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A roomy rebuild in Onehunga

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Louise and Eugene Barry bought their quaint Onehunga, Auckland home in November 2009 when the house was only 112 square metres for 4 bedrooms! But the central location, being close to Cornwall Park and motorways, and the warm and friendly community made up for the size.

With a growing family they simply needed more space, so it was either move or create a larger home on the same site. They opted for the rebuild to increase the size to 270 square metres. Every single interior wall from the existing structure was removed to accommodate the new floor plan. The work took around 8 months.

For the cladding they opted for timber weatherboards which are painted in Resene Silver Chalice with Arctic White joinery.

The roof is Colorsteel® in Grey Friars which works perfectly with the Marley Stormcloud® spouting and RP80® downpipes also in Grey Friars® from the Stratus Design Series®

The Stormcloud® quarter-round profile has clean, strong lines which fit in with the modern yet classic styling. Marley Stratus Design Series® has a 15-year guarantee and excellent UV resistance.

A lot of effort went into ensuring the home was well insulated including Viridian ComfortPlus, a leading Low E performance laminate, for the double-glazed windows.

The interior of the home has a neutral base palette, painted throughout in Resene Black White for walls and ceiling and Resene colour matched Arctic White for architraves and skirting.

The kitchen was designed by Moda Kitchens and the cabinetry is Acrylic soft touch from Laminex which is an anti-fingerprint material. Like so many other homes, their beautiful kitchen is the hub, so the central island lends itself perfectly to being able to still interact with the rest of the family whilst cooking or baking.

Louise and Eugene specifically designed the kitchen with storage in mind and the butler’s pantry is perfect to hide away any clutter (and the craft beer fridge too!). The bookshelves on the front of the island, and on either end of the overhead cabinets, add a nice yet practical feature.

The bathrooms in their home are stunning, with dark grey concrete look tiles utilised with white and timber. Under-tile heating and recessed shelving in the showers was a must, plus mitred edges on tiles throughout added to the lovely finishing.

David Trubridge lights and custom-made oak slats are featured in the central stairwell which is the first thing you see when you open the front door – simply gorgeous!

Louise, Eugene and their two little ones are loving their roomy rebuild, and the peace of mind they have from future proofing with quality products such as the Marley Stratus Design Series®. Great work you guys!

Five tips for building or renovating by the sea

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This recently renovated home in stunning Waiheke ticks all the boxes when it comes to coastal living. A sturdy weatherboard home, a stunning view of the ocean, a pool and plenty of living spaces. After supplying the lucky owners with new Marley Stormcloud® spouting and RP80® downpipes in white, we picked their brains for five tips to having a great coastal home and here they are.

1. Make the outdoor living space a priority

Think about including some functional and inclusive outdoor areas. These will become the centre of any party as you cook or enjoy them. Some ideas might be:

  • An Argentine fire
  • A pizza oven
  • Outdoor kitchen
  • A pool
  • Nooks and chill spots
  • A games area with darts, or pétanque
  • An outdoor dining area
  • A gazebo

  • Having a spot for outdoor dining is essential at a coastal getaway. Just make sure to break up any direct sun so that it’s not too hot during the day.
  • Build these spots for an ideal number, most likely 6 or 8 so they are intimate yet functional. You can use plants and planters to close in spaces to make them cosy.
  • Outdoor fires are mostly illegal now, but if they are a cooking tool, like a pizza oven, councils will often allow them.

  • If you’re lucky enough to have (or fit in) a pool, it’s important to make it blend in with the surroundings. For example, their pool utilises stone from Waiheke helping it blend into the natural rock surroundings.

2. Salt and rust are your enemy

It’s essential that you use durable materials that are rust resistant. This includes stainless steel, powder coated aluminium and uPVC.

