Character detail, contemporary living

Ian and Cathy crafted character into the home they began building in 2005 at 157c Barrett Rd, New Plymouth.

Character shows on first sight with the white roughcast concrete finish of the basement level, the classic black weatherboard look above, and the amber-coloured painted shingles facing the two gables of the roof. It’s a timeless presentation that caught out one visitor, who asked Ian ‘‘Is this the original homestead?’’

That’s not surprising, as there’s a strong sense of a traditional bungalow in the presentation, and most people would guess this home has been sitting here for much longer than its 15 years or so. ‘‘We liked the bungalow style ... and it sort of is,’’ Ian says.

From the road, you get a glimpse of the home on its elevated setting, but you have to come up the shared driveway to fully appreciate what Ian and Cathy have created here.

The couple arrived in New Plymouth from Wellington about 2001 and rented for some time while they considered their options for building. ‘‘We had trouble finding a nice section,’’ Ian recalls.

This 1587sqm piece of land in then-new subdivision along

Barrett Rd was the answer to their search. ‘‘When we saw it, we said ‘That’s it!’.’’

The slope of the section allowed a building site to be cut into the contour, giving them a home with basement garaging and entry, and the living areas above enjoying level access to the upper part of the section.

The elevation also gave them an expansive outlook over surrounding land with the graceful slopes of Taranaki Maunga as a backdrop. That suited Cathy. ‘‘I wanted a mountain view out of the kitchen window – and as much sun as possible.’’

The location appealed for its proximity to the reserve space at Barrett’s Lagoon and to a choice of schools. It’s improved in recent years with the opening of Countdown Spotswood and nearby cafes.

This four-bedroom, 253sqm home’s pleasing presentation today includes the established landscaping – a lushly planted improvement on the original bare nature of the property. ‘‘It was completely paddock then,’’ Cathy recalls.

A retaining wall now curves out from the basement to embrace a generous turning and parking area in front of the garage and entry porch. Gardens above the wall and to the sides of the driveway add plenty of colour and texture, while mulch and pebbles minimise maintenance.

Inside the entry porch, there’s the internal access to the oversized double garageworkshop, and wide, welcoming stairs that carry you up to the central landing.

Character continues throughout the house, with the celebration of macrocarpa timber. The warm, fine grain is seen in the handrails and posts of the staircase, along skirting boards, in the architraves around doors and windows, and in the coving that borders ceilings.

Step from the landing into the main semi-open living area and you find the family-sized kitchen is also a statement in macrocarpa – from the smooth top of the breakfast bar to the stacked cupboards and drawers. Panelled cupboard doors boast warm red centres, while the gloss splashback that wraps around the stainless-steel work surface is a fresh green.

Cathy says colour is important to them and they chose a palette of different shades for different rooms – from butterscotch in the lounge to muted green, cream and blue in the bedrooms. In the spacious sunroom, or second living room, off the lounge, the walls are a lively lime green.

Ian and Cathy planned for easy outdoor living, with a set of bifolding doors opening to a private covered deck and an outdoor bath off the eastern end of the lounge, and another set

opening the sunroom to the sunny north-facing lawn on the other side of the lounge. In the dining area, a long window seat allows a view out through trees to the bush adjacent nearby Barrett’s Lagoon.

The lawn is level around the house, but then slopes gently down to a long greenhouse that masks a large vege garden on the other side. The greenhouse produce tops up the dinner table right through the winter, Cathy says. ‘‘It gets up to 40 degrees in there.’’

Fruit trees add to the garden produce – apple, grapefruit, mandarin, lemon, lime, feijoa, tamarillo, avocado and plum, as well as a passionfruit vine.

Along the sloping eastern part of the section, the couple have planted out many natives – including nikau palms, ponga, kowhai and banksia, and created a path to give them a bushwalk experience. There’s even a covered deck and built-in seat down there to enjoy a peaceful time-out.

By Mike Shaw