RP80[reg]

Best on show

6 September, 2019 by

2 Pinto Road in Pukekohe has brilliant street appeal. And that’s just one of the reasons it has been a much-admired Universal Homes Showhome and a winner in the Auckland House of the Year Awards 2019. It’s 130 square metres of carefully planned, thoroughly modern living space.

Forward thinking design

Avery Architects have designed this three-bedroom, two-bathroom home that will serve its new owners (and that may be you) well into the future. It’s energy efficient with double glazing throughout, excellent levels of insulation and it’s ready for high-speed fibre installation.

It makes quite an impression

Once through the bright orange front door (it’s keyless entry so you’ll never lock yourself out) you’ll be surprised by the amount of space. The open plan living, dining and kitchen area is light, bright and roomy and is very much the hub of this family home.

The kitchen is very well equipped with a centre island, Westinghouse oven, induction cooktop, soft-close drawers, extractor fan, and stove splashback.

A well-protected investment

The secret to building a low maintenance home is to keep the weather out. And the materials specified for this home do exactly that. The roof is long-run Colorsteel^®, the cladding is Linea^® Weatherboard and the Marley Stratus Design Series^® Typhoon^® spouting and RP80^® downpipes in Ironsand^® are made from super tough uPVC.

Ironsand^® was a great colour choice with the lighter grey cladding – it can be described as a warm dark grey. Ironsand^® is very popular in New Zealand, and rightly so.

Marley Stratus Design Series^® products come with a 15 year guarantee and are proudly made in New Zealand.

To find out more about 2 Pinto Road, Pukekohe visit www.universalhomes.co.nz

Outstanding in every way

6 September, 2019 by

No. 2 Killick Place is a very impressive, stand-alone family home in a brand-new development in North Shore, Auckland. It is currently a Universal Homes Showhome.

So impressive, in fact, that it was an award winner in the Auckland House of the Year 2019. If you love the beach or the bush, then this is the perfect location for you. Fabulous Long Bay Beach is a just a walk away and the Okura Scenic Reserve with it’s amazing birdlife.

Living room and then some

This is a home that doesn’t stint on space. The upstairs downstairs configuration means there’s heaps of room for a growing family: four generous bedrooms upstairs with a large family bathroom, and a massive ensuite off the master bedroom complete with its own walk-in wardrobe.

Downstairs, its open plan living on a grand scale. The lounge, dining and family areas are awash with natural light from the huge expanse of windows. All double glazed, of course. And centre stage is a wonderfully appointed kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances. Large sliding doors effortlessly let the outside in and give easy access to the patio and lawn.

Easycare from top to bottom

Isthmus Group Architects have designed this home for easy living. External cladding is a combination of low maintenance, vertical cedar and Linea weatherboards. The mono pitch roof features long run Colorsteel^®. And the home’s crisp lines are highlighted by Marley’s Stratus Design Series^® Typhoon^® spouting and RP80^® downpipe in black. Both of which are made from high quality uPVC which means it won’t rust – so important when you are close to the sea.

We really like the mix of light and dark tones for the exterior and the choice of the black spouting and downpipes to match the joinery works beautifully.

If you’re looking for inspiration, take a good look at No.2 Killick Place, Long Bay. It’s on show right now. See www.universalhomes.co.nz for opening hours.

Sentinel Homes, Millwater

17 May, 2019 by

Spouting: Typhoon^® half-round
Colour: Titanium
Bracket Type: Internal
Downpipe: RP80^® 80mm Round Downpipe
Location: 2 Colonial Drive, Millwater

Horse heaven in South Auckland

5 April, 2018 by

It’s not often you see a person’s passion intertwine perfectly with where they live. But at Pintala in the South Auckland area of Waiau Pa, Nick Bates has achieved exactly that.

After spending some years in the States where he developed a great admiration for Pinto horses, Nick sought to build a home on a property that allowed him to indulge his passion for the breed while still working in real estate in Pukekohe.

No detail overlooked

Nick spent 3 months searching for the perfect spot and his perseverance paid off. Pintala is on a beautiful site in rural South Auckland with views over the Manukau Harbour, out to Awhitu Peninsula, the Waitakere Ranges and even the city lights in the distance.

I just love living here. The views, the sunrise and sunset are stunning. I even have ROW access to the water for beach rides. And I’m close to work. We couldn’t be happier.

Cape cod on the Manukau

The only thing on site when Nick bought it was an old stock shelter, so he pretty much had a blank canvas to begin with. Nick had firm ideas on what he wanted; a rustic-contemporary look, lots of black with white highlights to capture a Cape Cod feel, and most importantly he wanted to live in a home surrounded by equestrian facilities.

I wanted it to be simple in design and to function effortlessly. I didn’t want a glitzy show home, I wanted a working, practical home that also looked good.

Marley Stratus Design Series^® in Ironsand^® was an obvious choice when Nick was deciding on a complimentary spouting system.

Keeping it local

Nick made a point of using local tradespeople and they didn’t let him down. Sam Crisp had a particular knowledge for building lifestyle buildings and Customkit were a key part of the team. Their close working relationship with Nick and excellent communication kept the stress levels to a minimum.

In keeping with the rustic look and keeping in mind the coastal location Nick wanted wood wherever possible. Board and batten exteriors are used on the cottage, implement shed, and horse barn, all coated in Resene Blackjack CoolColour, which will softly weather and give a permanence to the buildings. The roof is Colorsteel^® Endura Corrugated Iron in Thunder Grey.

Everyone who visits is in awe of the detail, layout and facilities. All of which really do complement the amazing location.

Building for the long term

Pintala is one of those properties that will continue to get better with age. Building with sustainable timber, installing LED lighting and energy saving double glazing all help minimise the property’s impact on the environment. A great deal of planting has also been done, this includes grasses and ground cover, and numerous native plants especially chosen to cope with the coastal location.

The nearby beach was a factor in the choice of spouting and downpipes as well. The Marley Stratus Design Series^® was suggested by Customkit because of the fact that it doesn’t rust, is UV resistant, carries a 15-year guarantee and has a great range of colours.

The Typhoon^® spouting profile, in Ironsand^®, was picked by Nick because it suited the board and battern exterior. The external brackets suit the traditional style of the house and also make the spouting very easy to clean.

When asked what he would change if he was to do it all again. Nick replied: “Not a thing!”

That’s a sure sign of a job well done!

A big thank you to Customkit for the editorial information and to John Mailley for the photography.

Villa magic in Sandringham

14 February, 2018 by

After six months of searching, property developers Daniel and Kate found exactly what they were looking for; a 1900’s Villa with good bones on a flat section in a great location in Sandringham.

The Villa was looking it’s age yet was in a family friendly street that had instant appeal to the parents of 5 year old Kourtney and 18 month Justin.

“It’s in a safe, quiet street. There are lots of kids about and it has a lovely old Kiwi feel where everyone is relaxed and friendly. The neighbourhood is also home to several good restaurants and bars so we don’t have to go far for the occasional night out!” says Daniel.

From modest beginnings

The initial plan was to simply add a 4 metre lean-to extension to the rear of the house but that soon changed. Daniel and Kate did a major on it. Half of the existing house was removed and what remained was completely gutted.

They ended up keeping what they liked; the high ceilings and the central hallway, and redesigning the rest so that it fitted with the needs of modern family living.

“We’ve ended up with a spacious 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom Villa with open plan kitchen/dining/living at the rear of the house. From the street it’s still a Villa, but inside it’s very much a 21^st century home.”

To accommodate the extra space Daniel and Kate built a massive 7 metre x 9 metre extension to the rear of the house. And rather than having a traditional flat lean-to roof they opted to fabricate new trusses which enabled them to retain an A frame style roof and generous 3.1metre height ceilings.

Tradition with a twist

One of the downsides to owning a Villa can be the lack of interior light. So we made sure that we maximised natural light and added energy efficient LED lighting where possible.

To enhance the light and freshness of the interior, Dulux Te Apiti paint was used on all walls apart from the children’s rooms.

Dulux Waimanga Valley was used in Kourtney’s room. Coupled with a pink chandelier and striped wallpaper, this is truly a space fit for a princess.

And Dulux Hari Hari for Justin’s room – it’s calm and soothing which is just what you need for a 2-year old sometimes!

The master bedroom is stylishly decorated in light tones, and being the room at the front of the house, it has a beautiful bay window which drenches the space in light.

The bathroom is tiled in a light grey marble with a gorgeous freestanding bath that sits under the traditional sash window.

All the rooms are meticulously finished and the styling is modern yet respects all the traditional features of the home. Perhaps you’d call it modern classic!

In keeping with tradition Daniel and Kate chose a dark grey and white exterior colour scheme with Dulux Maraetai for the weatherboards and Dulux Classic Vivid White for the frames and trim.

Colorsteel^® Grey Friars roofing and matching Marley Typhoon^® spouting and RP80^® downpipes completed the picture stylishly.

We went with Marley because of their wide range of styles and colours. We particularly liked the fact that Marley Typhoon^® gives you the option of internal brackets. They not only look great but also suit the character of the Villa.

Daniel and Kate are also early adopters of the innovative new rain harvesting product, Marley Twist^®. It’s a compact rainwater diverter that turns your downpipe into a free source of water for watering the garden, topping up the pool, general cleaning or emergency use.

