Clearing up the trash
Kate Fenwick explains how to navigate the national standardising of recycling rules.
Kate Fenwick explains how to navigate the national standardising of recycling rules.
As you may have heard, recycling rules have changed, and a new nationally standardised system for kerbside recycling was implemented on February 1. This confused many people, who had no idea changes were coming, what these changes meant, or even why they were implemented in the first place.
So let’s break it down. What is standardised recycling, and how does it affect your household?
A bit of background
Until January 31, 2024, some council contractors were only accepting number 1 and 2 plastics, while others were accepting all plastics numbered 1 through 7.
However, just because councils were collecting all these plastics doesn’t mean they were actually being recycled. Some plastics are low-grade, which are not cost-effective nor easy to recycle. Essentially, lots of products were ending up in landfill because there were no other options for them at the end of their useful life.
Why standardise recycling?
The simple answer is that all councils nationwide are now expected to collect the same products. This makes it so much simpler for the consumer, because regardless of where you live, if you go on holiday, or if you move house, the rules will all be the same. As a waste-free educator, I travel all over New Zealand, and in the past, recycling rules could be different for two towns that were right down the road from one another – totally confusing.
Standardisation not only makes the situation less confusing, it also gives businesses and manufacturers more clarity about what will be accepted on a national scale and through our kerbside household recycling bins. This is really important because up until now there has been no influence or pressure on businesses to do the right thing and use plastics that can be more effectively recycled. Standardisation will encourage brands to phase out bad packaging options that can no longer be collected, such as plastics numbered 3, 4, 6, and 7.
The move to standardisation also means that hopefully, more products will be recycled here in New Zealand, and there is less need to send them offshore or landfill them.
So what’s actually accepted for recycling now?
Here’s a simplified list of what you can recycle in your kerbside bin, wherever you are in New Zealand.
Plastics numbered 1, 2 and 5: The basic rule here is a plastic bottle, tray or container that is used once to store food or products for your kitchen bathroom or laundry. Not buckets, Tupperware, or any reusable plastic products like drink bottles or kids’ toys.
Pizza Boxes are now in: But you need to make sure there is no leftover pizza or excess food or sauce stuck to the box. If there is, then pull the box apart and put the clean part into the recycling bin, and the dirty part into your rubbish bag/bin to go to landfill.
Paper and cardboard: But no coffee cups, liquid food containers like alternative milk/long-life liquid cartons, chip canisters, paper towels or tissues, shredded paper, or food-contaminated paper like the wrappers from your fish and chips.
Tin cans and aluminium cans: These should be well rinsed with no food left in them. No tins over 4 litres, no paint cans, no bottle caps, no pots and pans, no aerosols, no aluminium foil.
Glass bottles and glass jars only: No broken mirrors, windows, lightbulbs, glass bottles or jars used for medicine, glass cookware or drinking glasses etc. These are made from a different type of glass to your standard glass bottle or jar, and cannot be recycled. And please no broken glass at all, for the safety of the workers at the sorting plants.
And the last few guidelines – no lids, nothing smaller than a yogurt pottle (including no yogurt pottles themselves, because they are a number 6 plastic), and all products need to be well rinsed, otherwise they are not going to be accepted as they are food- or liquid-contaminated and then become hazardous.
White out
Getting your whites right is crucial in creating the right atmosphere for your home.
Getting your whites right is crucial in creating the right atmosphere for your home.
styling Amber Armitage @ MARIGOLD
photos Wendy Fenwick @ Flash Studios
wall colours resene paints
The best way to make sure you're choosing the right white is to either order an A4 drawdown paint swatch or paint a testpot in the room you are wanting to paint. Remember to try it in both well-lit and darker areas of the room as it will look very different depending on the light.
PIC ABOVE: Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Designer White and floor painted in Resene Walk-on in Resene Alabaster. Floor vase painted in Resene Spacecote Flat in Resene Alabaster (stylist’s own). Wavy floor standing mirror, $989 from Danske Mobler. Painterly Impressions original painting by Calla Wu-Zheng, $600 from Endemic World.
Resene Black White (walls) is a calcite grey white, chalky and soft. Resene Alabaster (floor) is a near white with a light blackened edge.
PIC ABOVE: Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Black White and floor painted in Resene Walk-on in Resene Alabaster. Chair and lamp base painted in Resene Lustacryl Semigloss in Resene Black, vase painted in Resene Spacecote Flat in Resene Alabaster (all stylist’s own). Malena console table in black, $239.99 from Mocka. Batu Hemp String 47cm floor lamp shade, $129 from Lighting Plus. Formation Black 2 framed artwork, $999 from Danske Mobler. Dior Catwalkbook, $129.99, and The Art of Kinfolk $194.99, both from A&C Homestore.
When you’re decorating, there are a myriad of whites and off-whites from icy bright white, through to clotted creams and delicate ivories, all with varying touches of yellow, green, brown or grey, to turn them into a huge cast of interesting shades.
Resene Designer White is a cool blue white, frosty and austere, styled and smart.
PIC ABOVE: Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Designer White and floor in Resene Walk-on in Resene Alabaster. Lamp (stylist’s own) painted in Resene Dream Big. Betti Bobbin tallboy in ice blue, $419.99 from Mocka. Winter Beach framed print, $899 from Danske Mobler. Thea wide vase medium, $129.99, Lani vase large, $139.99, Little Book of Vivienne Westwood, $29.99, Emu Southbank slippers, $129.99, Stonewash Cotton duvet in white king, $189.99, Stonewash Cotton pillowcase pair in pine mini stripe, $49.99, and white, $49.99, Vittoria Linen Lumbar Cushion in mist, $119.99, Cyprian Cushion in oatmeal, $159.99, and Salina linen throw in thyme, $169.99, all from A&C Homestore. Haven sheer curtain in cloud, from $99.99/pair from Curtain Studio.
Nestled into nature
Shared family living can heighten the desire to move to the country. Avocados here increase the incentive, but separate living quarters also offer other options.
Shared family living can heighten the desire to move to the country. Avocados here increase the incentive, but separate living quarters also offer other options.
words Jo Ferris | photos Boundless Vision
Whakamarama is sought after within Western Bay of Plenty. It’s far enough from the bustle of Tauranga city, yet near enough for comfort when the need arises. Privacy here is absolute; nestled into the hillside with north-facing panoramic views using nature and landscaping to surround the home.
Looking down to Tauranga Harbour and the city below, Mauao stands majestically in the distance. Postcard imagery frames the harbour entrance and shipping – making gorgeous telescope views from this tranquil hillside location. Outdoor connections are integral to this home’s allure. Two living areas enjoy different settings and moods around the house. There’s a café patio, expansive full-sun decking, and a brick paved dining area around the open fire for barbecues. Fronting it all is a swimming pool; its curved, semi-infinity aspect inviting a cool dip while basking in the scenery. Some bedrooms also enjoy personal links outdoors.
The décor showcases charming traditional influences with the on-trend appeal of panelled walls. Practical hardwood flooring continues the modern thread, while high-raked ceilings and considered glazing ensure natural light and sun streams inside. Central to family life is a bespoke kitchen, its essential large island bench confirming this gathering point for entertainment. Chic finishings, ample workspace, and a spacious scullery secure a cook’s dream for hosting – particularly the barn door, which gives a butler’s entry into the scullery and out the back door. Barn-door styling also features elsewhere – most notably, a recycled native timber door to the fireside lounge.
Bathroom luxury is significant as well. Privacy for the master suite, a second guest ensuite bathroom, plus a lavish family feature everyone will want to share. Twin vanities disguise the double-entry, twin walk-in shower, while the oval bath spells total indulgence.
With five bedrooms in the main wing, it’s this home’s second wing that raises the bar. Self-contained living comprises one bedroom, bathroom and comfortable living with a generous modern kitchen. Separate in its own space, the unit connects discreetly with outdoor entertainment. A fully-fenced mature garden invites time outside for the family to explore. Lush landscaping wraps around the home in leafy garden pockets before meandering down into the orchard to check the avos and potter in the sheds.
With ample parking for the boat, campers and visitors, this is a property to share with family, or choose another path with Airbnb, perhaps? Anything is possible.
85 Plummer Road, Whakamarama
After the epilogue
At some point – given the right location, the vision, and the way that vision unfolds – nothing can improve what has been achieved with a property and its story. This property is the epitome of that.
At some point – given the right location, the vision, and the way that vision unfolds – nothing can improve what has been achieved with a property and its story. This property is the epitome of that.
words Jo Ferris | photos Boundless Vision
The setting is Tauriko – River Oaks Drive – aptly named, thanks to the leafy ambience its handful of residents share in this prestige enclave. The distinctive aspect of this property isn’t simply the seclusion and dominant position. It’s the size and zoning. The elevated site borders Wairoa River, embracing breathtaking views across the valley to the hills. At around 6.33 hectares, this is one of only two rurally zoned lots in this enclave, complete with grazing and stockyards.
Perfect for farmers looking to downsize while keeping their hand in, this exquisite home looks further into the future. A five-star master retreat upstairs provides luxurious privacy with a bedroom that opens to a grandstand balcony and a bathroom that invites lingering moments gazing at the scenery. Forethought, however, created a second ensuite bedroom downstairs – its poolside connection adding a different perspective on life. With the bathroom doubling as a powder room for the pool, it’s an elegant guest suite in the meantime.
