SHOP THEIR STYLE
Clean-lined furniture and industrial surfaces are given rustic warmth with wooden slabs and bountiful botanicals
CONTACTS
+ Kitchen by Palazzo Kitchens palazzokitchens.co.nz + Builder Shaun McKain, Modern Bay Builders wtd.net.nz/modern-bay-builders-waihi-beach
+ Tiler Brad Freeman, Priceless Tiles, Waihi Beach
BUDGET
+ What did you spend in total? The build cost $450,000 and the landscaping was $90,000.
+ How did your budget forecast compare to your actual spend? John: We were pretty much on the money when it came to the cost of the house build. We added items and changed our minds on a few things along the way and felt quite comfortable spending money on those extras. As a result, we were probably about 10 percent out on our estimated cost. + What did you splurge on? John: We splurged on the landscaping but we wanted to get it right from the start. That included the bollard-like fence at the front; it is shaped in height to mimic waves, and the same look is repeated higher up the property. We spent a little more on the kitchen than intended – the splashback brick tiles weren’t initially planned to reach ceiling height, but we love how it looks like a brick wall. The bathrooms were always going to involve some extra expense as Mel was keen for them to be different. And the steel canopy over the front door was another splurge; it adds an architectural feature and increases the house’s street appeal.
+ What did you save on? Mel: Originally the pillars at the front were to be made from Linea weatherboard but in the end we opted for Titan panel, which wasn’t as labour-intensive and therefore not as expensive. We abandoned our idea of having timber flooring in the main living area; it would have been very noisy and we loved the look of the vinyl planking we opted for. I saw the Karndean planking on the showroom floor and thought, “I’m going to have that.”