COAST AND COUNTRY
203G KARAKA NORTH ROAD
Apartner with a background in draughting, a talent for design, building knowledge and a penchant for collecting vintage materials would have to be high on the wish-list of anyone planning to build a new home.
Luckily for Kate Grantley, her husband Tim had all those skills and then some, and having already built them three homes, he was undaunted at building a fourth house and stables complex at Karaka.
Having said that, Kate and Tim hadn’t really intended to build — they were looking for an existing property but couldn’t find one they liked.
“Then when we were visiting friends they sent us off to look at this block, and we loved it. It’s right at the end of a lovely private lane with 2ha of wetland on one side and beautiful trees on the other, so it’s very private and sheltered,” says Kate.
Taking into account their daughter’s passion for horses — she has three and is a keen eventer — the 1.92ha block was ideal, and they made plans for a spacious, comfortable family home that would work for children and animals.
The stable block was the first task and the family lived there during construction of the main house. It could have been a concern, given that their previous home took five years to complete, but this one proved a much easier build.
The stable block was returned to its main purpose in a more reasonable time frame, providing two enclosed stables, a tack room, an attached, high-stud horse truck barn and a covered outdoor yard.
There’s a one bedroom, self-contained apartment upstairs that overlooks a 60 x 25m grass arena. The entire complex is a horse-lover’s dream come true.
“Our daughter was keen on horses from an early age and it’s given her a great work ethic that will take her a long way,” Kate says.
When it came to the main house, Tim and Kate gave themselves a brief for a modern, open plan family home that would be easy to live in. Their two dogs are in and out of the house so it had to be easy care. Another requirement was for a space that wasn’t too big and could feel cosy when there were only two of them there, but with enough room for everyone.
“And we wanted it to be sunny, with good indooroutdoor flow, and a covered terrace,” Kate says.
They decided on a classic weatherboard and tile house, which involved Tim collecting enough secondhand clay roof tiles to do the job.
The majority came from a home in Epsom, but he had to source others from different sites to get enough in the colour and quality he wanted. The result is modern, contemporary house that looks as if it has been in place for decades.
Inside, there’s a six metre high foyer, formal and informal living and dining rooms and a designer kitchen with stone bench tops, modern appliances and a big, walk-in pantry.