Living the dream
The emphasis was on the fine details in design and decor, writes Donna McIntyre
Alan Perkinson reckons he is living the dream with the lifestyle he enjoys at Omaha.
“There is a lot to be said for waking up, looking out the window and seeing the ocean is flat. I hook up the boat and go for a dive,” he says.
“I chose to live here and enjoy those quality parts of life, which are getting out and diving, fishing and walking on the beach.
“And then I go back to a glass of wine, a nice cooked meal, light the fire and go from there.”
Alan built this home, one back from the beach, four years ago.
At first it was his holiday home but last December, Alan and his wife Marnie came here to live. They had married on the adjacent beachfront section.
“I have always had an affiliation with the area and coming back was always a long-term goal,” says Alan who grew up in Puhoi and used to run around Omaha beach as a kid.
He commutes to Auckland from Omaha a couple of days a week to run his packaging and consulting business. “Auckland being only 50 minutes to an hour down the road.”
He says marathon runner and TV presenter Marnie “loves the freedom and space up here when she goes running”.
For the house design, Alan worked with Alistair Watt, of Alistair Watt Architectural.
“I knew what I wanted in terms of workable spaces, lots of natural light and basically to be an entertaining house. I love to cook and entertain,” Alan says.
The home’s exterior is Colorsteel iron and wooden weatherboards, lined with Triboard.
To capture the sea views across to Little Barrier Island, the entertaining end of the house — lounge, dining kitchen and outdoors area — sits 1m above the rest of the home. The master bedroom and en suite are on a mezzanine level provided by the vast 5m high stud that runs through the lounge.
On the lower part of the home are three bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry and media room with projector, surround sound and gym equipment. (This could be converted back to an oversized single garage). This area has its own entrance so is ideal when family or guests are staying.
As well as the home having a hardy, solid exterior, Alan had asked interior designer Deb Crowe for advice on decor that would reflect its beachside setting.
The lounge feature wall was designed to resemble water running down a window pane. “It is oak and every piece on the wall has been individually cut, it is like a piece of art within itself,” says Alan.
Oak is also used for the flooring and custommade bathroom vanity cabinetry. Balustrades leading up to the mezzanine are seaweed-infused Perspex, chosen to draw more elements of the beach into the house.
Colours of the dunes are repeated in the tones and textures of the carpets and curtains — and a nod to Alan’s passion for wine is the barrel lamp that Deb designed especially for this home.
“I have put emphasis on finer details rather than just having it as a beach house. I tried to create something a little bit more special. It is a very warm and friendly home,” says Alan.
The three tiled bathrooms have Groehe tapware and underfloor heating. Bathroom benchtops are granite, as are the benches in the kitchen where Alan’s love of entertaining means all appliances are “chef standard”.
And to make times with friends and family even more enjoyable, the home’s entertainment system is on four zones for audio and television .
“The kids can go into the media room and watch the latest movie, the sport can be on in the lounge and the outdoor areas can be on music,” says Alan.
There are decks to the east and west of the living areas. The deck facing the beach has mechanical louvres, feature lighting and built-in barbecue.
Life seems close to perfect here but Alan and Marnie are selling their dream home.
“Like anything in life, like a game of chess you have to continue to move forward. We have bought a beachfront property,” he says.
He thinks this home would work well for a family, either with teenagers or younger children.
“The section is fenced, it’s 20m along a track to the beach, no roads to cross, and it’s a perfect lock and leave.”