  • Marley Stormcloud® spouting and RP80® downpipes are perfect for coastal environments as they are made of long-lasting uPVC which is UV resistant and has a 15-year guarantee.
  • Did you know that the quarter-round Stormcloud® profile is New Zealand’s most popular spouting style?
  • It has clean, strong lines that suits both traditional and contemporary homes.
  • It’s available in white and also Black, Grey Friars® and Ironsand®

3. Think about flooding / storms

Even if your house is well above the tide, you need to make sure everything else is elevated above the possible storm-induced highwater mark.

  • This home is north facing and in recent years they’ve had a dramatic increase in coastal northerly storms with heavy rain. This has prompted them to invest in better-than-adequate drainage to avoid any future flooding.
  • If you do have an area that may be prone to flooding think about practical flooring and emergency drainage (a sump for instance).

4. Frame the view

Think about framing the view, not dominating it. Do it in a way that uses the view as nature’s artwork. This allows you to enjoy the view from many places in your home.

  • White floors, walls and doors allow the view to do the work. Avoid using a lot of colours which will compete with the view.
  • A simple interior with a range of natural timbers, tones and textures will work in harmony with a coastal view.

5. Build an escape from the view

Believe it or not, you will need a break from the sunning sea views once in a while!

  • Build sheltered, shaded inward-looking spaces to occasionally escape from the view.
  • A nook that is dark enough for TV watching during the day allows for a cool escape from the sun.

If that isn’t enough to make you dream of a coastal house for now, or possibly retirement, nothing will!

And if you would like to find out more about Marley Stormcloud® spouting click here.

Or more about the Stratus Design Series® range of colours click here.

Beside the Seaside, Whitianga

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Undisturbed sea views across Buffalo Beach and Mercury Bay attracted Richard and Hannah to buy this Whitianga property in 2018. Stacks of potential for the family home of their dreams! No wonder it won Gold in the Auckland, Northland & Coromandel region of the Registered Master Builders House of the Year competition.

With 20+ years in the building game, Richard (HAMR Home Building Contractors) had a strong idea of what he wanted to build to replace the 1950’s dwelling and take full advantage of the location.

He picked up his pencil and drafted plans for a spacious two-storey home. Designs were developed alongside Studio 77 Ltd and a 9-month build followed.

Now that it’s a reality, the family are even more delighted with the location than they had expected. The extraordinary views are a stand-out from almost anywhere in the house.

Bright and spacious living

From the open plan kitchen/dining/living area, high stud ceilings and huge windows flood the room with natural light and frame the view. They open out to a substantial deck built using FSC certified Kwila with a frameless glass balustrade for a seamless view.

Sliding doors from the living area also open wide to an internal deck with louvre roof for shelter from the elements if needed. Good old kiwi BBQs no matter what the weather.

The furniture throughout is stylish, yet comfortable and inviting, meaning there are lots of spaces to relax and enjoy balmy Coromandel summers. Come winter, they can tuck themselves in with the usual features to keep in the warmth: double-glazed windows, heat pumps and Hotwire electric underfloor heating in the tiled areas.

Family kitchen with entertaining in mind

Our whole family enjoy cooking together and we love entertaining, so we needed a large kitchen to do that.

The island is solid oak – which is mainly used as a servery. The benchtops are pure black granite, with a honed finish – plenty of space to work in. The high ceilings, low hanging pendant lights and red stools at the breakfast bar create a very inviting space.

A walk-in pantry allows the small appliances to be handy without cluttering up the main kitchen. All hardware is Blum soft-close, and Blum Tandembox drawers give a quality touch in everyday use.

A striking exterior

A mix of cedar weatherboards and plastered AAC panel gives a clean-lined, solid appearance. The dark stain of the cedar (Wood-X Foundry oil) against the lighter colour of the plaster in Dulux Whakarewarewa contrast perfectly. Not to mention the choice of black Marley Stormcloud® spouting to frame the whole exterior and connect it to the roof.

As builders we try and specify cedar into all of our houses, if we can. In fact, virtually wherever you stand inside, all you can see is the warmth of timber when looking out

Built to endure the elements

Living just a stone’s throw from the beach, Marley Stratus Design Series® was an obvious choice for the spouting and downpipes.