This home is masterfully designed to take full advantage of the scenery, while landscaping capitalises on the unusual site. In commanding this headland, the home doesn’t try to dominate nature. It honours it – bringing stone and timber together in a layered illusion with balance and harmony.
A soaring atrium and bridge in the foyer draw eyes outdoors to that stunning view. Glancing down, the reflection pool opens the first chapter of this home’s story. Architectural flair and innovative interior design define rooms with colour, tone and texture. Wall features create mood; lighting instils artistry and outdoor flow is integral to the function and flow. There are sheltered places to dine and relax, sun-drenched areas by the pool and up on the spa stage and bedroom balconies upstairs. Either watching the rising sun or toasting sunset as lights twinkle up and down the valley, this home provides special areas to retreat to and reflect on life in this unique place.
Additional aspects like the superb parking options – covered and open – solar panels, high-tech innovation, and the bonus of a heated swimming pool with swim jets and automated cover, all work to complete this home’s initial story. Headlined by refined city living and livestock on the side, River Oaks is ready for a new chapter.
37 River Oaks Drive, Tauriko, Tauranga
Best in show
The Landmark Homes Pāpāmoa showhome is designed to dazzle
The Landmark Homes Pāpāmoa showhome is designed to dazzle.
Words Nicky Adams
When you build your own home it’s not just the result that’s unique, but also the experience itself. The ability to pick your very own slice of land and tailor-make the perfect property to match can be a wonderful journey. Like any adventure it’s unlikely to come without its challenges, which is why so many people opt to bring on board a building company – to not only navigate the rocky bits, but also to guide from beginning to end.
Knowing where to begin can feel overwhelming – with ideas flying from every direction – which is why talking to professionals at a building company can clear the wood from the trees. Looking at something concrete is often all that’s needed; for inspiration, the best place to start is undoubtedly a showhome. It not only gives a good gauge of the quality of the build, but also offers a chance to get to know the people behind the brand. The new Landmark Homes showhome at 5 Forstera Way, Palm Springs, Pāpāmoa is a truly special example that exhibits how the seamless relationship between the client and Carly and Logan Stewart, Landmark Homes' Bay of Plenty owners, can result in a residence that is everything the client dreamed of.
Carly and Logan have been the Landmark Bay of Plenty franchise owners/operators since 2018. With a combination of industry experience and love of a challenge, their approach is very client centric. They enjoy not just the physical build, but also the building of relationships, which, they say, starts from the very first meeting.
The Pāpāmoa showhome was an interesting project, in many ways defining new beginnings for those it was built for. A Hong Kong-based family had found their perfect section, but as they were still in a transitional phase, opted to build their dream home with Landmark Homes who had the ability to lease it back to be used as a showhome until the time the family were ready to move in. This made the project particularly exciting for Carly and Logan; usually with a showhome the building company would have carte blanche. In this instance there was a dual purpose, as the result would not just have to reflect the Landmark brand, but most importantly be the ultimate home for their client.
As the family were still in Hong Kong, client meetings about everything from floor plans to design inspiration were held with Carly and Logan over Zoom. Despite the distance, bonds were formed. Nutting down on
a style was an area of creative free flow – the couple loved the Hamptons style, but were also drawn to a coastal vibe. Merging two quite different feels was a masterclass in design. Cladding was an important element, with James Hardie Linear Weatherboard adding the perfect Hamptons vibe. Clean lines, clever use of natural light, and a neutral/white colour palette lock in the look.
As Carly pointed out “with aspects of the style we did well to drive it in the direction of the Hamptons /coastal aesthetic. The landscaping was an important part of this, and we worked with a local landscaper to get the plantings right – it has quite structured Hamptons styled gardens intertwined with less structured, more natural coastal plantings. To bring those two together and make a story through the landscaping has been a real added feature. When you step onto the deck and walk around the entire house the landscaping speaks beautifully to the interiors.”
The Design and Build process is an involved one. For the Pāpāmoa showhome: “We started with what the clients wanted. We work with different local architects and designers, picked depending on the client. Some of the styles we can see require certain designers; some might be suited to contemporary versus traditional. Our expertise comes in pairing up the right designer for the right job.” Once the plans had been confirmed, Carly was really thrilled. “It has a wonderful light, bright, warm feel. It’s actually the first single level showhome we’ve built since we brought the business seven years ago. I walked through it when the frame was up; I love airy spaces with natural light and airflow – everyone picks up on it.”
A three-bedroom home, spanning a spacious 261m2, is a great size. The design is thoughtful with consideration to the family dynamic, the master bedroom is on the opposite side from the children’s bedrooms, and there’s plenty of opportunity for growth. The reaction, Carly says, has been gratifying: “Everyone loves that the Pāpāmoa showhome is set
up for entertaining, and with it all being single level it pours out. There are huge glass sliders with great flow for entertaining and family living. It really does have a special feel – it’s a great place for a party!” Of course, the ultimate opinion lies with the clients themselves. They, Carly said, “were just mouth wide open – they loved it. They were quite overwhelmed and excited and just really looking forward to living in it.” And for Carly and Logan? “It’s a product we’re so, so happy to showcase.”
Looking through the showhome and gathering ideas is without doubt the best way to kickstart the thought process, but once potential customers are at this stage, fizzing with inspiration, where to next? Carly is very clear about the importance of the process for people, which is why a year ago Landmark moved into a purpose-built commercial office space in Matakokiri Drive, Tauriko. “We went into a brand new custom fit out; it’s in a huge warehouse so we can house tiles and product. The main idea was to have a lovely reception and a large selection room. There’s a 3D walkthrough, projected onto an 85-inch TV, where you can walk through the home plans. It’s a fully interactive experience, as well as being in this beautiful room with gorgeous products that people can touch and feel, with mood boards set up. We wanted to have something custom for the clients. It’s important they go through the showhome first – it’s a way for them to see what we do, then we set up a meeting
for them to come into the office with the selection room.” Circling back to the emphasis Carly and Logan place on the relationship side of the process, Carly sees it as an important step. “You get to meet the team and have a sensory experience of the selection room. It helps the process along to reassure them of the kind of company we are and what kind of product we turn out.”
The tight-knit team is a vital component of the dynamic, with Lisa as general manager, and Jeremy as construction operations manager. Together they thrive on the thrill of not just the straightforward jobs, but also the more difficult ones. Carly reflects: “We have got a bit of a name for taking on the more challenging projects – the long skinny sites, the sloping sections; and the building clientele who may have made a big investment in the land – we are then equally invested in helping them realise their dreams.”
Ultimately, says Carly, “everyone wants different things. One of the great things about Landmark Homes is that we’re New Zealand owned and we’ve been going for more than 45 years – and Landmark was founded in Tauranga where we still have our national office, which is quite special. A lot of people know it’s a tried and trusted brand. This instils confidence; people know they’re able to utilise our architecturally inspired Ready to Build plan collection, which has over 100 designs they can browse. For us it’s not about numbers – it’s quality over quantity.”
Showhome: 5 Forstera Way, Pāpāmoa
Contemporary charm
This modern bach not only embraces its beachside surrounds, it’s designed to seamlessly blend with the beautiful vista.
This modern bach not only embraces its beachside surrounds,
it’s designed to seamlessly blend with the beautiful vista.
words Monique Balvert-O’Connor
photos Untitled Studio + Salina Galvan
Mel Riley and his company DC Build may not have had a BOP arm for long, but they certainly secured a fabulous project to sink their teeth into.
Described as a sleek, modern ode to the joy of New Zealand beach life, DC Build and JMAC Architecture completed this contemporary build for Tauranga clients over summer, replacing a much-loved, somewhat dilapidated Pukehina bach.
DC Build’s Mel Riley says working with JMAC director and architectural designer Jason Macdonald and other professionals on the project was a great way to end the 2023 working year. It was an assignment that perfectly suited the “design meets craftsmanship” focus of the company he co-owns with his brother Justin. The beautifully designed home offered opportunities aplenty to showcase his team’s capabilities on the craftsmanship front.
“One of the things we love the most in a building job is beautiful details,” says Mel, adding that the home’s sarked cedar ceilings are a fine example of this, and enabled the DC Build team to put their craftsmanship to work.
The house sits on a generously sized rectangular site that stretches towards the beach. While it appears to hug the sand dunes, it does sit back significantly enough to allow protection from coastal erosion. In line with resource consent (the house must be removable), it has been built on timber piles, which required some significant design and engineering given the need to bore down three to four metres into soft sand without any collapsing.
It’s a beach house that can also boast estuary views. Hence, the pleasing floorplan incorporates two individual living areas maximising views of both bodies of water. Full-height, floor-to-ceiling windows in key areas ensure the vista can be fully embraced.
“Because of the high windows in the living area and master bedroom, the cedar ceilings continue seamlessly from the indoors to the outdoors where there are covered decks facing the ocean,” Mel explains.
Given the panoramic views, bringing the beauty of the outdoors in was always a design intention at this home. The deck’s roofline assists in doing so – it tilts up to bring in more of the views.
Mel appreciates it’s a home that has absolutely nailed the perfect combination of contemporary charm with the everlasting splendour of beachfront tranquillity.
He feels a natural leaning towards such aesthetically pleasing architectural builds. Shortly after becoming a qualified builder, he pursued a two-year national diploma in Architechtural Technology.
