Hidden Tamahere family oasis
Sheltered from the road and nestled amongst an expansive native garden, this executive home reveals itself as the modern masterpiece that it is as you come down the driveway.
Owners Colin and Ro Edge describe it as their piece of paradise. ‘‘We never felt like we needed a bach – we were able to escape the hustle and bustle of life every day!’’ says Ro.
Their vision was to build a house with timeless quality. Architect Aaron Haddock brought this vision to mind, designing a home that consists of three pavilions with two black traditional cedar bedroom wings, anchored by a modern glass and timber pavilion containing a large open-plan living area and internal and external fireplaces.
The home grew with their family, into what is now a wonderful playground for young and old alike.
‘‘We built the ‘kids’ wing’ first and developed all the fun stuff to keep our children and their friends entertained. From the large salt-water swimming pool to the 50m flying fox, hut with fireman’s pole, monkey bars and an artificial turf area, complete with cricket wicket, wall and nets, it’s a kids’ paradise. The large front lawn caters for most sports games, and the gardens are perfect for spotlight at night. And if the kids wanted to explore further, they headed down into the gully, which is now fully planted out in natives.’’
As the children grew, so did the home, with the main living pavilion and adults’ wing completed in 2013.
The three pavilions provide space for everyone. Teens can have fun with their friends in the games room, while adults can enjoy the main living pavilion and western deck.
Perfectly positioned for yearround sun, the living pavilion spills onto north-facing decks stretching along the entire northern aspect of the home.
The large modern kitchen, designed by Robin Caldwell of Designer Cabinets, has clean lines and a 3.8m long breakfast bar, fantastic for entertaining.
The living area, master bedroom and games rooms all face north, while the kids’ bedrooms overlook views of the native gardens and gully.
The north-facing upstairs office looks over the native garden to the large trees beyond, while the gym offers views of the large oak tree and gully beyond.
‘‘Our home has always been filled with people. Its proximity to the city made it the perfect spot for our kids when older to have pre-town drinks with friends, and post-town crashing, due to having plenty of spare beds! Many a summer evening is spent sitting around the outside fire, and winter evenings around the large dining table, enjoying time with family and friends.’’ The orchard has also grown, producing plentiful fruit. ‘‘We enjoy harvesting fruit from our orchard and vegetables and herbs from our raised gardens, and spending time in the native garden which now attracts many tui and kingfishers.’’
With quality schools nearby, it’s the perfect bolthole for families looking for a luxurious but laid-back, self-sufficient lifestyle.