Interior features
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“We wanted a home that felt comfortable and lived in,” says Mary Harris. “We had lots of fresh ideas about what we wanted in a new home, but also some things from the past that were important to retain. For example, we have a big adzed oak dining table, chairs, and dresser that were given to us in England for a wedding present before we immigrated 28 years ago. The table, in particular, represents the heart of the home. Landmark Homes understood this and designed the kitchen and dining area so that it was big enough to accommodate them. Then kitchen joinery company, Custom Joinery, designed curved oak cabinetry to match, starting from a photo I'd found in a magazine.” The Harris's also wanted to create a very special space to display their art collection. Landmark's designer created a spacious, high-ceilinged entrance way that provides a gallery space with halogens spotlighting the paintings on the wall. The tiled floor, Nepalese rugs and Candelabra style light all help to create a sense that you are entering a house of style and substance. The home is a wonderful mixture of practicality and style. All the essentials for easy living are here. The laundry for example, has been carefully thought through to maximise storage and work space. There are large deep pull-out bins for laundry and a pull-out ironing board as well as plenty of bench space, ideal for odd jobs. The kitchen has also been carefully planned to make life easy. “There's great storage with an on-bench pantry and storage bins underneath. Little details make a big difference, like the spice drawer, which just keeps everything tidy and accessible,” says Mary. The kitchen appliances include a Whirlpool Gold Fridge, Meile wall oven and Baumatic electric hob with digital controls and a Bosch dishwasher. The kitchen cabinetry has been finished in a Wedgewood blue which ties in with Mary's Wedgewood collection displayed on the large oak dresser. The floor in the kitchen and dining area is Merbau Tarkett lacquered wood treated with Proteco Lacquer. This is a great alternative to solid wood flooring, creating a solid timber look without the gaps that are often created through the timber shifting. It has a 15 year guarantee. A casual sunny sitting area connects the dining area with the outdoors and pool. The walls here have been painted with a dramatic warm Taubmans ‘Chilli Red' which contrasts nicely with the more neutral Taubmans 'Cargo Pants'. Stained glass detailed doors lead from this area through to the lounge. This is a beautifully detailed room, the focal point being the schist fireplace and chimney with a granite hearth. “We really liked the idea of using schist inside and outside the house,” says John. “It feels like it belongs here in the North Canterbury landscape.” Downstairs, a separate guest wing has been created with two bedrooms and bathroom. This has been designed so that it can be shut down when not in use, saving on heating costs. “It's something you have to consider carefully in this climate,” says John. The winters are cold and the summers can be very hot, which is why we went with heat pumps in the kitchen/dining area and in the bedroom. They pump hot air in winter and cool in summer. In winter we have them set on a timer to come on and very quickly warm up the room before we get up.” The house has been designed with energy efficiency and conservation in mind with R 3.6 Pink Batts throughout, double glazing in the windows and doors and a solar panel on the roof for efficient water heating. The master bedroom ensuite and the main bathroom have also been thoughtfully detailed, with underfloor heating and heating behind the mirrors to prevent misting. The main bathroom has been tiled with white ripple tiles and a chrome trim over James Hardie's Villaboard, with Hardiflex used around the bath cradle under the tiles. Upstairs, the Harris's have created a stunning office space, which can also be used as an additional guest bedroom with its own ensuite. The office opens out onto a roof balcony surrounded by a Linea® Weatherboard balustrade. It's a great place to sit and catch the sun – or to get some work done, though it would be easy to be distracted by the views, with sweeping views across farmland out to the east coast, Mt Grey to the west and the Amberleys and Kaikouras to the north. Read more related articles: |