Being beachfront we don’t have to worry about corrosion or rusting. We specify Stratus Design Series® in almost all the houses we build.

The Stormcloud® spouting profile was chosen for its clean, simple lines. The black colour discreetly ties in with the window framing and True Oak® Corrugate roofing.

Marley RP80® downpipes complete the system and offer the same 15 year guarantee as all products in the Stratus Design Series®.

An escape for the kids

A self-contained area downstairs was designed with their three growing girls in mind. A comfortable place they can retreat to, so they can all have privacy as they get older.
No queues for the bathroom! The kid’s bathroom is built in three parts: the vanity in one room, toilet in the next and bath/shower in another. The vanity has three sets of drawers — one for each daughter.

Future-proofed

The Warwicks had the foresight to prepare for the future. The house has been pre-wired for solar panels to be installed on the roof at a later date. A dedicated circuit in the garage allows for a charging point for an electric vehicle.

A mixture of tropical and native plants, suitably fitting for the coastal location, will develop and grow over the years to come. Many years that the family will be loving their seaside lifestyle, we’re sure!

North Star, Marsden Cove

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54 Stace Hopper Drive is a slice of heaven in the winterless North. It’s a freshly built Westmoreland Homes show home in Marsden Cove, one of New Zealand’s most exciting new marine villages on the shores of Whangarei Harbour. If you long for a relaxed lifestyle with some of New Zealand’s best boating, fishing, swimming and diving hot spots at your doorstep, Marsden Cove could be for you.

Welcome aboard

High vaulted ceilings add to the sense of openness in this generously sized 236 sq metre home. In keeping with the marine environment, the ceilings are constructed using grooved ply to create a nautical feel. The 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and 2 living rooms can easily cope with a growing family and all those visitors you can expect in summertime.

Enjoy the outdoors at all times

A fan of indoor/outdoor flow? The big, double-glazed folding doors open wide onto sizeable decks and out to the large 740 sq metre flat section. Westmoreland Homes have been quite particular in specifying products that require little maintenance and can withstand the harsh coastal environment. That’s why they used a decking material made from 90% recycled timber and plastic, which requires little care.

Cook up a storm (and hide the mess)

This great looking kitchen will always stay that way. We love a kitchen that can hide the dirty dishes out of sight in a roomy scullery like this. There is heaps of bench space, great storage for appliances and crockery, and there’s even a wine chiller.

You’ll love the details

It’s the considered details that can really make a home special. And 54 Stace Hopper Drive has original details aplenty:

The exposed feature trusses are real design feature to set the home apart…

There’s the over-wide hallways and over-height doors which create such a sense of space and light. The hallway ceiling has special LED lighting with built-in night lights…

The installation of Methven water-saving showerheads, and the inclusion of the handy shampoo shelf…

The use of Marley Stratus Design Series® Stormcloud® spouting and RP80® downpipes in black to give a crisp and stylish edge to the exterior.  The gloss black finish works beautifully with the Mt Hikurangi light grey used on the pine weatherboards. And did you know that versatile, quarter round Stormcloud® is New Zealand’s most popular spouting style?! Plus, it’s absolutely perfect for coastal locations because being uPVC, there is no chance of rust.

Oh, how that gloss black shines! ?

The smooth lines…

Want to create this look for your home?

Then it’s time you visited 54 Stace Hopper Drive at Marsden Cove and take notes on how to recreate this style. Then visit our stockists page to find the plumbing or building branch closest to you so you too can order Marley Stratus Design Series® Stormcloud® spouting and RP80® downpipes in black!

Road trip to Richmond

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Though they had never been to Nelson before – when purchasing their next renovation here, Alice and Caleb were confident that this location would be well worth the road trip! When they were scouting out Nelson, anyone who spoke about the location had the same response – people loved it.  Nelson is known as a town surrounded by stunning natural landscapes – lakes, mountains, rivers, native bush, beaches and promising plenty of sunshine. With a pace that is slow enough to enjoy the simple things in life – strolls along the many beaches, backyard BBQs with neighbours and a good flat white at your local. But a growing and developing town, with plenty of thriving local businesses and an easy place to fly in and out of.

