Happiness comes in waves
A radical design produced a liveable home with superb space for extended family, writes Catherine Smith
The path from Waikato dairy farm to retirement around the Tauranga district is a well- worn one, but Gordon and June Dombroski had firm ideas about what they wanted when they left Cambridge 14 years ago. They wanted sea, but they didn’t want to be lost in the spread of Papamoa that was just beginning to burgeon on the edge of Mt Maunganui back then.
“We had some friends here at Omokoroa, we loved the views all across the harbour, and back to the Kaimais; it’s right on a point,” says June.
“Very little comes up for sale here, so when this land came up, we grabbed it. We’re 15km from Katikati, 20 minutes into the centre of Tauranga, we look out at Matakana Island and can see the Mount in the distance. Sunset is over the Kaimais.”
This was never going to be a tiny downsize house, as the couple wanted plenty of room to host their kids and visitors ( they have nine grandchildren and seven great- grandchildren).
The couple had lived in a ranch- style house on the farm, so asked architectural designer Robin Baillie for “something modern” to replace the old cottage on the site. June says they were taken aback at first by his radical response, but quickly fell in love with his idea of three curved roofs that echo the waves around them.
Baillie split the house into two semi- independent levels — including a downstairs guest wing that has bedrooms, bathroom, and a living area with its own dining and kitchenette, that can be closed off for visitors, leaving the upstairs for the couple.
The Dombroskis were thinking future- proofing, installing a lift in the double- height lobby, creating wet- room showers and wide doorways that make it easy for a wheelchair user.
More recently, they refurbished, adding doubleglazed windows, upping the insulation and adding heat pumps and solar hot water. They are pleased they took their builder’s advice and went with a build of cement with cavity, and plastered, rather than the mono tech finish. Clearly the judges of the Master Builders Home of the Year agreed, awarding Belco Builders a regional gold in 2004.
As well as the guest space on the ground floor, there is a double garage and a large purpose- built garage to fit the couple’s campervan. Bought in Europe, it has been shipped back and forth from there to home a couple of times for the extensive travel the Dombroskis enjoyed.
They designed easy- care gardens that could survive seaside conditions and extended neglect while they travelled. But those days are over, and the couple are now moving to a retirement community.
Upstairs, Baillie designed the house so that June and Gordon could follow the sun: there’s a generous sunroom ( that could be a fourth bedroom), a large open- plan living room that opens to the decks wrapping most of the upper floor, and the master suite with a window seat for quiet contemplation. The living room is split into two zones — one looks at the view through curved faceted windows, the other is tucked to one side.
Baillie used changes in ceiling heights to denote the changes in zones, some with clerestory windows to pull in more light. The dining area opens to the deck and the generous kitchen has been well used. It had a surface makeover three years ago, with new cabinet facings and Corian bench tops, but June is proud that the pebble facing of the bar was from their original build.
Bathroom and bedroom finishes have also aged well — both the original carpet and tile in today’s deep neutrals. June had a bit of fun with dark blue walls in one room, a silvery metallic in another. The versatile configuration of bedrooms and the extra living spaces have served them well for big family gatherings for the Christmas holidays.
“It’s 260- degree views, we can see sunrise over Te Puke in the summer, Kaimais and sunsets, sea views right around to Te Puna, “says June. “We have great views of the beach. In the summer there are 90 boats moored here. It’s swimmable for the little ones, but once they get bigger they want more talent over at the Mount.”
Visitors love the hot pools and tennis courts, there’s a sailing club and good cafe, plus a growing
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number of supermarkets servicing the area. And there are plans to extend the Hauraki Rail Trail from Waihi to Katikati and eventually to Omokoroa, while youngsters are relishing the new skate park.
The spectacular views will be hard to leave behind, but June and Gordon’s retirement house has worked exactly as they’d hoped. They’d love to see a young family, or empty nesters hosting extended family visits, take over this spot and enjoy the lifestyle of this Bay of Plenty coastal gem.