Twist^® can be easily installed on existing or new PVC downpipes and can quick connect to a collection tank via any standard garden hose fitting. A simple “twist” on-off control lets you access rainwater from your downpipe as and when you need it. Twist is designed to connect a single downpipe to a small collection tank of up to 1,000 litres however Daniel and Kate have opted for a handy 300L tank.

Good things take time

Daniel and Kate resisted the temptation to plant an instant garden. Instead they have gone for a range of plantings that while taking time to grow will really suit their location and compliment a 1900’s Villa.

They used Buxus for border hedging and Lily Pillys to add privacy to the backyard where you’ll find the children’s playground and large deck and BBQ area.

Family comes first

Even though Daniel and Kate have laboured for 8 months to build a wonderfully luxurious and almost completely new family home, they’re certainly not precious about it.

The kids are free to use the long hallway as a racetrack on their bikes and roller skates and just be kids.

As Kate says: “It’s a family home and it’s to be lived in. Floors can be sanded, walls can be repainted. Good memories in a loving and warm home will last a lifetime.”

Classic in Te Awamutu

12 September, 2017 by

Located 30kms south of Hamilton, Te Awamutu is often referred to as ‘The Rose Town of New Zealand’ because of its elaborate rose gardens in the centre of town.

Te Awamutu is also home to a brand new house built by Daniel Kraayvanger and the team at DK Designer Homes.

The finished home has a timeless, classic look, with shingle roof, plastered walls, deep window reveals, and copper lighting and spouting. This entertainer’s delight also features a games room and in-ground pool.

A design challenge

The biggest challenge from a design perspective was fitting a 370m² house, plus a separate 34m² games room, on an irregularly shaped, 3,200m² rural section.

The 10m setbacks on all boundaries allowed for a limited building platform.

It helped that the house was able to be positioned on site to maximise the north orientation, with outdoor living areas, the games room and the pool all located to make the most of the sun.

None to done in one

“The owner had a very clear idea of what they wanted from the outset and had done extensive research over a long period of time.” Kraayvangar says.

“It was particularly helpful for the designer and builder that they had had an extensive image library of what they were after.”

Plans were drawn up one year out, and the build was achieved from woe to go in just 6 months, transforming the empty site to a beautiful new home.

When we asked the owner if he would have done anything differently looking back on the process, he told us “No, we wouldn’t. We love it just the way it is.”

Entertainer’s delight

Clever exterior layout and design, using a covered outdoor entertaining area within view of the inviting pool, gives the owners the ultimate flexibility to make the most of their easy-care outdoor areas all year-round.

With the Waikato region offering warm, humid summers and mild winters with prevailing winds from the west and southwest, the siting of the house, planting and fencing, provide protection for the outdoor living areas in most weathers.

The 30m² covered outdoor living area, complete with outdoor gas fire, provides maximum opportunities for outdoor living in all but the most inclement weather, further enhanced by the 20m² covered barbeque area to the Games Room.

Aqua oasis

The undercover paved patio, combined with extensive north-facing tiled areas, maximise comfort no matter the weather.

All the better for enjoying the generous in-ground pool in eye-catching aqua, complemented with the large pale tiles in the same colour as the cladding.

The owner knew the type of pool and shape he wanted, and with the help of building consent drawings from a structural engineer, DK Designer Homes turned the owner’s dreams to reality.

The finishing touch of glass balustrades for the pool fence avoided visually cutting off the pool from the house, adding to the expansive resort feel.

Clean lines

CavityClad, an autoclaved aerated concrete panel cladding system, was used on the exterior, with the plastered finish painted Resene Double Thorndon Cream. Battened plywood soffits to the outdoor living areas were stained.

The roofing is CertainTeed asphalt shingles on a plywood substrate, supplied and installed by Bay Pacific Roofing of Tauranga, in colour Landmark Weathered Wood.

The clean, classic aesthetic was continued indoors, with the interior of the house painted Resene Alabaster, with wallpapered feature walls, and the walls to the interior of the Games Room painted Resene Half Truffle. The ceiling, doors, architraves and trim are Resene Alabaster.

On-trend copper

Stylish copper feature lighting adorns the exterior, with bronze water features and large pots making a design statement against the paler exterior cladding.

Marley Typhoon^® spouting and RP80^® downpipes in Copper, part of Marley’s Stratus Design Series^® range, continues the on-trend copper features of the home.

“The client liked the ‘copper look’ without the cost of real copper” Kraayvangar said.

Marley copper uPVC spouting and downpipes also suited the timeless, classic style of the home.

Marley’s Typhoon spouting reduces maintenance while still getting the elegant copper look without the risk of theft of metal copper spouting.