A 100-Year-Old Diamond

From the first time they spotted this house’s listing, it stood out. Built by a local builder in 1910’s, it was full of potential – a flat faced villa with a central hallway, high studs, and the lean-to extensions added over her 100-year life. Three roomy bedrooms and an airy front living room, with the kitchen and dining room opening onto a big outside area, screaming for some attention and the chance to create some great outside living spaces. From the front veranda, you can look out to the Richmond Hills and enjoy all-day sun.

Living in a Renovation

Alice and Caleb, along with their two children Alek 5 and Mika 3 moved in and started renovating. The strategy was to renovate two rooms at a time containing all of the renovation mess into one place. It allowed them to be productive, in seeing a whole room was completed before moving on to the next project. The huge benefit in this approach is having time to live in the house and consider the flow and feeling of the house. Knowing how you live in a house, makes it easier to design and renovate.

Old World – New World

Alice and Caleb consider it a true privilege to be able to give new life to a house with so much history. The design and workmanship of the last century is still impressive today, so the objective is to add elements that enhance the features of the old villa while still giving it a fresh modern look. Wallpaper provided the perfect way to do this, using patterns that were inspired by the trends of the past but designed to be on trend in 21st century.

First Impressions Last

The entrance to their Diamond was an opportunity to add a design statement and make a strong first impression of the house. They painted the exterior “Umber White”, the trims and fretwork “All Black”, the concrete porch and roof “Grey Friars” and the front door a strong pop of “Coral Tree”. Then they replaced all of the spouting with Marley Stormcloud® spouting and RP80® downpipes in white. The versatile quarter-round spouting profile with clean, strong lines suits the traditional exterior but also gives a modern look. Not to mention, it will serve this old beauty well into the future!

We have people in the neighbourhood constantly stopping us to thank us for giving the villa it’s new look, it has made an impression and a nice exterior doesn’t just impact your house but the whole street.

Full Time Renovators

After years of doing renovations in weekends and weeknights – this house has been renovated with Alice and Caleb’s full attention and DIY skill set. Alice single-handily hung most of the wallpaper in the house and took charge of the interior design and planning. Caleb has developed his DIY skill set, to now include cabinetry making, kitchen installation, tiling, floor sanding and installing new spouting and downpipes. Caleb says

replacing the spouting for your whole house is easily achieved in a weekend and is a straightforward DIY task with the correct planning and tools.

To watch Alice and Caleb’s how to video – click here.

This house has been renovated to sell, but also renovated to last. With the new uPVC spouting and downpipes, upgrade to the electrics, addition of gas for water heating and cooking, unovent system, heat pump and floor and ceiling insulation – Alice and Caleb hope this house has another 100 years of life in her yet!

About Alice and Caleb

Alice and Caleb are expert renovators, having completed 9 house renovations – with their winning renovation on the Block 2013 being what they are most known for. They started 9 years ago when they purchased their first home together, with a project on their hands and no DIY experience. But since then their passion for projects, property and learning has only grown.

Alice and Caleb are currently in the middle of their Renovation Road Trip. Having left their jobs, packed everything into a car, they set off to travel around NZ doing renovations. The concept being that they are taking time off from normal life to do something completely different. Buying a house that needs a makeover in a completely new town, travelling the country to get there, renovating it, selling it, and sharing the story and their life as they go – all the time with 2 kids on board for this adventure. They have finished up their previous project in Alexandra, Central Otago, and this is their 10th renovation in Richmond, Nelson. They share this journey through their website and social media channels, Pearson + Projects.

Social Accounts
Facebook @AliceandCaleb
Instagram @PearsonandProjects
Pinterest @PearsonProjects
Website www.pearsonandprojects.com

Beachlands facelift

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With the arrival of baby number two, Neil and Marsha were in need of more space. Having sold their St Heliers unit, the pressure was on to find their new family home.

