Contemporary comforts

‘‘There’s stamped, exposed, polished and coloured.’’

The dining area in front of the kitchen is huge – large enough to easily accommodate a dining table more than 3m long that can seat a dozen people. The table is likely to be a negotiable item in this property sale.

A freestanding woodburner defines the transition from dining to equally generous family area. It was the biggest woodburner they could buy.

A wall of recycled bricks behind the woodburner adds texture and colour to the neutral Opononi hue of the walls. ‘‘We talked about textured wallpaper, but we didn’t want to detract from the bricks; they are such a significant feature,’’ Mel says.

The woodburner also features a water booster that adds free hot water to the otherwise electrically heated water supply.

Another energy-focused feature is the Smartvent system that moves heat from the warmest areas to the coolest to balance the comfort throughout the house.

Bifolding doors open wide to allow easy movement from the family area to the timber deck that wraps around the north and eastern faces of the living areas. You can sit out here and watch the peaceful sight of calves grazing below the house lawn. Three fenced paddocks are set up to be efficiently strip-grazed.

Behind the family area is a lounge room, accessed via the second ‘‘barn’’ door that slides into a wall cavity. Mel says this room is described on the house plans as the ‘‘cigar and cognac room’’.

‘‘But we don’t smoke cigars or drink cognac ... so it’s become the kids’ space. It’s their mostused room in the house.’’

New owners might choose to use it as it was truly intended: as a media room. It’s wired for a movie theatre with surround sound and can be easily connected to complete the purpose. ‘‘There’s so much technology in this house; it’s future proofed,’’ Craig notes.

Outside is the same. There are cables in place for an electric gate at the driveway entrance, garden cabling for a water feature or outdoor lighting, and wiring under all the deck areas for outdoor power points.

Along the wide hallway from the foyer, you find four large bedrooms, the spacious family bathroom, several large storage cupboards, and the internal access to the oversized and plywood-lined double garage. The laundry is located in the garage area along with a wealth of extra bench and storage space.

The ensuite and family bathroom are finished with the same quality combination of polished stone-look floor tiles and white fittings. The family bathroom boasts a large freestanding oval bath and a double-sized frameless glass shower with a feature wall of timber-look ceramic tiles.

Outside, in the grounds near the partially converted three-bay shed, there’s another surprising feature – a flying fox angling away from a pole at the centre of an extensive playhut structure, crafted again by Craig. ‘‘That was built before the house and before the kids,’’ Mel says with a smile. Suffice to say, it’s been a popular focus for all sorts of gatherings here.

The land here has impressed for its fertility. ‘‘Things grow; it’s amazing!’’

That’s not too surprising. The land around here was once part of the Sequoia Orchard property.

An extensive list of the fruits that the couple has planted includes peach, plum, apple, pear, feijoa, fig, lime, lemon, lemonade, mandarin, orange, tamarillo, peachicot, peacharine, grape, passionfruit, avocado, blueberry and strawberry.

‘‘We’ve had more plums than we could eat, as well as feijoas and peaches. Friends say they’re the best peaches they’ve eaten in their lives,’’ says Mel.

The raised vegetable gardens are a little different to most: four cast-iron bathtubs suspended in a timber frame. ‘‘They are easy to manage when they are off the ground,’’ says Craig.

They’re now ready for their next project, whether that’s a new build or a renovation remains to be seen.

That allows new owners to reap the benefits of Craig and Mel’s imaginative, innovative work here.