A VISION OF ZEN

Purchased online from England by a couple heading home to the Bay after 26 years abroad, a bush-clad Ōmokoroa site became a home shaped by close collaboration, thoughtful design and a shared vision. WORDS PIP CROMBIE | PHOTOS AMANDA AITKEN

Buying property sight unseen is something we are familiar with in the Bay of Plenty, usually by international buyers who have access to extensive real-estate-supplied images and information. But for a New Zealand couple returning home after 26 years in England, the almost one-hectare Ōmokoroa section they discovered online had few details to recommend it. There was no exact address, limited imagery and little context. Yet something about the site appealed.

Tracey and John’s return to New Zealand was nudged along by Brexit and COVID. The couple both work from home for large pharmaceutical companies, so the move was about transferring home locations and a desire to spend more time with family. The 2020 lockdown prevented an in-person search, so John’s parents visited the site on their behalf, walking the land, carrying out the due diligence and sending through images. On the strength of this, the couple secured the property from abroad. Working remotely from England, Tracey and John began collaborating with Hannah Armstrong-Gardner of Studio H on the design of their new home. With Hannah and her husband Chris, who would later build the house through their company Gardo Group, living just 500 metres up the road, the project naturally became a close collaboration between the four. Through a series of video calls, the design gradually took shape, evolving into a fully documented consent set before the couple had even returned to New Zealand.

It wasn’t until 2022 that Tracey, John and their woolly-coated black pooch Nonu set foot on the site of their new home. The property is gently nestled at the bottom of a winding drive below an urban development, bordered by trees that ensure privacy from the nearby Ōmokoroa coastal cycleway, and has a small stream meandering through the boundary.

Fast forward to 2026 and the approach down that driveway halts me as I descend. The first impression is of a chic bush retreat. From above, the home is two distinct wings — one black, one white — juxtaposed against the lush clearing the dwelling sits within, surrounded by artfully curated native planting. There is a subtle Japanese influence to the design, and as I draw up to the front entrance, a long hardwood decked walkway draws me to the front door, bordered by its custom balustrade repeating a subtle architectural detail that appears throughout the home, protecting full-height openings on the upper level while reinforcing the project’s restrained material palette. To the left is the long, black Shou Sugi Ban charred timber clad wing, housing guest bedrooms, bathroom, office, kitchen and living, to the right is the white rendered plaster two-storey volume featuring two master bedrooms, large ensuite and dressing room, garage, storage and laundry space. Subtle circular water features set on river stone paths, suspended Japanese rain chains and a small red bridge spanning the stream and glimpsed through the feature window in the entrance, all set the scene for the interiors where tone and texture of materials come together in a magnificent blend of warmth, light and high-end luxury.

The 331m2 home was designed by Hannah ArmstrongGardner, of Studio H, a Tauranga-based design-led practice known for creating homes of quiet distinction. Hannah works closely with her clients from inception to completion, advising them early on that getting to know them well is a key part of her design process. “Where do you put your shoes and your bikes when you come home? What’s ‘your side’ of the basin? My design process is human-centric, not ‘Hannah-centric’," she explains.

Tracey and John arrived with a clear priority: warmth and comfort. Memories of cold New Zealand houses from earlier years abroad meant the thermal performance of their new home was paramount. Instead, the couple and their designer carefully considered the site’s microclimate, including existing tree cover and the natural topography of the driveway ridge. The main living wing therefore faces east, allowing soft morning light to enter the space while avoiding excessive summer heat. To maintain consistent indoor comfort, a hydronic underfloor heating and cooling system runs beneath the home’s light oak flooring, creating an even ambient temperature year-round. The timber floors extend throughout the house, softening the floor-to-ceiling tiling used within the bathrooms and reinforcing the calm material palette. Overhead, 2.7-metre ceilings allow light to move easily through the spaces while housing discreet mechanical systems.

Sustainability was also a key consideration. The property operates with a significant degree of independence through rainwater harvesting, solar generation and efficient systems, while the materials used throughout the home were selected with attention to origin.

The kitchen is dark and seamless, softened by wooden handles in keeping with the subtle Japanese aesthetic, the intentional use of empty space, calming, natural colours and product. With this in mind, the deliberate selection of the Dekton Laurent benchtop - an earthy chocolate shot through with streaks of natural golden hue - bring the whole space, including the offset scullery, together.

From the time the build was completed in March 2024, it has felt like a forever home for Tracey and John - peaceful, sleek, soft and something of a sanctuary. A retreat indeed. STUDIOHDESIGN.CO.NZ

SEEDS OF SUCCESS

This locally owned building company is proving that people-first values and precision quality can transform the construction game.

WORDS NICKY ADAMS | PHOTOS KATIE COX + SUPPLIED

Sitting down with Flowerday Homes directors Rik and Fiona Flowerday, along with general manager Daren Green, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Flowerday Homes is an anomaly in many ways — unlike many of the other big-hitting builders, Flowerday Homes is not a franchise and has kept its sole base as Tauranga. The company reach, however, is far beyond the Bay.

In the 2024 financial year they were the 27th largest builder in New Zealand and the fourth in the Bay of Plenty by number of building consents issued. This current year sees the ongoing construction of Te Mania, a master-planned subdivision in Te Puke, developed and built by Flowerday Homes. Rik and Fi continue to head up the business they started together in 2014 with the same joint vision today that they had at inception — that they would operate a building company that is, in Rik’s words, “building homes, enriching lives and creating communities.”

