Future-proofed for family life
43 MATTHEW WHITFORD DRIVE RAMARAMA
A“manageable rural block with great views, within commutable distance of Auckland but close to Pukekohe” was the brief from Megan and James Taylor when they started looking for land, and their wishlist for their new build was equally ambitious.
Megan had grown up in rural Bay of Plenty and wanted the same for their children, and she and James planned a future-proofed house that would serve their family well for at least the next 15 years.
They found their 3.7ha block in Ramarama and as soon as they set foot on it they knew it was for them. “It was a beautiful spring day and the pond was so blue and the views across the countryside sealed the deal.”
They contracted an independent local builder and Megan and James came up with a design they knew would work as a home for the present and as their children grew up.
They included spaces that would work for small children and later on for teens, good indoor-outdoor flow for family life and entertaining, and the ability to open and close off separate zones.
“James worked very closely alongside the builder so we could incorporate all the special things we wanted,” Megan says. “We wanted lots of timber detailing so there’s a solid cedar exposed truss in the entry, solid oak flooring, cedar sarking, and three sets of timber sliding doors down the hallway that close off different areas.”
Raked ceilings have been used in the central family hub, the focus of which is a kitchen complete with island bench, butler’s pantry and a Falcon oven that Megan had long coveted before the build.
“I saw one in a showroom in Queenstown and decided right then that if we ever got to build, I’d have one.”
It exceeded all her expectations when the family had a Christmas celebration for 20 people two weeks after they moved in.
Adjoining the kitchen and dining area is a family living room with wood-burning fire and study nook. The design of this space took some serious thought because Megan and James wanted their wood storage area positioned in the centre of the wall, which required the log burner to be sited off centre.
“We wanted the wood box to be a feature, and it is,” Megan says. “It’s lined in stone from a local quarry and has lights behind it.”
As well as the living area there’s a separate media room with large screen which doubles as a place where James can play his guitars, and the sliding doors provide effective noise-proofing.
The wing that contains the master bedroom with its walk-in wardrobe and en suite can also be closed off behind sliding doors, and is separated from the remaining bedrooms with their own lounge and bathroom at the other end of the house.
Air conditioning, underfloor heating, the log fire, and extra insulation provide excellent climate control across the 302sq m house. All the interior walls are insulated, and there’s low emissivity glass.
“I really don’t think there’s anything we forgot,” Megan says. “James is in IT so we have great connectivity, and things like sensor lights so that if the kids get up in the night they can find their way to us.”
The outdoor areas work equally well. The land is divided into two main paddocks and closer to the house are lawns where the couple’s son does laps on his bike.
The next step for this family is more of the same, but this time north of Auckland rather than south.