RP80[reg]

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.

Copper home design trends 2017

11 July, 2017 by

All that glitters is not gold. Copper became the design trend de jour in 2016. Showing no signs of slowing down in 2017, copper in and around the home has now grown up, becoming more relaxed, natural and inclusive, moving away from 2016’s statement ‘look at me’ approach.

From interior design, to architecture and home exteriors, copper is a luxe accent colour that lifts your home inside and out.

Get inspired for your new home build or renovation, or just add the finishing touches to your home’s interior, with these home design trend ideas from cosy bedrooms and inviting bathrooms, to copper accented exteriors.

Copper in the kitchen

Interior designers made the call early in 2017; this is the year of the minimal kitchen.

Trends see clutter being hidden away, push and pull cabinetry without handles, pots, pans and appliances neatly stowed out of view, hidden storage areas, and slimline benchtops.

Although white will always be popular for kitchens, 2017 sees designers and homeowners favouring softer, more muted colours like greys, greens and blues, and more natural textures and materials, such as wood and marble, moving away from glossy monochrome surfaces.

Instead of last year’s statement copper pendants and accessories boldly contrasted against stark white, copper now blends in to the kitchen, highlighting natural materials.

Like this kitchen above, with its pale wood-grain cabinetry, charcoal tile splashback and copper tapware with exposed pipes over a generous butler sink.

Copper brings a soft warmth to the kitchen compared to the industrial black metal trend, or highly reflective silver, making it easy to achieve a warm and inviting space.

Like this elegant kitchen below. A copper-lovers dream with polished copper cabinets and clever use of black negative space creating instant wow factor. The natural wood parquet floor is complemented by copper tapware and a slim, pale-grey marble benchtop and dove-grey walls.

Copper bathroom trends

With kitchens and bathrooms both being key selling points for a home, cohesion between the two is easily achieved when using copper, from tapware to handles and small accessories, to the entire bath.

2017 sees bathroom colour and material trends echoing the kitchen, turning away from stark white towards more luxurious, darker shades to create a haven – an escape from the hectic outside world.

Like this soothing bathroom below with its inviting copper bath reflecting the natural wood floors, and relaxing sage-green walls.

For budgets that don’t quite extend to the scale of a copper bath or full bathroom renovation, a change to copper tapware, basin, light fittings or accessories can instantly update your bathroom.

If you have painted bathroom walls it’s even easier to affordably embrace the latest bathroom colour trends with dark colours warmed by touches of copper. Like these two deliciously dark bathrooms, with inky wall colours paired with copper accessories, mirrors, tapware and lighting.

Bedroom trends

Bedrooms aren’t missing out on the copper design trend this year either.

Designers are seeing the same muted colour palette, from moody blues through to lighter, yet still muted pastels – washed pinks, soothing greys and nature-inspired greens. These all are perfect colours for warm copper metallic accents. Bedroom fabrics are also showing the same trends, from natural fabrics like linen to lush, textured choices like rich velvets.

Like this Norwegian inspired bedroom with linen bedding in dusky pink and dove grey, natural, pale wood floorboards, and clever copper accents in the lighting, bedside table and accessories.

Copper exterior design trends

Last on the list – but number one for that essential curb-side appeal – is copper’s popularity in home exteriors.

Copper spouting and downpipes add the finishing touch of luxe to your home.

Copper spouting blends beautifully with natural wood cladding and brick exteriors, or makes a design statement against New Zealand’s ever-popular white weatherboard Villas and Bungalows, or newer trend of grey home exteriors.

So even if you’re not building new, or doing a full renovation, it’s obvious why copper is such a popular choice when your guttering needs replacing. No need to change your home or roof colour.

Like this unique Nelson stunner by Bruce Design & Build using Marley Typhoon:

These Ellerslie apartments got the high-end finish with Marley Typhoon also:

This home by Bella Homes in Whangarei blends the classic with the modern:

Marley Typhoon spouting in copper beautifully highlights this cedar clad home in New Plymouth:

Not surprisingly, copper is one of Marley’s most popular colours in the Stratus Design Series^® range, and the perfect finishing touch to achieve that on-trend yet classic copper look that won’t date – without the cost or risk of theft that usual metal guttering has.

Get the look

Marley’s uPVC copper spouting and downpipes are available in Marley Typhoon^® spouting and RP80^® 80mm round downpipe, making copper not only affordable but also extremely hard-wearing.

Since it’s the copper look you want, you can trust Marley’s uPVC copper spouting to handle NZ’s harsh sun to protect from discolouring or tarnishing with age over time. Marley’s uPVC spouting also mean coastal NZ homes can put copper spouting back on your wishlist without corrosion concerns.

Marley is available from leading plumbing and building supply merchants nationwide.

Whangaparaoa stunner

26 May, 2017 by

Spouting: Typhoon^®
Colour: Ironsand
Bracket Type: External
Downpipe: RP80^® 80mm Round Downpipe
Location: Whangaparaoa, Auckland

Black home design trends 2017

2 May, 2017 by

No other country in the world loves black as much as New Zealand does. Some might say we’re obsessed with it. It’s one colour that’s never gone out of fashion in clothing, cars, and sports teams.
And now it’s the turn of architecture and interior design.

Black design inspiration

From statement street-appeal to stylish, sleek interiors, black is a stand-out colour trend in 2017.

It’s the architecture and interior designer’s equivalent of fashion’s little black dress, instantly transforming your home and adding a touch of glamour.

Get inspired for your new home build or next renovation with these black home design ideas, from stand-out exteriors, to sleek interiors.

Black street appeal

The strong black timber cladding exterior of this beach house is balanced with lighter wood decking and pale grey cobblestones. Monochrome outdoor furniture echoes the house’s modern shape and colour scheme.

Mid-century modern gets moody

Black is also making its mark on the Mid-Century Modern trend this year. This trend shows no signs of slowing down in 2017. Taking cues from the 1930’s to 1960’s, this minimalist movement combines grid-like elements and a ‘less is more’ philosophy.

Black in the kitchen

The kitchen above takes direction from the Mid-Century Modern trend, using black to bridge man-made with organic. The black and natural wood cabinetry and island delineate this open-plan kitchen, contrasting against the grid wall of concrete tiles. The paler-wood floorboards direct the eye to the view, with black steel framing the picture window.

Add a touch of industrial

All white and bright at home but missing a bit of drama? Adding black accessories anchors your space without the cost of a full makeover. This kitchen’s industrial-style black pendant lights, black metal stools, and black tapware, provide an affordable way to reflect the trend.

Black bedrooms

A light, bright bedroom like this scandi-inspired haven make black interior walls an inspired choice. The soft, matte black walls make a perfect back-drop for the gold side-table and ornate mirror. Glossy white cabinetry, white-washed floorboards and clean white ceilings and windows frame the black beautifully.

Black spouting for the perfect finish

From modern to traditional, residential and commercial roofing can now be stylishly defined, and underlined, in rich, glossy black.

An innovative design statement from Marley, black is the latest addition to the Marley Stratus Design Series^® range of uPVC spouting and downpipe systems.

Gloss Black is available in Marley Typhoon^®, Stormcloud^® and RP80^® 80mm Round Downpipe systems.

Available from leading plumbing and building supply merchants nationwide.