“I understand design,” says Mel. “A builder who can speak the architect's language is a valuable thing. Designers work with a builder who understands architectural plans beyond just following them, so any potential problems can be stopped before they arise. It makes it easier to achieve the high standard.”
JMAC’s Jason knows well the advantage of having a sympathetic builder on his projects, one who is a key player in seamlessly bringing his architectural visions to life.
The two say this beachfront build has been a great project to be involved in from start to finish. "The client on this project was really easy to work with, which made the process that much easier and enjoyable," says Mel. The process involved the happy homeowners recently hosting dinner for Mel and Jason’s teams and other consultants involved in the project. Those consultants included Yellowfox interiors and 689 lighting design. Mel says the professionals involved in the build worked together as one team from the get-go. Collaboratively, he says, this was one of those projects that really came together beautifully.
Mel seconds Jason’s thoughts: “To end up making friendships out of what we do is probably the biggest reward. I think that’s a true testament to the success of a build.”
As for the project’s early days, Mel was offered the opportunity to sit around the table with the architectural team and homeowners to discuss the job’s pricing process. This gave DC Build the opportunity to showcase its comprehensive and transparent pricing plan, which includes reports presented at various stages of projects. Those early three-way conversations were invaluable, Mel says, as they also included discussion around product such as the cladding. The clients opted for aluminium Nu Wall cladding (DC Build had worked with this pre-finished product numerous times). Its anti-rust qualities were deemed especially advantageous given the Pukehina home’s coastal location. The home is set to retain its good looks and turn heads for many a year.
Mel says all up, the Pukehina project fulfilled his company’s aim to craft homes that not only bring an architectural vision to the real world, but also make the owner, the architect/architectural designer and the team proud to be part of it.
DC and the BOP
All it took was a few wonderful beach holidays to get Mel Riley thinking seriously about extending his building business to include the BOP.
“We loved the area, loved the vibe, and I managed to secure a section in Pāpāmoa that would become home base.”
Mel and his brother Justin founded DC Build back in 2014. Up until Mel’s BOP epiphany about five years ago, the brothers’ business concentrated solely on residential builds in Auckland. These days the business has a team of six (made up of qualified builders and apprentices at various stages) in the Western Bay of Plenty, and 12 in Auckland. Mel heads the BOP team, ably assisted by Will Salwey as site foreman, while Justin’s at the helm in Auckland, where his team includes long-standing staff member James Poore as project manager.
It’s five years since Mel and family made the move. His first build in the Bay was of personal significance – the construction of a home for himself and family on that Pāpāmoa site. With that out of the way, it was time to focus on the business of building primarily high-end, architecturally designed homes – either new builds or renovations in the Bay of Plenty. Mel's son, Jay, recently started an apprecticeship within the business.
Working life in Auckland is busy for DC Build. “We have established our name there,” Mel says. “Now it’s time to build on what we’ve already achieved over the last few years in the Bay of Plenty. We have capacity and we’re keen and committed to staying in this region.”
It has been an eventful few months for the DC Build team. The Pukehina project was finished in December and since then, Mel has been busy pricing another coastal build and overseeing the company’s rebranding. Up until recently, DC Build was DC Builders.
“We’re armed with a fresh rebrand as of this year,” Mel enthuses. He’s proud of that brand, which he summarises as bringing architectural visions into the real world through creative knowledge meeting technical skill.
“The best projects are the ones that everyone is proud of.”
New beginnings
Summerhill Estate stands above the rest in terms of rural tranquillity and privacy. Nestled within Pāpāmoa Hills, boasting breathtaking views of magical proportions, this home personifies the essence of Summerhill
Summerhill Estate stands above the rest in terms of rural tranquillity and privacy. Nestled within Pāpāmoa Hills, boasting breathtaking views of magical proportions, this home personifies the essence of Summerhill.
Words Jo Ferris | Photos Boundless Vision
Golfers will be familiar with the golf course meandering through the estate. While membership is possible, residents enjoy free green fees. It’s an incentive to appreciate – yet Summerhill’s private privilege offers so much more. Properties here are tightly held.
This home’s views gaze out to the Pacific Ocean – embracing the rolling hills as the sun follows a course around the coastline, to the Mount, Tauranga Harbour and Kaimai sunsets. Immersed in nature, the home’s lofty position takes full advantage of its elevation, while melting into the countryside that surrounds it.
Sympathetic landscaping takes its cue from nature, while going several steps further to introduce home-grown self-sufficiency. The orchard boasts citrus and fruits, including bananas and even two varieties of hops. There’s a fenced vege garden, a berry cage, and a chicken run with a roost for fresh eggs.
The home’s tone is in total harmony with nature, cleverly blending natural materials with texture and colour within the décor. The backdrop balances autumn hues with contemporary accents – a gentle thread of farmhouse influences and elegant finesse.
The T-shape design ensures sun and scenery are integral to this home’s function and flow. Morning sun on one side of family living invites breakfast outside to bask in the ocean view. In the afternoon, living slips out to a vast lounge setting. A patio for sofas, a pergola for shaded dining, and steps down to a stony fire pit to toast sunset as pizzas cook in the pizza oven.
Parents enjoy a private, five-star retreat in their own wing, yet remain close to the afternoon entertainment outside. The remaining bedrooms share a second stylish bathroom, while a powder room offers further convenience when friends come around.
Other features include an office to work from home, a large laundry with mudroom entry, attic storage in the garage, rain water storage and bore access, ample storage inside and parking outside for boats, campers and visitors.
Apart from the golf course, Summerhill has walking tracks to enjoy nature and Pāpāmoa Hills Recreation Park is nearby as well. Seemingly high above the rest of the world, beaches at Pāpāmoa and the Mount are an easy drive. Heaven on earth lives in the hills of this well-kept secret.
1 Summerhill Drive, Summerhill Estate, Pāpāmoa
Peak performance
Why settle for the bare minimum? André Laurent wants the best, so he builds it himself.
Why settle for the bare minimum? André Laurent wants the best, so he builds it himself.
Words Jenny Rudd
Performance has always been the north star for the team at Creative Space Architecture. It could be getting the most energy efficiency from a new build, alteration or ensuring bullet-proof and robust weathertightness in a multi-level apartment complex. Performance is what truly spins the wheels of this team, many of them with a background in construction.
Director André Laurent and general manager Regan Little have always sought out high-performing construction systems like insulated concrete forms (ICFs), seen to be alternative, but outperforming the field in terms of insulation and durability, especially important in our coastal environment.
This drive to build the best-performing houses for their clients has taken them back to their construction roots with their new project, EvoCo.
We asked André about his passion for Passive Homes and other high performing design methodologies, which are built with a focus on the occupants’ health and wellbeing, while consuming very little energy.
How do you use your expertise to support clients?
When it comes to New Zealand’s housing stock and the building code, it’s important to understand that the New Zealand Building Code represents the bare minimum standard. Imagine if you were building a boat to sail your family to Europe – would you build it to the bare minimum marine standards? Most likely not. Similarly, we shouldn’t take that approach with architecture. Many homes under construction have the potential to achieve a much higher level of performance; it’s just not the industry norm to invest a little more in those areas, and many aren’t aware of what’s achievable, or what the returns are. Maximising energy efficiency through architecture involves guiding clients to choose the right products, materials, and construction methods. It’s about tailoring solutions to the specific site and project brief. Surprisingly, many energy efficiency benefits can be realised through sound decision-making in the early stages of a project, often at no extra cost. Good fundamental design provides a solid foundation for a project’s success.
How does passive solar design play a role in energy efficiency?
Passive solar design is all about orienting living spaces correctly and selecting suitable materials to collect, store, and distribute solar energy without added costs. It’s about getting the right spaces in the right places and capitalising on good design principles. To achieve an energy-efficient home, start with a well-oriented site with sun exposure when facing the views. Then we can choose construction methods that complement the location and prioritise insulation and air tightness to retain energy. We recommend construction methods like ICFs or SIPs (Insulated Concrete Forms or Structural Insulated Panels) to improve air tightness, regulate temperatures, reduce energy costs, and minimise outdoor sound pollution. Traditional timber-framed homes often have small gaps everywhere that leak heat and energy, while these systems significantly improve performance.
What part does design play in establishing performance and value?
We say that great design creates great value. This means that exceptional design enhances every aspect of a building from its aesthetic to its performance and everything in between. This includes the experience for everyone interacting with a building, whether it’s observers, occupants, or future buyers. Great design’s positive impacts endure throughout the building’s life-cycle so the upfront decisions truly count. One of the best things we can do for our clients is follow the KISS principle: Keep it simple, stupid. Wherever possible we aim to reduce design complexity knowing it has a direct corelation with costs. While its easier to determine costs for a new home, its almost impossible to do so with alterations and additions without investment in very detailed designs. These are then handed over to an external Quantity Surveyor or a trusted Building Contractor to reveal actual costs. Unfortunately, bespoke architecture is a little chicken and egg, so it is extremely important to simplify designs wherever possible.
Historically, high performance means high cost. Is that true of homes performing at a passive level?
The future of healthy, comfortable, and energy-efficient housing lies in Passive style homes that maintain consistent indoor comfort with minimal energy use for heating, cooling, and ventilation. With advancements in construction technologies, Passive level performance is becoming more affordable and achievable in the Southern Hemisphere. In essence, a Passive Home maintains comfort through continuous thermal insulation, airtight construction, high-quality windows and doors, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), and good passive solar design.
