Houzz Tour: Big Sky Views on the Wild West Coast
A bach-like coastal home is designed to provide a laid-back lifestyle for a young family
It gets windy on this ridge between the black-sand sweep of Piha Beach and its smaller neighbour, Karekare, a moody stretch of coastline made famous in the movie The Piano.
Finding an affordable site with such spectacular views was a dream come true for the new owner, a builder and keen surfer who wanted to vacate the busyness of the city for a more laid-back lifestyle. He asked Tim Dorrington of Dorrington Atcheson Architects for a design that would accommodate his young family, and take the knocks of two rapidly growing and active boys.
The owner wanted an unpretentious house that celebrated the casual, coastal feel of this remote suburb. The result: two cube-like volumes that frame views of the sea and sky. The relaxed aesthetic belies the finely crafted experience of the build: absolute precision in the cladding, lining, junctions and joins. Bach-like in feel, this home captures a holiday mood in the everyday.
Finding an affordable site with such spectacular views was a dream come true for the new owner, a builder and keen surfer who wanted to vacate the busyness of the city for a more laid-back lifestyle. He asked Tim Dorrington of Dorrington Atcheson Architects for a design that would accommodate his young family, and take the knocks of two rapidly growing and active boys.
The owner wanted an unpretentious house that celebrated the casual, coastal feel of this remote suburb. The result: two cube-like volumes that frame views of the sea and sky. The relaxed aesthetic belies the finely crafted experience of the build: absolute precision in the cladding, lining, junctions and joins. Bach-like in feel, this home captures a holiday mood in the everyday.
The home is made up of not-so-humble timber boxes and was built to superb standards. Clean mitres edge the cladding, while the red doorway is a fire engine-bright indication that this is the main entry point to the house.
Inside, the home has two bedrooms with an attached bunk room, and two bathrooms – one upstairs and one combined with the laundry downstairs.
Inside, the home has two bedrooms with an attached bunk room, and two bathrooms – one upstairs and one combined with the laundry downstairs.
Polished Strandboard (high-density panels made from glued and pressed wood flakes) ceiling panels are joined in jigsaw-like fashion, and louvred windows keep the home cool in summer. The concrete floors were power floated when laid, and then polished with as little grind as possible.
“The owners were clear that they were okay with the faults of concrete as a natural product. They wanted a floor that was similar to that in a supermarket – polished and well used – but did not want to see ground aggregate,” says Dorrington.
The bench seat in the dining area doubles as built-in storage.
“The owners were clear that they were okay with the faults of concrete as a natural product. They wanted a floor that was similar to that in a supermarket – polished and well used – but did not want to see ground aggregate,” says Dorrington.
The bench seat in the dining area doubles as built-in storage.
In the kitchen, the benchtop is hand-crafted from oak beams that the builder had collected over the years; it cantilevers above a concrete base and waterfalls gracefully down one side. “The family enjoys having breakfast here in the morning, with the view that looks south-west,” says Dorrington.
A print above the bench was made by the owner. The black kitchen cabinets were fashioned from a high pressure laminate – Futura from Plytech – which is a plywood made from European birch. Handles are a simple D-style in chrome, which suits the industrial look of this space.
Kitchen: Fluid Interiors; Joinery: Nick’s Timber Joinery
A print above the bench was made by the owner. The black kitchen cabinets were fashioned from a high pressure laminate – Futura from Plytech – which is a plywood made from European birch. Handles are a simple D-style in chrome, which suits the industrial look of this space.
Kitchen: Fluid Interiors; Joinery: Nick’s Timber Joinery
The lower level of the home includes a kitchen, living and dining zone, which steps down to a conversation pit. To balance the sense of openness in the rest of the dwelling, there’s a sense of intimacy to this space, with its built-in bench seating and a wood-burning stove that offers a snug respite from the elements.
A wall of family photographs makes this a homey space to hang out. To supplement the built-in seating vintage furniture finds were added, which also helped to keep the budget under control. The artwork to the left of the fire was bought in Mexico and is entitled ‘Un Profundo Silencio’ (One Profound Silence).
A wall of family photographs makes this a homey space to hang out. To supplement the built-in seating vintage furniture finds were added, which also helped to keep the budget under control. The artwork to the left of the fire was bought in Mexico and is entitled ‘Un Profundo Silencio’ (One Profound Silence).
Concrete floors on the lower level are kid proof and the garden beyond is filled with low-maintenance natives such as ferns and flax. “We didn’t want anything too pretty as it wouldn’t suit the tough, salt-swept nature of the site,” says the builder.
The stairwell leads from the lower level’s kitchen, dining and living areas to the upstairs bedroom and bathroom zone. Timber dowels create a decorative screen for the staircase. Stair treads are again in Strandboard, while the walls are lined in Lawsons cypress to bring in a lived-in, rustic aesthetic.
The pendant light in the stairwell has an interesting history; it was once a wicker laundry basket. The owners love wicker, so they converted it to a light shade.
At the base of the stairs, the blue hanging sculpture was a wedding present and is made from recycled plastic bags.
At the base of the stairs, the blue hanging sculpture was a wedding present and is made from recycled plastic bags.
The bathroom has a built-in bench seat and simple wooden pegs affixed to the plywood cladding for hanging towels and clothing. While the bath is basic and functional for kids, the view over a hillside of tea tree elevates the space to new heights.
Tapware from Chesters
Tapware from Chesters
A garage block to hold all the toys for the sun, sand and surf, was built alongside the main dwelling. The red doorway adds a sense of fun, and the gravel drive is not only in keeping with the semi-rural nature of the suburb, it also provides a permeable surface that allows rainwater to drain more easily.
The site was covered in manuka when the owners moved here. They cleared it by hand and now it features a central lawn big enough for a trampoline. Hardy natives, such as flax, allow a great-outdoors experience that celebrates the landscape. This view looks south west towards Karekare Beach.
TELL US
What would be your favourite part of living in the beautiful coastal home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US
What would be your favourite part of living in the beautiful coastal home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here: A couple and their two sons
Location: Karekare Beach, New Zealand
Size: 140 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
That’s interesting: The house was designed to face south so it would capture the scene towards Karekare. A covered entry, which provides shelter between the living room, bunk room and laundry, frames a view like a living artwork.
The home has a simple-yet-striking geometry to create presence on a site that could easily have claimed all the glory.
Two offset forms of varying heights add interest to the architecture, and raise it beyond a bland rectangular box. Visitors enter via a deck from the north-facing courtyard, which seems to float above the grass.
“The deck runs through the guts of the larger two-storey form, which lends a sense of continuity between inside and out,” says architect Tim Dorrington. The house is clad in Lawsons cypress which has silvered off beautifully. “Its weather-beaten look makes it feel like it has been here for many years,” he adds. “The owners used Australian bluegum for the decking as it was readily available and sustainable.”