Property Showcase

from Nelson Magazine - January 2023

My Home

Hillside perfection

Words: Adrienne Matthews

Greg Monahan – Whistling Frog Media

Building on hills has been in New Zealander’s blood from the early days of settlement. This is not surprising considering the magnificent views to be had and sense of spaciousness and privacy that hillside living provides. In 2014 Ann Richardson and her late husband were excited to find a section in Mount Street, very close to the city and with spectacular views north to Tasman Bay and to the surrounding hills. “Being so central and only five minutes’ walk to the city centre in what we knew was a warm and friendly neighbourhood was extremely appealing,” she says. “Tony Karsten, the architectural designer, has designed five houses on the subdivided slope. I was told there were no geotechnical problems with the land which, originally formed by a glacier, is very stable.” Having spent many years working in the building and design industry herself, notably on the joinery side, Ann knew they needed a competent builder to take on the job of constructing their dream home on the hillside section. “I had worked with clients on a number of houses Russell Bruce of Bruce Design & Build had built and I knew how good the quality was,” she says. “When you are installing joinery, it is always obvious when corners have been cut and angles aren’t quite true, but Russell’s construction was always of the highest quality and his customers were delighted with the company’s building process and the finished results.”

Ann’s choice was vindicated. The house went on to win a New Zealand Architectural Design Award, and the kitchen, Best Kitchen in its category in the Master Joinery Awards. Seven years on from the initial build it is, remarkably, a home that still looks brand-new, inside and out, thanks to the quality of materials used and the attention to detail in all aspects of the construction and finishing. “Through my many years in the industry I had seen the pitfalls of using inferior materials that wouldn’t last the test of time and I was delighted to find a builder who understood that in order to achieve a great and lasting result, you simply must use quality materials,” says Ann.

Despite being so close to the city, the home is remarkably quiet to live in thanks to the use of Noiseline Gib® used on the inside of the exterior walls. The views from most rooms are spectacular with floor to ceiling windows and bi-fold or sliding doors opening out onto sheltered patios from the spacious living area, kitchen and two of the four bedrooms.

All internal doors have a solid core which adds to the excellent noise insulation and are sprayed with miratone spray lacquer to make them easy to clean. “These are the type of extra touches that add so much quality to the finish and allow it to be easily maintained to a high standard,” says Ann. The kitchen island is a highly-polished piece of Mongolian granite and the cabinetry in both main kitchen and walk-in pantry is high-spec with softclosing for ease of use. The oak flooring in the entrance, hallway and kitchen is a lovely feature that echoes the exterior’s part wooden cedar cladding and is also easy to keep pristine. Essentially built on two levels, there are also a few steps up to the master suite which dazzles with views on three sides, a large walk-through wardrobe with superb cabinetry and, as elsewhere throughout the bedrooms, directional reading lights in the ceiling.

Both the master bathroom and guest bathroom have programmable underfloor heating and heated mirror demisters for extra comfort. Ann searched far and wide to locate the beautiful Spanish tiling with its mixture of patterns which is a feature on the bathroom floors.

“It was clear from the start of the building process that Russell was highly experienced with hillside builds and his expertise in this area is now seen all over the region with many new builds on slopes being constructed by his team,” says Ann. “His staff were a dream to work with from start to finish. Nothing was ever a problem, and they welcomed my experience and input into modifications of the interior.” “Bruce Design & Build’s fixed price contract meant there were no budget blowouts or unexpected surprises which gave me great piece of mind and I particularly appreciated the close monitoring of every aspect of the building process by a very experienced foreman who made sure everything was exactly as it should be,” she adds. “I particularly appreciate that Russell works with top architects, so you get the benefits of great design along with an experienced operations team who, behind the scenes, make sure that every detail is carried out to perfection,” she says. “I couldn’t have been happier with the finished result. The home is beautiful to live in. It feels airy and light with all day sun on both levels and is spacious while having room for everything needed for easy and comfortable living.”