When building a home it’s quite easy to list out your needs and wants, but the difficulty is seeing where they fit within your budget, what you can and can’t have. But have you ever stopped and thought what a home with everything would be like?
The Pukenui Residence
In 2016 we were approached by two lovely owners of an existing home in Pukenui sited on an amazing site overlooking the Houhora Harbour with Mount Camel to the East. Their dream was to shift the existing home and replace it with a new home, a dream residence to satisfy their every need.
As an avid game fisherman with a love of boats the home we designed was in the form of a boat, the master bedroom on the third storey overlooking the harbour to feel like the bridge of a large ship, with the levels below being the workings of the ship. The home was designed to only have four bedrooms but with ample living spaces, and as we’ll discuss below, quite a number of stunning features.
The Arrival
The Entry
Pulling into the tiled portico you’re greeted with the stunning Jacobsens Moeding cladding to either side, perfectly kept landscaping and the huge automatic, centre-pivot, steel door at the top of the stairs. Lighting in the ceiling of the portico and down the walls surrounding sets the mood as the door opens into a spacious entry, looking straight through the house over the Stonecraft pool to the harbour views, accompanied by several pieces of artwork around the space.
Hallways & Stairwells
Turning right from the entry you pass under a large taxidermied swordfish positioned as though it’s jumping from the water, hanging to the side of the stairwell leading to the master bedroom upstairs. The hallway flooring is Jacobsens overlay and light channels run the length of the hallway ceiling with movable and adjustable lights to focus on artwork. At the bedroom end of the hallway is a window looking West, and you pass by the taxidermied marlin hanging in the stairwell leading to the lower floor.
Master Bedroom Suite
After a short stair climb (or lift ride) upstairs you arrive in the master bedroom suite, occupying the entire third floor. This consists of a small hallway with rooms to each side, the bathroom, a separate toilet, his wardrobe, & her wardrobe, leading to the large bedroom overlooking the Houhora Harbour. Sliding doors open to the outdoor living space, and a study nook with bi-fold shuttered windows looks down to the void above the main hallway & the beauty of the swordfish.
Living Spaces
The variety of living spaces are what sets this home apart. Whether you feel like being warm and cosy, open to the elements, or sunbathing for a tan, there’s a space for each activity.
You emerge from the hallway into the Kitchen & Dining area. Straight ahead is the outdoor living, to the right the kitchen, to the left the dining. Expansive sliding glass doors surround the area, hard left is the bar, hidden behind dissappearing bi-fold doors. Further to the front of the house is the formal dining table, an expanse of area and to the lounge, a cosy area with glass on one side, built in shelving the other, a large flat screen TV mounted into the tiled wall with a gas fire below.
Electric blinds and curtains are standard throughout the house, with a press of a button they silently move across & upward, exposing the stunning view over the harbour.
Kitchen & Scullery
These Averora designed spaces are simply amazing. Adjoining at one end of the island is a small ‘everyday’ table, at the other the coffee bar stands tall with its large flat screen TV mounted above on the tile splashback. The dark wooden tones of the kitchen cabinetry flow throughout the house, and in the kitchen are contrasted with the stainless steel cabinetry and appliances.
Outdoor Area
Moving to the louvre covered outdoor area through the level entry sliding doors from the kitchen you’ll find two louvre roofs, bi-folding doors (with louvres) around two sides of the area, heat lamps above, and a stunning outdoor kitchen. Complete with a gas BBQ, Argentinian BBQ, Pizza Oven, commercial rangehood & sink, this is a mans best friend.
With the choice to have as much (or as little) natural light as you wish and all your favorite cooking facilities so nearby this creates a great entertaining area when having guests.
Poolside
Claiming the best view in the house is the infinity pool, surrounded by tiles and with ambient lighting at night time. Nearby is a bathroom specifically for changing and using if you’re dripping wet, and an outdoor shower for washing off after your swim.
Ground Floor (full of surprises)
Just in case you thought the upper two stories weren’t enough to satisfy your living needs, head downstairs to be blown away.
Taking the lift or the more scenic stair tour past the marlin you arrive downstairs with a certain indecisiveness – should you go for a drive with a vehicle from the three car garage, watch a movie in the theatre, have a spa, do a workout, have a massage, visit the steam room, relax in the rumpus or head outside to the outdoor spa?
Home Automation
When you’re building a home with this detail, home automation can’t be overlooked. The home is fitted with a complex home automation system allowing (nearly) everything to be run from a central computer system, or from your smartphone.
Fittings, Finishings & Gallery
We could write for hours about the details of this home, so we think best just to show, rather than tell. See below gallery showing other details of this amazing residence:
