Copper Black sets the standard

Living on site during a build is not everyone’s cup of tea, but Marlborough couple Paula Theodore and Graeme Frew embraced a change of plans and appreciated getting to know the property as their build progressed. They, along with guests, now get to enjoy the luxury accommodation and experiences Copper Black has to offer.

Words: Kat Dugan

DAVID JAMES AND PAUL JONES

The kitchen is designed with functionality and elegance in mind. Herb planters are built into the counter bringing the garden inside. Flow is created with sliders leading to the outdoor bbq and lounge area.

When Covid-19 tore through the globe, many were forced to rethink their way of living. For Marlborough couple Paula and Graeme, an event manager and commercial pilot respectively, it meant they had to think quickly about where the coming months, and as it turns out, years, might take them.

We wanted to try to make the best decisions we could at the time,” Paula says. “When your life is continually changing, it challenges your original thinking and perspective of what is important.” Plans had already been drawn for their ‘forever home’ in Fairhall’s Bradleigh Park, with construction due to commence shortly after the first lockdown in 2020. Working closely with architect Alisdair Daines, the couple reimagined their vision, creating a plan that would allow them to share their dream home with others.

In January this year, Paula and Graeme opened their luxury accommodation, Copper Black. Offering three separate accommodation options for guests; Acer Guest Room, Olive Grove Guest Room and the Jasmine Studio, the home provides the ultimate spot to unwind after a day exploring Marlborough. “We built Copper Black in two stages, we built what is now called the Jasmine Studio first, and it was as we were building that we started to experience a few of the supply and demand issues that are now widespread in the building industry,” Paula says. The studio, a self-contained apartment, was initially intended to be used for storage and a studio for Paula’s event and hire company, V-Events Event Management. However, as plans changed, the couple moved into the apartment and watched from there as phase two of the build, the main house, commenced. Builder Gary Shields was responsible for the build, after constructing a previous home for Paula in the centre of Blenheim.

With an unusual amount of spare time on his hands thanks to the pandemic, Graeme got his hands dirty as Gary’s labourer for the build. “That was really cool; one day he would be tidying bolts, doing all the stuff I don’t want to do, the rubbish jobs, and the next day he was doing loops above me up in the aeroplane,” Gary says. “In my previous build the owner was my labourer, but I’ve never had that before.”

Sophisticated guest living.

Graeme’s aeroplane, a WWII V12 Yak3 named Full Noise, is one of a range of unique experiences offered by Graeme and Paula at Copper Black. “This business ties in with our other business, Fighter Flights. Some people specifically come down to fly in the warbird with us and they require accommodation. For golfers, we’ve built our accommodation so that it backs onto the third fairway of Marlborough Golf Course,” Graeme says. “We offer quite a bit other than just a cool place to stay.” That said, one would be forgiven for not wanting to leave the comforts of Copper Black during their stay. When planning the home, Paula and Graeme wanted something special to them, a contemporary, edgy and playful house that reflected their personalities and interests, and which would look after them through all stages of life. Future proofing the home was important, and the couple included a lift to ensure easy access to the first floor master bedroom.

Solar panels and battery storage help with the energy efficiency of the home, with passive heating also playing a part in the design. Upon arrival at Copper Black, a windowless wall of dark tinted cedar greets guests, adding an element of mystery before they make their way inside. “As soon as you drive in you know it’s a bit different; there’s this big black facade, and people have no idea how the rest of the house plays out behind it,” Paula says. “We wanted the intrigue and surprise, and the mystery.” Once inside, a covered three-metre walkway emanates runway vibes, at the centre of which an acer

tree makes a statement before one has even reached the luxurious living area or bedrooms. “The whole place gradually unfolds [once you walk inside], it’s quite fun to see people’s reactions,” Paula says. “Many people actually don’t see the tree right in the middle of the walkway and then on the way out ask when we planted it!” Top of the line furnishings and fittings indoors, alongside a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen and tranquil gardens outside, make for the ultimate boutique resort. Paula sought help from the team at Thomas’s Marlborough to style the home’s guest beds, aiming for a luxurious feel with bedding that tied in with already selected furniture. Thomas’s Homeware’s Jemma Funnell says the team worked with pictures provided by Paula to source just the right mix of bed linen that would fit the purpose of the rooms. “Paula had already purchased rugs for the bedrooms, so what we did was look at the colours from the rug and drew from that,” she says. “It’s not just about colours though, it’s [also] about bringing in that lush feeling with different textures; layers, cushions and throws to achieve that luxurious feel.”

We started by using a white Linen Duvet cover for freshness, our Seneca French Grey bedpread for softeness and a mix of Bianca Lorenne piloowcase and Mulberi cushions to ensure the bed had a real wow factor.

Jemma and the team often work one to one with customers, taking their pictures and vision as inspiration to source products from in store, alongside others sourced especially for the project that are excuslive to Thomas’s.

Another important element to the look, feel and functionality of the property was the Compass Pool, a 9.4 metre Compass X Trainer, was installed by Aquanort

Superior bathroom style and design. Pops of statement features create intrigue.

Pools, who also created a tiled outdoor space using the same tiles as can be found indoors, creating cohesion between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Careful placement of the pool has not only created a beautiful focal point for the home, but has had the added bonus of creating stunning light reflections that add ambience to all angles of the home. Landscaping as they went was an important part of the process for Paula and Graeme, who were able to move into a near-complete home in November last year, around 18 months after work commenced on site.

It’s not just about

PIPES & FITTINGS

“We have built before but this was different. Supplies were really inconsistent, and the cost of supplies kept going up. We were lucky to have Gary to keep the team on track. It took a while but we had to suck it up and just keep going,” Paula says. Living on site while the build took place gave the couple a unique opportunity to experience such things as prevailing winds and sun traps first-hand, and alter their design accordingly as they went. “The build was ever-changing, because the environment kept changing,” Paula explains.

Graeme, Paula and Giffon (the Labrodoodle) delight in the ambience of their new home, built with heart and soul.

Such changes were made with support from Gary and Alisdair, whom the couple had also worked with before. Paula and Graeme have a knack for doing their research and coming up with unique and bold ideas, many of which builder Gary has taken on board for his own home build this year. “There were a lot of firsts for me in this one, everything in this house is top end, really nice. I knew a lot about it already, but I also learned a lot too,” he says. To see their vision come to life and the arrival of the first of their guests after a good couple of years of planning, building, and sometimes waiting, has been the ultimate reward for Gary. “Seeing it all finished, and seeing how happy they are, especially with them having to wait through the lockdowns, and now to have people staying, I’m over the moon that it’s going to work for them,” he says. “They’ve waited a long time to see some guests.” With their unique interests combined, Paula and Graeme have the insight and the connections to offer the ultimate Marlborough experience to their guests. Their hope is that Copper Black will offer the perfect place for visitors to base themselves while exploring the region and all it has to offer when it comes to wine, food, the Marlborough Sounds, and the sometimes overlooked aviation scene.

“My passion is aviation, and Omaka has got a world class Aviation Heritage Centre. The attraction for me is the strong links to aviation here and the way it’s celebrated. Marlborough has a lot more adventure experiences than it takes credit for,” Graeme says. “We offer fights in our WWII V12 Fighter, or you can ride in a twin engined bomber or a choice of vintage biplanes. We also have golf and wine and food packages. “We really want to show people that there’s more in Marlborough, and get them to stay longer and explore. We help them by packaging very cool accommodation and experiences together,” Paula adds.

Soak up the idyllic atmosphere this home exudes and discover more of Marlborough. Book a stay. copperblack.co.nz