Partnering for progress
Creative Space Architecture’s journey took an unexpected turn when in
early 2018, Regan Little, now general manager, and André started discussing the challenges facing the construction industry. They brainstormed solutions that could raise the bar in quality, durability, technology and performance for housing. Their dream was to take control of the entire process by designing and pre-fabricating buildings in their own controlled environment.
Over the following years, they made steady progress in developing and evolving a range of flexible home designs that would be highly transportable. The next step was to select construction methods and materials that would bring a higher baseline of performance. The final specifications were designed to achieve a ‘Passive Home’ level of performance.
Progress, as exciting as it was, came with its fair share of challenges. André says, “We learned that the biggest hurdles sometimes offered the greatest opportunities. Somewhere along the way, we went from leasing a yard to designing and specifying our own purpose-built architectural offices and prefabrication facility.”
Once on their own site, EvoCo really started to take shape. EvoCo is now in production, operating in temporary digs at 400 Taurikura Drive with construction of the permanent facility anticipated late 2024.
The unity between Creative Space and EvoCo is strengthening both businesses. Creative Space is evolving, returning to its roots in hands-on construction, and EvoCo is benefiting from the wider team's skills available across both businesses. They see a strong future together pushing the boundaries of high-performance architecture and pre-fabrication.
André acknowledges the crucial roles played by his parents as role models, Creative Space and the EvoCo teams, especially Regan Little, Jonno Marshel, Grier Fisher, Abi Hubbard and Glen Hadfield, in making this journey enjoyable and successful.
“This has been an exciting ride, and to be entering production is a dream come true,” says André. EvoCo’s objective for the next year is to refine
their craft, scale their services, and collaborate with clients who share their dream. By mid-to-late 2024, they will move into their new purpose-built factory, evolving their capabilities producing Prefabricated Passive Builds.
EvoCo’s products reflect their commitment to high standards in design, performance, and durability. They incorporate technology that not only reduces living costs but also adds convenience to our increasingly busy lives. Their homes present an exceptional level of performance and quality, with production taking place in a controlled factory environment.
In the realm of performance, EvoCo provides homes that far exceed the current energy efficiency requirements of the building code. These buildings are constructed and tested in EcoCo’s controlled environment before being transported to the site, delivering optimal performance in any climate or earthquake zone.
EvoCo’s target audience includes those who value quality, want to reduce the environmental impact of new builds, and are eager to cut energy costs while enjoying a healthy and comfortable lifestyle.
When André says their homes are smart, he means they build residences equipped with intelligent and automated devices and systems that enhance comfort, convenience, security, and energy efficiency. Nowadays smart homes are not only achievable, the systems and devices are also affordable.
Currently, the EvoCo team is ramping up production, looking for like-minded clients interested in first builds. They have four 35m2 single-bedroom standalone dwellings underway, which can be used individually or customised as a group. Next is a 60m2 two-bedroom dwelling suitable for secondary dwellings on any Western Bay of Plenty site. There are other models right up to a four-bedroom home. Ultimately EvoCo will adjust their production plans based on demand.
The future for Creative Space and EvoCo is seen as a long-term partnership, continuously evolving and enhancing the products they produce. André says, “Really, this has always been about living life to its fullest and having fun doing the things we love. The future should be about the excitement and fun of exceeding our own dreams and expectations.”
Dopamine Decorating
This trend is all about vivid colours, clashing patterns, maximalism and pure happiness
This trend is all about vivid colours, clashing patterns, maximalism and pure happiness.
Styling Amber Armitage @ MARIGOLD
Photos Wendy Fenwick @ Flash Studios
Wall colours Resene paints
Back wall and bottom half of front wall painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Valentine. Top half of front wall painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Aviator. Floor painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Sea Fog. Hello Hermes Limited Edition Screen print by Emile Holmewood from $95, from Endemic World. Belinda Boucle Teddy Single Bed in Ivory $439.99, Kobie Cotton Blend Striped Floor Rug in Extra Large $219.99, from Mocka. Theodore Bench Seat in Off White $1,199.99, Cora Table Lamp in Blue/White $349.99, A&C Flax Linen Duvet Cover in Marine from $299.99, from A&C Homestore. Artie Open Bedside in Powder Blue $1,753, from Soren Liv. Bordallo Pinheiro Strawberries Bowl Oval 13.5cm $59, Rice Raffia Bag in Cherry Pink $125, Designers Guild Cushion Brera Lino $230, from Allium. Pink Stripes Linen Pillowcases from $32, from Foxtrot Home. Arcadia Cushion in Chambray $115, from Baya. Linen Quilt | Reversible from $480, from Alfie Home.
Stylist tip
Vibrant tones, such as yellow, red and orange, feel energetic and passionate. Mixing and matching this with checked and floral patterns on the bed, alongside a mural element, walks the fine line between fun and sophisticated.
Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Meringue. Decorative line painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Tequila Sunrise. Floor finished in Resene Colorwood Bark. Dillon Rattan Queen Bedhead in Natural $449.99, Oslo Bedside Table in Sand $179.99, from Mocka. Light Original Painting by Sophie Melville $250, from Endemic World. Lily Pendant Lampshade in Cream $249.99, Jimmy Table Lamp $399.99, A&C Checker Printed Linen Robe in Terracotta $179.99, Emu Wrenlette in Natural $69.99, from A&C Homestore. Zinc Linen Duvet from $321.75, from Penney and Bennett. Bonnie And Neil Pillowcase Tiny Checkers Tan $85, Bonnie And Neil Quilted Throw Pastel Floral Sand $529, Bonnie & Neil Pastel Floral Sand Euro $99, from Allium. Lilac Purple Linen Pillowcases from $32, from Foxtrot Home. Sandringham Floor Rug in Putty from $1,420, from Baya. All else stylists own.
Top half of wall and floor painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Seafog. Bottom half of wall painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Wabi Sabi. Pure Shores original painting by Lucy Rice $1500, Still Looking original painting by Helen Dean $680, both from Endemic World. Lichen Standard Pillowslip $65 from Alfie Home. Tobacco Stripe Linen Pillowcases $32 from Foxtrot Home. A&C Stonewash Cotton Duvet in White from $189.99, A&C Stonewash Cotton Duvet in Pine Mini Stripe from $189.99, both from A&C Homestore. Riviera Side Table $1295, Kipas Vase $85, Dansa Cushion in Rose $179.99, all from Republic Home. Anna Arch Mirror in Gold $249.99, Eros Six Drawer in Sage Green $499.99, both from Mocka. Sol bag, large, $89 by Zay from Allium. All else stylist's own.
Stylist tip
Although dopamine decor is very much focused on bold, bright colors, doesn’t mean these spaces can’t be soft and gentle too. Greens create a peaceful, relaxed setting and can help a space to feel grounding, ideal for
a guest bedroom space.
Subtropical Summer
Ginny Clark from Decor Gardenworld shows us just how easy it is to grow subtropical treats.
Ginny Clark from Decor Gardenworld shows us just how easy it is to grow subtropical treats.
The best time to plant fruit trees, trees and shrubs was five years ago. The next best time is now.
Growing your own is easier than you think and, with the subtropical summer on our doorstep, and shortages of some of our most popular of summer fruits in the shops, there is no time to waste.
For the edible garden, we are spoiled in Tauranga, as we can grow numerous subtropical fruits that give us that tropical feel, along with many of the all-time hardy favourites. No matter what size your property is, there are plenty of options for you to grow in a sunny corner.
Berry fruits, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries, and loganberries spring to mind. If you are growing blueberries, choosing several different varieties will help with pollination and extend your harvest season from November until April. Raspberries are either summer fruiting or autumn fruiting types, so again the season can be extended. There’s even a cute little raspberry called “Mini Me” which is ideal to grow in pots or hanging baskets.
Passionfruit, strawberry, guavas, tamarillos, and Lady Finger bananas are subtropical fruits that are easy to grow. You could even plant a dwarf growing Cleopatra Avocado in the small home garden.
For those of us that have spent time in the tropics, you will remember the gorgeous fragrance that is quintessential to that part of the world. Plants that will remind you of that year after year include one of our all-time favourites, Gardenias. Ranging in size from the little low Radicans through to the taller Veitchii, Professor Pucci and True Love, you can’t go wrong. They work well as an under planting to Palms and glossy-leafed Pukas and all those other tropical-looking plants. Star Jasmine is another all-time favourite, and it can be grown as a ground cover or climber.
Vireya Rhodos are also a good choice. Some are fragrant, plus they will flower three to four times a year. Murraya (Orange Blossom) and Australian Frangipani also grow well here. But the piéce de résistance is the Tropical Frangipani. If you have the right spot that is super sunny and warm with a bit of space, then she would be my favourite.
Of course, we can’t ignore Hibiscus either. Although not fragrant, they will give you a fabulous show right through until late autumn.
Combine this selection, along with a Batik Bench seat, colourful Morris
and James Pot and super-efficient Zieglar and Brown BBQ and you will be well on the way to creating your own subtropical paradise.
Natural elegance
Tauranga Harbour’s spellbinding beauty around a hilltop peninsula is inspiration enough for an exceptional home. But a sensitive deference to nature – blending contemporary brilliance with the landscape that preceded it – underlines this home’s distinctive air.
Tauranga Harbour’s spellbinding beauty around a hilltop peninsula is inspiration enough for an exceptional home. But a sensitive deference to nature – blending contemporary brilliance with the landscape that preceded it – underlines this home’s distinctive air.
Words Jo Ferris
Hidden from the world, the home showcases bold design and precise execution. Deserving a string of awards in the 2019 Master Builders House of the Year, it was named supreme regional winner, and went on to earn national gold reserve status, also winning its category.
Imposing, thanks to its lone presence on this peninsula, the home’s sole focus is on what surrounds it. The views are spectacular – a sweeping panorama that follows Tauranga Harbour and Matakana around to the Kaimais. The home captures nature and how the sun plays with water and trees before dipping behind the hills. Scenery is integral to this home’s design and how it connects with each aspect.
Central to this concept is the swimming pool and how family living mimics similar infinity. The pool is like a separate extension that floats out to space, thanks to the innovative design. It’s heated for year-round exercise, while the built-in spa is a natural companion. Full-height glazing in the family wing ensures a seamless link with the patio and pool, while framing an extensive grasp on scenery.
Genius design in the family lounge, cantilevers it in midair. Glazing wraps around this extension to heighten the floating feeling. Even the unique unit, housing a wall TV and display alcoves, appears to hover within the glass surround. The pool outlook might be centre stage, but a discreet sheltered patio provides a different perspective of nature.
Full-height glazing is a significant feature in this home. It begins with a towering front door, drifts into various rooms and highlights aspects like the oak stair treads – another intriguing element that seems to float up to the master retreat.
This retreat cherishes ultimate privacy. A sumptuous suite, with its “look-out” ambience stretching across the harbour, bespoke dressing-room backdrop and a romantic bathroom. The simple elegance of an oval bath is matched by egg-shaped vanities on a custom dresser.
Oak weaves a story throughout – on flooring, bespoke units in both lounges, kitchen cabinetry and designer vanities in all three bathrooms. With the master retreat relishing penthouse privacy, two more bedrooms share semi-ensuite luxury downstairs, while a guest bedroom has a private bathroom. Sitting in its own corner, this suite opens out to the poolside patio.
This home displays the knowledge that refined class needs no extra flattery. Underfloor heating and a ducted system ensure constant comfort. Drapes disappear into the ceiling, while LED lighting hides in extraordinary ways to infuse soft illumination throughout. As day passes into evening, this home’s mood changes everything about its demeanour.
Other features extend this property’s generous parameters, including an avocado orchard and shed. A secondary, high-stud, three-bay shed houses self-contained accommodation. Lined with plywood and featuring polished concrete flooring, this suite provides a bedroom, bathroom and open-plan living with a wrap-around verandah patio.
The boat-shed ambience of this unit complements the considerable storage next door. Ideal for the Sealegs, this could be driven down the garden pathway to the private ramp into the harbour. A sandy beach invites launching the kayak at high tide, or packing a picnic to fossick as the water ebbs and flows.
With a lily pond attracting wildlife, amid a garden wonderland and giant guardian pōhutukawa, nature is the eternal winner here – and willing to share it.
Rural romance
In the upper hills of Ohauiti, an extraordinary transformation has taken place over the past three years. With the owners on to new adventures, this rural home offers a wonderful opportunity for shared family lifestyle
In the upper hills of Ohauiti, an extraordinary transformation has taken place over the past three years. With the owners on to new adventures, this rural home offers a wonderful opportunity for shared family lifestyle.
Words Jo Ferris
Any renovation involves a vision. But the combined talents of this couple’s experience in building and interior design was key to the double life the home now enjoys. Shared accommodation is growing in this country – from aging parents to adult children raising families of their own.
This home’s size was a great start for what this family wanted to create. It wasn’t simply the house itself; it was the extent of garage space that lent to conversion for separate living quarters. Even then, it still left a high-stud, triple garage with mezzanine storage to boot.
While another builder undertook the actual construction – which involved reconfiguring the layout – these vendors did all the finishing. No mean feat, looking at the complex design. The house had the hint of a country villa initially. It just needed vision to truly take it to the next level.
Private seclusion within this rural enclave is exquisite – a perfect backdrop for what now exists in the rolling landscape. Views gaze down the valley to Tauranga and offshore islands. There’s grazing for horses or livestock, a new shed for farm equipment, a chook house, and ample garden and playground freedom in a natural wonderland introduced by olive trees lining the driveway.
Relaxing within the verandah shelter or looking out from the family living areas, this home embraces everything – best of all from the master retreat above. “Retreat” is an understatement. Like a five-star hotel suite, it encompasses a massive bedroom and personal lounge. A central wall, housing a double-sided fireplace, is the ultimate romantic touch. Until you step into the bathroom. It’s pure indulgence, with a deep bath, bespoke vanity and private shower and toilet areas. A “dressing-room” wardrobe is a fashionista’s dream, while hidden storage highlights discreet design and added features.
Downstairs, bathroom zones all received similar detail. Refined taste in each area accentuates an eye for design and appreciation of how heritage finesse blends with chic styling. Panelled walls, wainscoting features and battened accents flow throughout the home, while instilling individual personality into each zone.
The TV room is a cosy, carpeted snug, yet its French-door connection stays in touch with the vaulted expanse of the family hub. Polished concrete flooring enhances the rustic charm of rural life, while a gourmet kitchen is a tribute to the woman of the home’s past in kitchen design. It blends all the hallmarks of heritage allure, with the practical function that caters to big family occasions. Linked cleverly with a larder-style pantry and equally well-designed laundry, the bespoke finish leaves nothing to chance. There’s a place for everything and everything is in place – even a vast vege and
herb patch just outside to complement cooking.
As the passage weaves past two bedrooms, it enters the second accommodation – part of the home, yet separate to ensure privacy and the added bonus of its own entry. Currently a one-bedroom unit, there’s potential to turn the “hobby” area into a second bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe to mirror the main suite. Spacious open-plan living is enhanced by raked ceilings and kept cosy with a wood burner. A wheelchair-friendly bathroom increases this unit’s convenience, while the spa pool and country verandah outside is enchanting privacy, which brings nature to the door.
The serenity is bliss; just birdsong for company. Tuis divebomb flax bushes, feast on flowers and sing their hearts out. Hawks fly overhead and quails visit in summer evenings – there’s no better enticement.
11F Rowe Road, Upper Ohauiti
Perfectly poised
Oliver Road’s recent expansion into Hawke’s Bay brings their specialist real estate services up to a whole new level.
Oliver Road’s recent expansion into Hawke’s Bay brings their
specialist real estate services up to a whole new level.
Words Jo Ferris
Six years ago, Cam Winter believed there to be a gap in the Bay of Plenty market for an estate agency focused solely on representing unique, high-value homes. As Oliver Road approaches 150 sales totalling more than $340 million, it’s clear this gap did indeed exist.
Joined in 2019 by Jason and Abigail Eves, and Ben Hawan in 2022, the team’s success, in Cam’s words, can be attributed to “relentless, continuous improvement across everything we do, along with a clear focus on doing one thing well, along with an unwavering commitment to each and every client and the outcome of their sale.”
Throughout the recent market correction, Oliver Road invested heavily to ensure their luxury real estate marketing platform remained unrivalled in their industry – recently taking on a full-time digital and marketing manager. Mckenzie Comer is a seasoned digital and social media professional with an impressive track record that spans over six years. Throughout her dynamic career, she has made her mark leading digital strategies for various clients, including some of New Zealand’s most prominent corporate giants.
“In the ever-expanding digital landscape, strategic cross-channel paid marketing ensures that our real estate content doesn't just look good but reaches the right audience in the most effective manner,” says Mckenzie. Her comprehensive understanding of optimising campaigns to ensure maximum reach and engagement are already paying dividends for Oliver Road and their clients, with new buyer enquiry and offers being made on properties that can be directly attributed to her talented efforts behind the scenes.
Last year, Oliver Road also employed a talented photographer full-time, ensuring this important task could be approached with time and space, something Cam believes “can’t be said for real estate photographers with 30+ shoots to juggle every week.”
Photographer Jerusha Razey can’t get enough of this new pace and what it means for Oliver Road’s clients. “It’s so special being able to photograph a beautiful property across multiple days, combining sunrise, golden-hour, twilight and more without having to convince a client that the spend will be worth it. Or worse, having to call and postpone their booked time to catch up on a backlog of other shoots due to bad weather the week before!”
It’s clear how important Cam believes this to be, adding, “Photography is arguably the most fundamental element of any real estate campaign. To produce anything less than exceptional is not an option.”
Beyond Oliver Road’s foundational Bay of Plenty operation, late last year the agency opened in Hawke’s Bay, partnering with experienced local agents Nic Goodman and Fiona Harper. Some years ago, Nic and Fiona identified Oliver Road as a unique, luxury estate agency with exceptional marketing selling high-end homes in Bay of Plenty. They set their sights on bringing Oliver Road to Hawke’s Bay and are proud to have recently formed this exciting partnership. “Sellers of Hawke’s Bay’s most fabulous homes have waited long enough for a specialist agency, one that can deliver world-class marketing and superior results,” Nic says, adding, “we’re here to prove that the wait is over.” Beyond the two “Bays”, a third office servicing the Coatesville and wider Rodney area has just launched, and plans are underway further afield to bring Oliver Road’s specialist approach to both Queenstown and Christchurch.
