land and of the rooms within the footprint was a priority. Panels installed above the garage face north, but internally Warren guided them away from their initial thoughts. “We thought we’d have the kitchen towards the east for morning sun and living to the west,” says Laura. F

Instead, the kitchen, a social hub, is on the western elevation and leads to a covered portico, perfect for casual entertaining. To the east the living room connects with a morning patio where the couple can have coffee in the sun.

Challenging their ideas was something the Andrewses were grateful for. “We didn’t want the team to just do what we said. We readily took on board good advice.”

This give-and-take teamwork, where engaged clients nut out solutions with the experts, always brings the best results, and this double-gabled dwelling on a hill is no exception. Shaun was sold on full cedar cladding, but Laura was not so sure. When Warren suggested mixing it up with a bit of plaster and some dark weatherboard thrown in, it was not only good for domestic relations but the budget too.

Respectful collaboration also brought them through the construction phase. The only hurdle was when an immediate decision was needed on the tint of the windows – and Shaun was out of phone reception. “I thought, OMG, that’s a huge call,” remembers Laura, who consulted with Warren and went with the mid-tone option.

Halfway through the 240-sqm build, it started to dawn on the Andrewses how fortunate they were to have opted for quality over quantity. “The David Reid Homes ‘standard’ was just better. For example, how good the framing timber is and smaller details like the size of the scotia and skirting – or the quality of the carpet,” says Laura, who also enjoyed the flexibility to work with one of her best friends, interior designer Toni Gale of Tones & Co.

Bringing a touch of nature into the home is a theme that is showcased in the kitchen, where Toni helped F select a soft sage green for the island cabinetry and white finger tiles on the splashback – a palette that is transposed in the scullery where the cabinetry is white and the tilework a soothing mottled green.

In the living room, timber battens wrap the windows either side of the built-in fireplace, while alongside the dining room you’d never guess that a seating area equipped with a pair of wooden shelves, where art, books and plants are beautifully curated, was an off-the-cuff feature. “We had to step out the kitchen wall a bit when the space wasn’t quite large enough for the fridge. The builder suggested we put some shelves in the alcove, so it would look like an interesting part of the design,” explains Laura.

Timber accents are also integral to the master bedroom where battens stretch up the wall behind the bed as both headboard and divider and warm up the palette. “The en suite is almost as large as our main bathroom,” says Laura. With his-and-hers showers, there’s no morning bottleneck to negotiate, and tops made from stone offcuts, both here and in the laundry were a balm for the budget.

Now that this project is near completion, apart from the slow but steady planting of hundreds of native trees to tie in with the landscape, the couple, who seldom stand still, have ventured into a second business – marketing a new low-cal soda brand called Sundays Drinks. If that’s not enough to keep them occupied, soon Sage, the springer spaniel, will no longer be the baby of the house. A new human addition to the family is due any day.

“Some evenings when I’m feeding the chickens in the corner of our property and I look back at the house as the sun sets behind it, it feels surreal,” says Laura. But it’s not. It’s just very much a life less ordinary. F

The solar solution

For Laura and Shaun, putting their energy into solar power made good sense. Here they share their tips on how to make it work for your newbuild:

• W hen deciding on an exact building platform, choose an area that won’t be shaded by trees. Trees are fantastic, but not when they are shading solar panels.

• Think about how the panels will look on your roof. If you opt for a flat or gentle monopitch, the panels will likely need to be tilted north – this might not be a look you like, so perhaps a gable is better or even a garage (in a good location) with a pitched roof.

• Solar power provides electricity, so choose as many electrical items in the house as possible, over alternatives such as gas. For example, an electric hot water cylinder or hot water heat pump, as solar power can provide free electricity to those appliances.

• Incorporate solar panels into your budget. If that doesn’t quite extend to batteries, they are easy to retrofit.

• W hen choosing a solar provider, jump online and check out their reviews. There are cowboys out there − but they are usually identifiable by their Google reviews.