The ethos may be the same, but there has been enormous change within the company. They laugh reflectively when Rik admits that “many and expensive” mistakes have been made along the way. But the learning curve has brought them to the place they are now, which is one with a focused lead in Daren Green, and an incredibly high-performing and loyal team. With the additions to their dedicated staff of Brendyn Gray and Mark Hooper, both of whom have extensive industry experience of 20 and 18 years respectively, they also consider contractors and subbies — the majority of whom have consistently worked for them for 10 years — as part of the operation.

2 Spiralis Close

Riding high from the prestigious 2025 Master Builder House of the Year awards, where Flowerday Homes entered two houses (one won Gold, the other won both Gold and a Regional Category) they are collectively clearly excited not just by the accolade but by the judge’s surmise.

Fi shows me the brochure, which states: “What stands out most is the care taken with the build. Every detail has been handled with focus and precision. The result is a home that not only meets the brief but is delivered to a very high standard.”

This, they all agree, is validation of exactly what they strive for on each and every build. As Daren puts it, “If I could, I would say to all clients that every house we build, whether it be a 120sqm dwelling or a 350sqm design and build, our quality and attention to detail does not change. And that’s through a rigorous process that our construction team has set up, and working closely with our sub-contractors who have a gold standard on everything they do.”

Achieving this kind of precision quality across such a vast number of builds is not just good luck. Fi, Rik and Daren have worked tirelessly from the ground up to instill systems and processes, as well as values within the team, to ensure there is no margin for error.

As Fi explains, “We’ve spent a lot of time working on our company core values.” These, Rik says, are: “Honesty, Empathy, Accountability, Respect and Trust — an acronym of HEART — which is at the core of everything we do.”

These values have always been there, but the company has realised the importance of articulating them, which in turn says Daren, “ensures they are delivered on a consistent basis.”

Both Rik and Fi credit Daren with developing and leading the culture of the company to an extent that it’s known that Flowerday Homes is a good place to be a client, as well as a good place to work. There’s an emphasis on staff wellbeing, which is wrapped up within the stringent health and safety measures.

As Fi notes, wellness and mental health are a big part of overall health, in what can be a high-stress industry. Fi reflects on the fact that the cultural shift has led to a more cohesive team not just on the job, but also in leisure time.

“We’ve got a social club, and we do fun activities together. In the office we have lunch around the table and the girls go for a walk afterwards. I enjoy coming to the office, there’s a good vibe here.”

Rik agrees: “It’s not just because we have a fruit bowl and drinks on a Friday — it’s an alignment of our values, which impact every decision we make as a business internally and externally.”

The key word they all agree on — in relation to both staff and clients — is communication. As Fi points out: “Everyone knows their job and what they do. We used to have quite blurred lines, and now it’s a very well oiled machine… Communication is prioritised internally and externally, so there’s lots of comms with clients. From experience we know the thing that people love when they’re building houses is to hear from their builder all the time. But we’re also rigorous on internal comms with one another.”

Daren agrees: “We’ve set up a structure that every staff member in the business contributes to how the model functions. Every person has a voice, and with this system no comment or question goes unnoticed.”

Fi rounds off: “There’s a lack of bureaucracy because we’re not a franchise — we can do what we want. We’re a nimble business.”

Internal streamlining and cohesiveness are reflected in client liaison and satisfaction, which, they comment proudly, is excellent.

As Fi says, “We’ll spend as much time as the client wants or needs — there’s never a rush, it’s always at your own pace. Once things are consented, our construction team takes over. Their allocated project manager will call them regularly and send detailed site reports with updates and photos. They also have access to the BuilderTrend app, which has a live schedule.”

In addition to their goal of absolute customer satisfaction, Flowerday Homes has invested heavily into the concept of sustainability within the building process.

Fi explains: “We’ve got a really keen eye on sustainability — we’re always looking at how to reduce, recycle, repurpose. Te Mania gave us a unique opportunity to break old habits of ‘everything goes in the bin.’ As the sole builder on site, with all trades part of our team, we could educate everyone and shift the culture as we work toward a goal of zero waste.”

Te Mania Point

With so much positivity around Te Mania, both in terms of the process and the outcome, the natural next step for Flowerday Homes is to bring focus to their Design and Build (D&B) arm.

In many ways this feels like going back to grass roots, but with a more experienced and empowered team. The addition of Mark Hooper, who specialises in D&B, and is well known for his expertise, lends them even more gravitas. Each of them is really excited about the creative opportunities that D&B brings — and, they point out, the builders love it too. There is so much scope in this area, not just with products but with the freedom of designs; Daren is emphatic when it comes to what Flowerday Homes brings to this arena.

“If I take my Flowerday hat off, and say right — I’m going to build my dream house tomorrow, I would 100 percent deal with this business, because of the attention to detail, quality and customer focus ethos.”

On a personal basis Daren is highly motivated by delivering results clients can be proud of and by team success.

“What drives me is getting the best out of people. Getting the right people on the bus is an important first step. We have that.”

Rik, on the other hand, is fired up by the big picture. “That’s what inspires me. Te Mania has this old-school community feel — kids wandering from home to the park, neighbours out and about. Seeing that come to life is something I’m really proud of.”

Fiona is passionate about ensuring the brand stands by the strong values that it has been built on from day one. The common ground, as Daren surmises, is on what they deliver: “Quality is in our DNA.”

FLOWERDAYHOMES.CO.NZ