Accolades including the recent “Best Independent Luxury Real Estate Agency in NZ” for the third year running (Luxury Lifestyle Awards), along with Jason’s position in the top one percent of salespeople nationwide (RateMyAgent), it could be fair to conclude that, as one recent client wrote in reviewing their experience, “These guys are without doubt the absolute best in the business.”
Bring in the sunshine
Illuminate your space for the season ahead with this colourful palette
Illuminate your space for the season ahead with this colourful palette.
Styling Amber Armitage @ MARIGOLD
Photos Wendy Fenwick @ Flash Studios Wall colours resene paints
Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Illuminate. Tara Nesting Bowls $109 from Citta. Bubble Vase $108 and Grid Vase Satin $49.50, both from Tessuti. Bon Parfumeur Eau De Parfum 30ml in 203 Fruity $81.99 and Acme Roman Cup and Saucer Mini $16.60, all from Father Rabbit. Canyon Two-Drawer Bedside Table $169.99 and Quinn Queen Bed in Natural $559.99, both from Mocka. Calypso Duvet Cover in King from $270, Mushroom Flat Sheet in Queen $165, Mimosa Pillowslips $90, and Mushroom Pillowslips $90, all from Dehei.
Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Illuminate. Floor finished in Resene Colorwood Bask. Twin Wall Bowl $185 and CC Stool in Walnut $745, both from Good Form. Karimoku Case Study A-S01 Sofa from $12,495 from Mr. Bigglesworthy. John Tootill Raumati V Artwork $11,000 from Sanderson Gallery. Scent of Home Candle $119, Remodelista in Maine $69.99, and Patina Modern: A Guide to Designing Warm, Timeless Interiors $95, all from Father Rabbit. Radial Round Coffee Table $1,390, Bouclé Cushion Cover $89.90, Makaua Tambo Basket $189, and August Throw $159, all from Citta. Torrance Rattan Occasional Chair $439.99 from Mocka. Lago White Floor Lamp $219 from Lighting Plus. Willis Cushion in Sage/Ivory $125 and Wichita Floor Rug $1,120, both from Baya.
Walls and shelf painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Illuminate. Floor finished in Resene Colorwood Bask. Maquette Ceramic Table Sculpture B $185, Stair Table Lamp $675, Bloom Table Lamp in Dusty Green $1,195, CC Stool in Walnut $745, Ildhane Candle Holder $145, and Magazine Rack $275, all from Good Form. Iconic Dick Cordemeijer Cleopatra Daybed by Auping $2,950 from Mr. Bigglesworthy. Vauban Vase $585 from Tessuti. John Tootill Raumati V Artwork $11,000 from Sanderson Gallery. Nomad at Home $69.99 and The Home Upgrade $120, both from Father Rabbit. Torrance Rattan Occasional Chair $439.99 from Mocka. Cheltenham Throw $130 and Wichita Rug $1,120, both from Baya.
Back wall and shelf painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Illuminate. Maquette Ceramic Table Sculpture B $185 from Good Form. Vauban Vase $585 from Tessuti.
Testpots and Drawdowns (from top) in Resene Illuminate, Resene I Dare You and Resene Tropical.
Doorway painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Green Days. Back wall painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Illuminate. Pulse Platter $295, Large Ovum Vase $350, and Romana Large Sideboard $6,795, all from Good Form. Katherine Throne Hidden Gems Artwork $3,050, from Sanderson Gallery.
Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Illuminate. After the Song Art Print by Helen Dean $289 from Endemic World. Tara Nesting Bowls $109 from Citta. Bubble Vase $108 and Grid Vase Satin $49.50, both from Tessuti. Bon Parfumeur Eau De Parfum 30ml in 203 Fruity $81.99 and Acme Roman Cup and Saucer Mini $16.60, all from Father Rabbit. Canyon Two-Drawer Bedside Table $169.99 from Mocka. Calypso Duvet Cover in King from $270 from Dehei.
Plan, plant and pot
Ginny Clark from Decor Gardenworld says a little bit of planning now will go a long way to ensuring you have time to sit back, relax and enjoy your garden this summer.
Ginny Clark from Decor Gardenworld says a little bit of planning now will go a long way to ensuring you have time
to sit back, relax and enjoy your garden this summer.
In an unprecedented year of lacklustre weather, spring is finally emerging. This is a wonderful time to spruce up your outdoor spaces with thoughtful gardening.
Begin by evaluating your indoor-outdoor flow. Enhance the appeal of your outdoor living areas and don’t forget about your main entrance – this is the first area your guests will see! Simplify access to vegetable gardens and utility spaces. Replace aged trees, update planting schemes, and tend to outdoor containers.
Foliage is key, and a variety of texture forms and colours will enhance year-round interest. Contrast and repetition create visual appeal, while varied heights add depth. Grass-like textures like Lomandra, Astelias, Carex, Flaxes, and small palms, combined with easy-care shrubs such as Coprosmas, Nandinas, Hebes, Green Ball Pittosporum and Loropetalum Plum Delight offer vibrancy. Leucadendron and Grevilleas will provide lasting colour.
Nandinas
Layer your spaces with ground-covering plants to curb weeds and backbone plants with red and green foliage shrubs. Use plants to create low borders – flowering annuals, low perennials and Japanese Box or even parsley can be very effective and as long as they are trimmed occasionally.
Then turn your focus to elevating the spaces with garden art, ornamental pots, furniture, and screens. Revitalise your entryway with pots of perennials or annuals, fruit trees or a specimen plant. It is easy to change the look seasonally, and consistency in pot style will help enhance the visual impact.
Strategic placement of artistic elements like urns or bird baths adds character. Use them as a focal point that can be viewed from both indoors and outdoors. Introduce outdoor “rooms” through shade trees, pergolas, ornamental screens, or a bench seat. A New Zealand-made glasshouse extends growing seasons and doubles as a cosy place to relax.
The options are endless, so get planning, planting and potting to make your outdoor space a home to be enjoyed for many moons to come.
A family affair
One of the South Island's original furniture retailers, McKenzie & Willis Interiors, is set to bring Bay of Plenty homes their signature treatment. UNO spoke to managing director Bill Willis about his great-grandfather's legacy and the brand’s expansion north
One of the South Island's original furniture retailers,
McKenzie & Willis Interiors, is set to bring Bay of Plenty homes their signature treatment. UNO spoke to managing director Bill Willis about his great-grandfather's legacy and the brand’s expansion north.
Words Karen Clarkson | Photos Salina Galvan
Having your family’s furniture store at your fingertips to explore and play in every day, might just be every child’s dream. For Bill Willis, and his cousin Tim Willis, directors of family-owned interiors brand McKenzie & Willis, this sums up their life as kids in Christchurch.
“In those days, McKenzie & Willis was a four-level downtown showroom, managed by my dad, and Tim’s dad. We had great fun as children bouncing on the beds and exploring the furniture displays. As a teenager, I learnt to drive the trade truck and spent weekends delivering furniture around Christchurch,” recalls managing director Bill Willis.
Bill and Tim’s great-grandfather Joseph Willis, along with RS McKenzie, first launched the business in 1906, selling houses, land, and furniture. Now almost 120 years later, and passing through three generations of Willis’, the Christchurch institution has become one of our country’s leading home furniture and interior design brands.
Bill and Tim, who took the helm from their respective fathers after the Christchurch earthquakes, have set about expanding the brand’s footprint across New Zealand.
With five successful stores in the South Island, including a purpose-built Christchurch showroom, McKenzie & Willis Interiors opened in the capital in 2017. In 2021, Bill and Tim took the leap further north with the acquisition of The Design Depot from Mount Maunganui and Hamilton, and this year they added two contemporary showrooms to their now eight locations across Aotearoa.
Bill says the purchase and rebrand of The Design Depot was a natural fit for the brand’s growth and values: a family business dedicated to creating beautiful interiors with excellent personalised service to match.
“People and service have always been at the heart of what we do. We’re really proud to have all The Design Depot team continue with us at the new stores. To be able to adopt a great team with experience and relationships is the best outcome for everyone,” explains Bill.
Kylie Keene (former owner of The Design Depot) took the lead alongside the McKenzie & Willis product team to design the new Mount Maunganui showroom collection and fit-out.
Inside the space, creative curtain and blind displays, furniture, homewares, beds, and linens reflect the region’s personality. Across the store’s collection, the Bay’s relaxed, calm style, influenced by nature and the outdoors, has been combined with eye-catching patterns, textures, and wallpapers synonymous with the McKenzie & Willis brand.
“The focus was to bring the very best of these aesthetics together with high-end homewares and quality brands from here and around the world,” explains Bill.
Alongside their hallmark showrooms and core offering of furniture, beds, and furnishings, is a full-service interior design experience with a focus on clients building a relationship with one key designer on their personal project.
“We have been so fortunate to have attracted incredibly talented and passionate interior designers in each of our stores. Homes are where we spend time, bring up families, and entertain with friends. Our team of specialists works closely with our clients to turn houses into beautiful spaces that Kiwis love,” explains Bill.
