Coast meets country at a Horowhenua new-build.

The setting of this Waikawa Beach home and the owner’s English heritage influenced its interior design

If Kezna and Braden Cameron have a super power, it’s designing and building stylish yet functional houses. The Horowhenua couple, who have owned building and earthmoving company Aramus for 20 years, have lost count of the number of houses Braden has built and Kezna has interior designed for others since they first merged their professional talents.

So it was a no-brainer when it came to their own home, the second they’ve built for themselves: openplan living and dining, four bedrooms, a separate TV room, plus stables and a tack room for the 15 horses that Braden, also founder of Distance Riding New Zealand, breeds and trains.

Having lived rurally in Pāuatahanui for 15 years, the Camerons were keen to move closer to the sea, but it took time to find this 26.7ha section at Waikawa Beach.

It wasn’t a promising start. “When we first saw the section in 2014 it was just mountains of sand with high lupine,” says Kezna. “But we loved the quiet and the space and knew we could make it work.”

They tossed up between building on the hills – with their spectacular views of Kāpiti Island, across to Mt Taranaki and the South Island – or on the flat

‘We loved the quiet and the space and knew we could make it work’

where they could overlook a lake which is home to swans, ducks and spoonbills. The latter won out and gave easier access to the horses and stable block.

While Braden’s team removed truckloads of sand to build the 385sqm house, the couple and their two daughters Meya, 19, and Neve, 15, alternated between living at their Pāuatahanui home and a cottage on site which didn’t have electricity when they arrived. Now renovated, it is home to Kezna’s parents.

The couple always knew they wanted a light and airy single-storey home with views from every window, and high ceilings to accommodate the beams made from vintage telephone poles Braden found in a salvage yard. Braden designed the steel trusses himself and had them made by a local

craftsman. They’re offset by a chandelier with gold chains that took Kezna a painstaking seven hours to install.

When it came to decorating, Kezna was keen on combining country and coastal styles. “Country because my parents are English and I’ve inherited a love of old English country style, but also coastal because I wanted to reflect the house’s setting.”

Ask them if they had any disasters on this build and they’ll laugh. “We were lucky, because the only issue we had was that the Versailles-style parquet tiles I wanted for the kitchen took a year to get here from overseas,” says Kezna. “So we had to live with a concrete floor for a year.”

But she’s glad she waited because the dark tiles work well with the white walls and pops of colour introduced through the James Dunlop curtains splashed with colourful peacocks that tie in with the lake’s abundant birdlife.

Kezna called in Wellington landscape designer Rebecca Wilson to help with the garden, which has been planted in waves of native grasses that wind their way down to the lake. Braden and Kezna are working with the local council to ensure pests such as stoats are eradicated from the lake area.

Not surprisingly, the couple say this is their forever home. “Working in the property industry we see a lot of places we love, but this house works perfectly for us and our family and we love the location, so we have no plans to move.”

THIS PAGE Braden and Kezna Cameron opted for the traditional cladding of rusticated weatherboard and timber joinery, painted in Dulux White Island, for their new home at Waikawa Beach in Horowhenua. OPPOSITE Braden exercises the couple’s Arabian stallion, Lexington Intrepid, imported from Australia, on the nearby beach.

THESE PAGES (from left) Kezna makes sure the drinks trolley is always stocked with ingredients for a margarita; the James Dunlop velvet curtains with colourful peacocks add a pop of colour. The kitchen design was a collaboration between Tony Hawes from Mastercraft Kitchens Wellington and Kezna, and fits the couple’s brief for a light and airy space; the iron and leather barstools are from McKenzie & Willis in Christchurch and the ceiling trusses are fashioned from old telephone poles.

THESE PAGES Kezna found the pale linen sofas at Citta while the pastel watercolour-style cushions are by Katrina Hobbs; the window seat squabs were made in blue velvet to complement the curtains and the sign above the fireplace was made by a local artist.

THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left) The Saddle chair by Timothy Oulton is from Dawson & Co and suits this horse-loving family. The faux fur throw, from MM Linen, is perfect for cold winter nights. A fan of MM Linen, Kezna chose this velvet and floral bed set with cushions from Le Forge; the herringbone silk fabric curtains are from James Dunlop and the linen light shade was made by Vintage European in Wairarapa. Kezna opted for classic black and white tiles in the family bathroom, while the custom-made vanity is fitted with Perrin & Rowe brass taps. OPPOSITE Daughter Neve chose Dulux Peppermint¯Pie for her bedroom walls; last season’s horse trophies have pride of place in the hallway on a set of mirrored draws from Cream Design in Otaki.

THIS PAGE The Victoria + Albert bath in the ensuite is the perfect spot to enjoy the outlook on to the horse paddocks. OPPOSITE The family likes to entertain, so ensured an easy flow from the house to the covered outdoor entertaining area; there are lake views from many rooms.

THIS PAGE (from top) The courtyard, which catches the morning sun, is a favoured spot for breakfast overlooking the lake; the stone table is from Early Settler. Kezna once bred ragdoll cats and Nela is one of five she still owns. OPPOSITE (from top) The outdoor chairs and table are from Early Settler while Kezna found the glass jar at The Warehouse. The house was intended to nestle neatly into the dunes and wetlands and the couple is proud they have achieved this.