After searching for months but losing out at numerous auctions, they finally spotted their future. A 1960’s state house in Beachlands.

“It was far from perfect and was literally a house dropped onto an undeveloped section,” says Neil, “but we weren’t afraid of rolling up our sleeves and knew with some hard work we could create something special. We prepared ourselves for a battle at the auction and we won!”

The house was relocated by the previous owner. Although they’d completed interior renovations and added a concrete driveway, the exterior needed a lot of work to transform it into the family home Neil and Marsha saw the potential for.

How the house looked before the work started:

How the same area looks now:

Outdoors magnified

“We spent a lot of time planning the outdoor areas,” says Neil, “Because our house is small compared to most new builds, we wanted to really optimise the flow between structures and spaces, thinking about play space and entertaining space for the kids, and creating an outdoor extension of our open plan living.”

Neil and Marsha have amassed an impressive list of exterior improvements since purchasing the property in 2015, including building the garage, adding a rear fence, completing extensive landscaping, adding retaining walls, 65 square metres of decking, and repointing and painting the roof.

The biggest challenge along the way was dealing with the weather. The soil is predominately clay and was hard work wet or dry.

New space from nowhere

The substantial retaining wall built along one boundary of the section gained an additional 2 metres of decking and garden space. The newly built garage was positioned close to the house and given a complementary colour scheme to match.

The extra-large 65 square metre decking area in hardwood wide board Vitex was positioned to maximise privacy, shelter and sun, and the new addition of the pergola added sun and rain protection for use as an ‘outdoor lounge’ all-year round.

“We intentionally planted mostly in natives,” says Neil. “We engaged with a landscape designer before getting started to get another perspective and adopt best practices in landscape design.”

The outdoor decking area with integrated gardens and retaining wall is now their favourite part of the house: “We just love sitting on our outdoor sofa and being surrounded by so much lush planting and earthly colours.” says Neil.

Funds permitting, Neil and Marsha plan to install new bi-fold joinery off the dining space to connect to the covered deck area.

Hidden surprises

After moving in, the discovery of massive roof space was put to great use for storage by installing attic stairs for ease of access.

Neil and Marsha were also delighted to find just how well positioned the house was: “Our living spaces are really light and sunny,” says Neil. “Two of the three bedrooms get all day sun, and the sunsets are incredible.”

Cool colours

Attracted to the modern colour scheme of greys with white joinery, Neil and Marsha chose to continue the striking monochromatic colour scheme for the exterior landscaping, combining Resene Grey Friars and black for the fencing.

This matched the existing charcoal grey, concrete tile roof and timber weatherboards in Dulux Whakarewarewa. Framing the house are white eaves and stained black baseboards.

The perfect finish

The recent addition of the brand new Marley Stormcloud® spouting in glossy black, makes their home one of the first in the country to have Marley’s latest colour addition to the Stratus Design Series® range. Black is now available in Marley Stormcloud® and Typhoon® spouting, and RP80® downpipes.

Our old spouting and downpipes were white which made the home feel a bit dated. We believe the black has truly transformed the modern look and style of our home.

“With rainwater our only supply of water and water safety imperative for our family, we went with Marley uPVC because it was certified to potable water standards. Being only 700 metres to the coast durability was really important also as we didn’t want to risk corrosion or rusting over time from metal spouting.”

Stormcloud’s quarter-round profile was chosen to suit the architectural style of the 1960s home, with the added bonus of being the perfect solution to the constraint of the house’s short fascia boards.

Lessons learned

When asked what advice Neil would give others looking to undertake a similar project, he said: “Plan, plan, plan but have plenty of fun in the process. Be open to new ideas and where possible prioritise good building materials, quality plants and great tradespeople.”

A special mention goes to James Hall, from Halls Contracting Limited. James built the deck and pergola and Neil and Marsha were particularly impressed with his workmanship.

The biggest lesson of all? “Always listen to your wife,” says Neil.

 

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