The new Mount showroom features an expansive and inspiring sampling area allowing customers to visit and work alongside their interior designer. Whether clients are transforming a bedroom, living room, or building a new home, Bill says that by having one key contact, creating a strong relationship, and leaning on the chain of other stores, the team delivers exceptional results. “Across our family of New Zealand-made and imported brands, we can tailor-make sizes, fabrics, and configurations bespoke to your home and style. This is a real strength of McKenzie & Willis,” says Bill.
Alongside the new Mount Maunganui showroom, McKenzie & Willis have renovated and rebranded The Design Depot store in Hamilton – a move he knows his dad and uncle would be proud of.
“Opening in new locations signals an exciting chapter for us; expanding
our offering nationwide and giving New Zealanders greater access to our comprehensive collections and design expertise. Dad had a real passion for growth and building beautiful showrooms and while he passed away last year, he knew the Mount Maunganui store was opening. I know he would be proud of our vision and what our team has created here.”
Go with the flow
Sentimental childhood memories played a huge role in choosing this home to raise the next generation. It took next-generation vision however, to transform a simple three-bedroom brick bungalow into a modern-day masterpiece
Sentimental childhood memories played a huge role in choosing this home to raise the next generation. It took next-generation vision however, to transform a simple three-bedroom brick bungalow into a modern-day masterpiece.
Words Jo Ferris
Returning home after years overseas, the familiarity of Tauranga’s Avenues’ precinct was the starting point for these vendors when searching for a home to raise their children. The location was perfect; enhanced by the fact the house hid down a private driveway. All it required was a new look to fit this family’s lifestyle.
In a somewhat back-to-front approach, the swimming pool came first. A challenging thought, given the secluded spot this home enjoys. Looking
at it now, the pool seems like it was here from the outset; such is the home’s intimate connection with this sun-drenched corner.
Intimacy is a key feature. Despite the density of this Avenues’ position, the home enjoys precious privacy. The driveway is the introduction – and was actually the first area to be upgraded. Lined with manicured olive trees and leafy layers of greenery, it sets the tone for what hides beyond.
The home nestles with a sheltered sun trap, thanks to a leafy fringe enhancing the privacy and discreet ambience. With the brickwork gone and the house completely transformed, sun and outdoor connections are integral to its outlook on life. Architectural designer John McAlpine of the Thorne Group turned the kitchen upside down, opened up the family hub in the process, added a second lounge and extended the home at the rear. This allowed for an ensuite master bedroom, a powder room and well-appointed laundry.
A mud room connects this laundry with the garage. Originally an external garage, the creation of an internal entry was not only logical, it allowed a natural corridor for a cloak room. The laundry was also given special treatment with decent bench space and custom cabinetry below and above.
Its finish matches the kitchen’s clean aesthetics. This is a focal point of the home – styled to match the coastal appeal of the family hub. A scullery expands pantry storage and provides a second workplace. It also leaves spacious counters in the kitchen free for entertaining around the essential bar-stool island. Double skylights and well-placed double glazing stream light and sun to ensure natural warmth all year round. Ducted heating is in place, but when the sun shines, this is rarely needed, thanks to the way this home harnesses the sun’s warmth all day.
Family relaxation considers family preferences. Two distinct living areas give separate places for family members to enjoy their own entertainment. The main hub is the initial focus – for dining, gathering and lazing on the cushioned window seat in the sun. Smart storage within this unit hides games, toys and books, while bi-fold windows slide open for a seamless connection with the cottage garden.
The TV lounge sits down the passage and shares a personal link with the swimming pool. Moods change in this room. This snug has a more intimate vibe. Inbuilt shelving and a desk cater for work and library storage. Its link with the pool however, instils a subtle resort hint.
A discreet outdoor corner slips off from the master bedroom. It’s yet another feature that highlights how good design not only embraces various corners outside, but demonstrates how outdoor flow and privacy can be incorporated into the function and flow of a family home. One that still has the advantage of a 10-Year Master Build Guarantee.
27 Briarley St, Avenues, Tauranga
Life’s a beach
A lifestyle village with an increasingly admired business model welcomed its first residents at Waihi Beach
A lifestyle village with an increasingly admired business model welcomed its first residents at Waihi Beach.
Words Monique Balvert-O’Connor | Photos Alan Gibson
Recently Waihi Beach became home to its own Karaka Pines Village, the seventh in the country operating under a model focussed on fairness to investing residents – who keep the capital gains made on their property when they decide to sell their village dwelling.
Located at the north end of Waihi Beach, and only an eight-minute stroll to the ocean, Karaka Pines’ latest village will feature 96 premium homes.
The first part of stage one of the development is completed, with 12 dwellings constructed and selling fast. The first residents moved in over May, with the initial three homes occupied by Waihi Beach locals who are thrilled with the opportunity to live in a retirement village within their beach community. And they’re enjoying the growing community at the village itself.
Karaka Pines Villages chief executive Adam Yates says open days were held in June, with enthusiastic interest coming from further afield too, mainly from Auckland, the Waikato and Coromandel.
There are still opportunities to buy one of the first homes on site, and now is a good time to visit the village and potentially stake an interest. The next builds will get underway at the earliest opportunity, Adam says.
Tucked away in a sunny, protected valley, Karaka Pines Village is sited on what was farmland. The village is located on Browns Drive, spans 5.12 hectares, and neighbours residential streets and a council reserve.
The village’s brick and tile houses come with either two or three bedrooms, offer either a single or double garage, and feature an ensuite as well as main bathroom. Houses are either standalone or duplexes. The homes range in price from a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, single garage duplex at $1.1 million to $1.4 million for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, double garage standalone dwelling.
Spacious apartments also feature on the village plan (with parking included), as does a clubhouse, which will include a pool complex, wellness centre, and well-stocked library – but for now, a temporary clubhouse is currently being enjoyed by residents and friends. The apartment plans show two-storied buildings with a patio providing alfresco dining opportunities for ground-floor residents, and balconies serving the same purpose one floor up.
Karaka Pines Villages operate under an independent living model, although for peace of mind each home is equipped with an emergency call button that is monitored 24/7.
The Karaka Pines operating model has been admired and trusted for many years. There are Karaka Pines Villages in Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua and Christchurch, led by Tauranga’s Kempton Park, which was the first to open about 12 years ago.
Each village has its own special character, but they all have one thing in common: All are vibrant communities where like-minded people enjoy living as they choose, secure in the knowledge that their capital gain is protected.
“Like all properties that come under the Karaka Pines Villages umbrella, when the time comes for owners of the Waihi Beach dwellings to sell, they are the ones who will benefit from the capital gain in their homes, not the management. We think that’s only fair,” Adam says.
In fact, a recently released research report (by Janine Starks at moneytips.nz) on New Zealand retirement village costs found that Karaka Pines residents receive back 99 percent more capital on death/exit than those with the country’s “big six” retirement village operators.
Adding to Karaka Pines’ financial security equation is the fact residents have the chance to opt for a fixed fee for life. That fee (it can be variable, if preferred) covers outside maintenance, insurance and rates. This way residents can have a very clear vision of their financial state, Adam explains.
Karaka Pines Villages specialise in independent living, but because of their financial structure – particularly its capital gains model – people moving on to assisted living, for example, are more likely to be able to afford to do so.
“We value our residents and want them to own their financial future,” Adam is proud to say. “We see the village as the residents’ village. We are resident-centred, and want our residents to feel like they own the place. After all, we only work there – they have to live there.”
Adam explains that it’s important for Karaka Pines Villages staff to live the ethos that it’s not their job to make their own jobs easy, but to make the residents’ lives easier. “We do things for people, not to people,” he says. “We look for moments of ‘I see you’ – seeing each of our residents as independent individuals and supporting them to live their best lives through our words and actions.”
Adam and his team are proud to offer a retirement living model that concentrates firmly on fairness.
Those keen to check out what’s developing can visit the village and tour the show home. Touch base with the village manager on 027 223 8822 or click on the website tab to send an email enquiry. People can also subscribe to the Karaka Pines newsletter, via the website, for updates.
karakapines.co.nz
Solid Foundations
A time-honoured building system in Europe is being utilised to craft homes that embody a heritage-worthy essence.
A time-honoured building system in Europe is being utilised to craft homes that embody a heritage-worthy essence.
Words Casey Vassallo
Photos Jahl Marshall
Homes are meant to be sanctuaries of security, comfort and lasting memories, where loved ones gather to create cherished moments to last generations. At least this is the dream Chris and Robyn MacPherson are striving to create for more people with Stellaria, a company dedicated to premium building materials.
Chris, who started out in landscape architecture, established MacPherson Architecture in 2000 and has been designing thoughtful high-end and lifestyle homes for over 25 years. On the other hand, Robyn was studying law when the Great Recession of 2008/09 hit and made the pivotal decision to come into the fold. Together, they form an exceptional team with a passion for alternative building materials.
Along the way, the couple have designed homes using all systems such as concrete, mudblock and rammed earth – but much of it was arduous according to Robyn. That all changed when they discovered Porotherm clay block from Wienerberger, an Austrian-founded company.
“We both looked at it and by the extruded honeycomb nature of the
block, we could just see immediately how it worked,” Robyn says. “We could see that it had the ability to do everything we try so hard to achieve.” From there, they began nurturing a relationship with Wienerberger to become their New Zealand partner, and in late 2014 Stellaria launched.
Porotherm clay blocks are a structural walling system that can be used in place of materials like timber frame with insulation. Imported from France, there’s a main Porotherm clay block, a portal block, and a lintel block, each taking on an intricate honeycomb matrix structure. Only the portals and lintels are filled with steel and concrete to form the structural elements, being a confined masonry construction system. The rest are installed as a typical concrete block, bound using a Dryfix adhesive instead of mortar. The exterior of the home can then be clad in any fashion, to meet the New Zealand Building Code.
“It's such a simple, efficient system. There's very little complexity around
the walls, and the blocks go up really fast,” Robyn says. It’s said to be faster to construct a building from Porotherm, and a site uses less water and produces less waste given it’s a straight-forward and natural product. “This building system actually forms the majority of the buildings in Europe, and it's been around for 150 years in this extruded form,” Robyn claims.
What stands out about the system is its performance in passive heating
and cooling, high acoustic insulation, ventilation and moisture management. “The clayblocks are breathable with interior lime plaster, which is antiseptic, so as the air moves into the building, it's cleaning the air and we've got 100 percent natural indoor air quality,” says Robyn.
She adds most New Zealand homes will fall to around eight to 12 degrees overnight, whereas a Porotherm home retains the heat in winter and keeps cool in the summer. “It takes 12 hours for the heat and cool to move across that block, and it also moves moisture, so the blocks are breathing,” Robyn explains. “Our clients say living in these homes, it just doesn't go below 18 degrees without any heating.”
Clay is also the perfect material to create a quiet shelter – a naturally effective acoustic solution. “When you're inside it, it's quite cave-like. It just has a density around it and a peacefulness that is hard to describe until people get into it.”
By using an all-round material like this, you can reduce the need for all the extras we’ve come to rely on to make a home comfortable, like ventilation systems, dehumidifiers, heaters and air conditioning.
The best way to get a sense of everything Porotherm can do is at Stellaria’s first showhome, which opened this year on Swayne Road in Cambridge. There, they’ve used a mix of Stellaria clay brick cladding and breathable plaster with mineral paints by Resene Construction Systems on the exterior. Lime plaster is used to finish the walls inside, which has a venetian-like finish with an artisanal quality to it and is extremely smooth to touch – almost glass-like.
“The showhome is about all the products we import from Weinerberger and is the first in a medium-density development of duplex and detachable high-performance homes – we call it Swayne Village,” Robyn says. “These buildings will still be standing in 400 years time, which we don't see in New Zealand really.”
That’s what drives Chris and Robyn – the need for design to be backed by materials that will last the distance. “It's about knowing you've got an asset that not only has a better capital value but also is something that can be handed down. It's intergenerational, it's multigenerational. It's not a house, it's a forever home.”
Robyn says that in New Zealand, we should be following in Europe’s footsteps with products like Porotherm to avoid issues such as leaky homes and crying windows, which can lead to serious health issues. Because where you spend your time is as important to your health as what you put into your body. “We talk a lot about eating well, good water, sleeping well, reducing your pharmaceuticals, so [a healthy Porotherm home] is an extension of what people are trying to do with clean living.”
Stellaria is supplying a host of mid- to high-end projects from Mangawhai to Queenstown. But this product is for every home, despite the perception that building with it is going to be more expensive. The fact is, it’s comparable with a 140mm timber-frame build, at roughly $4,500-$5,500 per m2 to build.
“We're delivering something in which people will get much more for their money, and they should. Because it's the biggest emotional and financial investment,” Robyn says. “We not only believe in the integrity of the build, and the honesty in the building materials, we won't design in timber frame anymore.” Weinerberger warrants the design life of the Porotherm block at 150 years but the building will last well beyond that.
The plight to change the game is very much a family affair, too. All four of Chris and Robyn’s sons play a part in the businesses. Jonty heads up marketing for Stellaria, while Thomas lends his IT knowhow wherever it’s needed. Benjamin and Geordie recently finished building Geordie and wife Cassandra’s own Porotherm home in Taupō. Cassandra, of Cassandra Swan Interiors, also covers interior design projects like their showhome.
As with anything new or innovative, it takes time to build momentum and get people on board. Stellaria is in the process of setting up a showroom in the Home Ideas building and design showroom in Auckland, showcasing all eight of their Wienerberger products, including bricks, cladding, roof tiles and paving.
They are also working on an online resource called BlockBuild to connect people considering creating a home using Porotherm with architects, engineers and builders in their area, across New Zealand. Because Robyn and the team see each Porotherm build as its own promise. “The promise of performance, longevity, durability, and of good health,” she says. “That's why we love it, because we know that it's going to work. It's going to keep its promise.”
Legacy of luxury
Pāpāmoa’s latest aged care facility is a testament to resort-style retirement living.
Pāpāmoa’s latest aged care facility is a testament to resort-style
retirement living.
Words Monique Balvert-O’Connor
Bay of Plenty aged care options have taken yet another leap forward thanks to the recent completion of the Pacific Coast Care Centre – Te Manaaki, a luxurious $30 million aged care facility.
The new residential aged care centre opened in June at Pacific Coast Village, located at Maranui Street, on the coastal stretch between Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa. The completion of Te Manaaki (loosely translated to mean care and support) allows Pacific Coast and its adjacent sister village, Pacific Lakes, to offer a full continuum of care – from independent living, serviced apartments to residential aged care. Te Manaaki offers rest home and hospital level care, including palliative and end-of-life care.
Pacific Coast Village and Pacific Lakes Village are part of the Generus Living Group, which can lay claim to what’s been described as an unrivalled reputation for creating some of New Zealand’s most respected lifestyle villages.
Generus Living director Graham Wilkinson says the villages are indeed known for their upscale design and resort-style facilities rarely seen in New Zealand.
“The Care Centre, Te Manaaki, is a continuation of this considered design, crafted to provide residents with luxury living as well as elevated care and with it an added sense of security in their later years,” he says.
The rapidly burgeoning Bay of Plenty population has been watching the development of the villages – and lately Te Manaaki specifically – with interest, Graham says, especially those seeking a more upscale living and caring environment than previously offered in the area.
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
Designed by architectural firm Sumich Chaplin, the new building is 3000 square metres and seamlessly integrates with Pacific Coast’s architecturally designed Beach House. Te Manaaki presents as a modern facility with 58 highly appointed care suites over two levels, offering a range of spacious residences. Premier Suites, for example, are up to 56 square metres and include a small kitchenette, dedicated dining lounge area, walk-through wardrobe, and private ensuite. The extended living spaces and amenities are substantial and have been carefully curated to present as highly residential, providing residents with choice of environment and a sense of home
THE TE MANAAKI WAY
Te Manaaki will place a significant emphasis on a personalised approach, where residents will take the lead in their own lifestyle. They will be supported by a collaborative approach between Te Manaaki’s multidisciplinary clinical staff and family.
“It is recognised that this extra time, effort, and energy to adopt and engage in this model of care delivers significant outcomes, enhancing the daily life of both our residents and team,” Graham says.
Three months on and the feedback indicates it’s an applauded approach. Residents and stakeholders speak of the “warm and welcoming” staff, excellent companionship, removal of worry, the hotel-like standards, and the well-crafted building and fit-outs.
VOICING THEIR PRAISE
UNO spoke to Te Manaaki residents Joy Morgan, and Neil and Claire Robinson, who live in premier suites, and Tony King, who lives in a care suite, close to a villa where his wife lives. All are aged over 80.
Joy says living at Te Manaaki removes the worry for her children who both live overseas, and there is no other immediate family nearby. As well as that she’s happy to say she has all the amenities she needs, with plenty of activities offered to occupy her time. Plus she loves the company of people of a similar age. Joy was already a village resident, and the transfer and transition to Te Manaaki were seamless.
Neil and Claire both have conditions requiring care and can no longer manage being at home. They are more than happy to call Te Manaaki their new home. They love that it is brand new and enjoy amenities like the café and restaurant. Not having to cook or do their own washing gets the thumbs up too. The fact the village plans included building an aged care facility was the clincher in their decision making around where to live.
“We are being taken care of and enjoy the nice company offered by the other residents.”
Tony says he “liked the look of the place” and it has lived up to expectations. He appreciates how living in a care suite has removed the burden of his care from his wife. It is a safe place.
VALUE-CENTRED PARTNERSHIP
The care centre’s name acknowledges Generus Living Group’s partnership with Mangatawa Pāpāmoa Blocks Incorporation (MPBI) in the development of both villages – Pacific Coast and Pacific Lakes and whose taonga tuku iho (ancestral land) the villages are built on.
MPBI chief executive Scott Wikohika says Manaaki is a concept which is deeply valued. “Manaakitanga is about reciprocity of care and support," he says. "We are proud to have partnered in an investment that celebrates and recognises the value and contribution people continue to make to communities throughout their lives, regardless of their age.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
There are more than 600 residents calling either Pacific Coast or the adjacent Pacific Lakes Village home. Once Te Manaaki is fully occupied, and the remaining Pacific Lakes villas completed, the two villages will be home to more than 800 people. Pacific Lakes has 170 completed villas, with that number expected to reach 250 within two years’ time. Under development at Pacific Lakes is also The Pavilion – a larger amenity to the highly-acclaimed and widely-enjoyed Lake House. The Pavilion is also expected to be completed in two years’ and is set to become one of the largest and most comprehensive community facilities in any New Zealand village. The opening of Te Manaaki has boosted staff numbers, with the villages currently employing about 120 people. Employee numbers over both villages will eventually exceed 140.